Saying, “Yes,” to God

Saying, “Yes,” to God is not always easy to do, but it is rewarding when we follow His will.

Saying, “Yes,” to God

Have you ever say, “Yes,” to something you were unsure about and then were glad you did because of how much you learned and grew from the experience?

Have you said, “Yes,” to God even when it may have been challenging to do so?

Saying, “Yes,” to God can sometimes be so easy, that you say, “Yes,” before you realize it. Other times, there can be a tug on your heart to answer with a, “Yes,” even when you feel like running in the other direction and saying, “No way!”

How can you say, “Yes,” to God?

Know what God is asking of you.

In order to say, “Yes,” to God, you need to know that He is asking something of you, and you need to know what that something is.

Everyone who follows God is asked by Him to live their lives according to the Gospel and to be involved in the life of the Church. After that, what He asks of us is specific to each of us individually.

Sometimes God is very obvious and He lets us know a few times what He wants from us. Think of Jonah and the whale. God told Jonah what He wanted for him to do. Jonah ran away. God allowed the storm at sea to get Jonah’s attention. Then Jonah said, “Yes,” to what God asked of him.

Other times, God speaks to us in the desires of our hearts. He made us, after all. He created us to be unique individuals with different gifts and talents. We are saying, “Yes,” to Him when we use these gifts in the ways that He wants us to use them or when we use them in the service of others. For example, using that talent of knitting to make baby blankets for agencies that help unwed mothers or teaching catechism classes at church.

Know that God knows what is best for you.

Sometimes you may want to say, “No,” to God even when you know you should say, “Yes.” Other times, saying, “Yes,” is very easy.

Sometimes we agonize over a decision, not knowing what to do or how to respond: “Is God really asking this of me or is it just me? Do I want to do it or not?” We may be worried about what to do and we mull it over and over and over in our minds. When we do this, we may not be turning to God to ask Him to help and guide us; we may just be trying to figure it out on our own. We need to pray to God, to ask Him to help us to decide what is best.

It is important to remember that God knows what is best for us. He only wants what is best for us and what will draw us closer to Him.

God will never ask us to do something alone. He will be with us no matter what. We can rely on and trust Him to help and to guide us. He will help us to understand what He is asking of us, He will help us to have the courage to say, “Yes,” to Him, and He will help us to carry it out.

What keeps us from saying, “Yes,” to God?

Uncertainty and fear often keep us from saying, “Yes,” to God. Praying about the situation, talking with your spouse and/or a trusted friend, or journaling about it can help you to have clarity about what God is asking of you.

While it can be easy to say we trust in God, it may not always easy to show God with our actions that we completely trust in Him. We are human, after all! And He knows this. He is patient and loving, and He will guide and help us.

What happens after you say, “Yes,” to God?

Life is great! Well, it can be.

There is a peace that we have in our hearts when we know we are doing the will of God in our lives, even when we may be uncertain or scared.

After we discern and say, “Yes,” to God we often have greater confidence, because we know what we are supposed to do.

God does not promise us that life will be easy; He promises us Heaven if we follow Him. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11: 29-30, “Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In farming, a farmer does not put a yoke on an animal and then abandon it. He leads it, gently guides it, and takes care of it. So, too, does God do with us. Christ died for us so that we may have eternal life with Him in Heaven. His call from God was to live and to die for us. He will not ask for us anything that He has not done Himself and He is with us at every moment of our lives to lead, guide, and help us.

Saying, “Yes,” to God means saying, “Yes,” to being who He wants us to be.

When we say, “Yes,” to God, we say, “Yes,” to all that He is.

We say, “Yes,” to becoming all that we can be for Him.

We say, “Yes,” to being all that He created us to be-to live our purpose with Him beside us.

God does not want us to be afraid, but to be joyful and to seek Him and His kingdom above all else.

For more Catholic Prayers, you may enjoy any of the following books: Catholic Prayers, Catholic Prayers for All Occasions, Mothers’ Manual prayer book, Fathers’ Manual prayer book, or Catholic Prayer Book for Children.

Two Franciscans share how to say, “Yes,” to God.

As I was researching this topic, I came across a great video that I want to share with you. Fr. Mark-Mary and Brother Malachy talk about how to say, “Yes,” to God in our everyday lives. I hope you enjoy it!

Living our, “Yes,” to God.

May we work each day to say, “Yes,” to God.