Can you say no?

     "No." is such a small word.  We understand the word to mean what it says.  There are two problems with "no."  The first problem is we don't mean it.  The second problem is that we do mean it.  "No" has come to the place in our lives where it means "maybe."  Then sometimes "no" actually or eventually means "yes."  The twins, rationalization and justification, take us there rather often and quickly.  We who have used this word to mean other than its intended use have taken great liberty and often at a cost.
    In my childhood "no" had several meanings depending on who was talking.  This created an atmosphere of confusion and a tendency to not ask questions where "no" was a possibility.  I would later learn it was easier to gain forgiveness than permission.  I still use that reasoning from time to time.  "No" meant something different when I talked with mom, dad, siblings, grandparents and others in my life.  I'm sure it did for you as well. 
     After becoming a Christian I found that yet another "no" had entered my life.  Yes, I've said no to God as well.  "No" permeates my life.  What I didn't have was the ability to understand the difference of healthy and unhealthy "no."  I grew up in a time and place where children were to be seen and not heard.  The option to say "no" existed but was not usually taken seriously.  Our families pass on to future generations their understanding and usage of "no" in every day life.  There are vast differences within cultures as well. 
     My difficulty as an adult is saying "no" to things I know are my responsibility to say "no" to.  Wouldn't it be nice if everyone had a healthy understanding of the word?  The ten commandments are prime example of crystal clear "no" from God.  They are reinterpreted in the New Testament by Jesus who says there are basically two commandments.  The first is to love the Lord God with all your heart soul and mind.  The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.  We even have great difficulty with these!
     The "lesser and included" is applicable to these two commands.  Should we accomplish the first command, all other commands are fulfilled.  We cannot fulfill the other commands if we don't do the first command.  On the way to fulfilling the first command we should be asking if our actions and inactions are glorifying to God.  This, quite frankly, seems rather simple.  Why then do we have such a hard time doing this? 
     We have such a hard time glorifying God because we say "no" to him and "yes" to sin.  When we are convicted of our sin we can begin to glorify God.  We live our lives with one foot solidly set in each world.  "No" and "yes" are consistently applied with human thought rather than Godly thought.  We  need only look at our life to see the times we have said "yes" or "no" to God.  That has been the basis of our lives. 
     The difference of living for or against God's commands is brought full circle when we consider the outcome of our choices over God's choices.  God waits to bless our choosing Him over self.  Saying no to sin is not our prime choice.  Saying yes to God is the only choice.