Just Say Yes
By: Lindsay Tedder
“That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” – 1 Corinthians 2:5
“You don’t need to know all the details of how everything will work out BEFORE you say yes. You just say yes up front, knowing that if He’s invited you to do it - He will empower you to carry it out.”
I read from the 3 x 5 note card that slipped out of my Bible. As I sat in a noisy cafe, alone for the first time in what felt like decades, this handwritten note literally just fell out of my Bible. It was as if God saw me sitting there, worrying about the future and wanted to reassure me that I wasn’t powerful enough to control it. He had it under control and I need only say “yes” and follow Him.
We were in the middle of the process of purchasing a new home and selling the home we had lived in for the last 10 years. It was immensely stressful. That same week, my son had started school for the first time, and I had a new schedule that allowed me to have a couple hours of alone time 3 days a week. Just enough time to stress over my situation and worry if we were making the right decisions.
As I flipped through my Bible this notecard just fell into my lap. When I picked it up, I was greeted with my own handwriting. As I read the words “You don’t need to know all the details of how everything will work out BEFORE you say yes. You just say yes up front, knowing that if He’s invited you to do it - He will empower you to carry it out.” I tried to remember when I wrote those words and why I was reading them at that moment. I recalled that I wrote these words months and months previously and I had been in my Bible countless times since and NEVER saw this card. But this day, God knew I needed these words.
I find it ever ironic that He always knows what we need to hear. I find it even more ironic that I wrote these words and never read them again because God knew that I would need them that brain-rattling day in the noisy cafe.
Paul writes to the Corinthians “that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men.” Sometimes when I read this, I think “Oh, well, I’m good. I don’t rely on the wisdom of men.” Yet, I rely on my own wisdom all the time. Therefore, I absolutely rely on the wisdom of men, far too frequently. This simple white notecard with the blue handwritten message was like a blaring alarm. It felt as if everyone in that noisy cafe saw the card and realized I was relying on myself and not on Him.
Relying on Gods power isn’t easy. In fact, it feels anything but natural. My natural inclination is to be the strong independent woman that I know I am. The one I used to proclaim loudly in my car, singing along with my girl, Beyoncé, as I threw my hands up in agreement. The world tells us to be strong and independent.
The world is wrong.
We can be a strong woman if our strength stems from His power, but we should never be independent. Trust me, I know that is hard to read. As much as I want to be that I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T women that the world has groomed me to be, I must depend fully on Jesus. This means denying my independent nature and taking that first step in faith, not knowing any of the details of how everything will work out. It means saying YES, when I can’t see the end of the road. It means being willing to proclaim my journey to others not knowing where I will end up. It means not assuming I have as much control over my life and my journey as I’d like to think I do. It means being willing to look foolish to the rest of the world. It’s building the ark when there has never been rain. It is throwing down the rod and having faith that God will turn it into the serpent.
What do you need to say yes to today? Ask Him to reveal to you what you are hesitating on doing. Ask Him to give you the faith you need to say yes. It is worth it my friend. Join me in my dependent state and together, let’s walk against the grain of the world and in line with our King.
Lindsay Tedder is a believer, wife, mom, bestie and writer who lives in Columbus, Ohio with her bearded, bourbon-loving husband and her too-cool-for-school toddler. Raised by a hardworking single mom, she overcame such trauma as sexual abuse induced food addiction, the debilitating health issues associated with endometriosis, a decade of infertility, and recurring life themes of worthlessness. Despite it all, Lindsay is a ray of light, always sharing His love wherever she goes.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington, Andrea Bocelli, Reba McEntire, Mark Wahlberg, Tony Dungy, and Matthew McConaughey—what do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their stories of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
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