It’s okay to say no.

We live our lives in fast-forward, constantly moving from one thing to the next, continually striving for more, but we barely take a moment to catch our breath.

There are seasons of life when our schedules are naturally full. There are seasons of life when we need to suck it up and push through, but we also need to recognize when we begin to be proud of our full schedule—as if we have something to prove, as if we need to shout from the rooftop that we aren’t lazy.

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There are times in life when it’s okay to say no. And it’s not just okay—there are times when saying no is actually honoring to God. There are times when saying no is the best way to steward our time.

We have all been given a certain amount of time in life. We have all been called to different things in this world. But no matter how much time we have and what we have been called to do, we need to pray for wisdom and use it when it comes to stewarding the gift of time.

There have been many moments in my life when I was presented with opportunities to take on different projects that excited me, but I needed to realize that saying no to some of them was the best thing for my family and me. It was the best thing for other relationships in my life as well.

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Sometimes we have to say no to the things we want to do. Those are certainly the hardest opportunities to turn down, but sometimes they’re absolutely necessary.

Sweet friend, I hope you can let go of the expectation to say yes to everything that comes your way. Sometimes the best thing you can say is no. Sometimes the healthiest option is to turn down something that’s going to fill your schedule beyond where God wants it. 

And it’s okay to say no.

Sometimes it’s absolutely necessary.