Speaking from experience, I was guilty of some of those statements myself. During that time in my life, I was overworked, underappreciated, burnt out, and unhappy.  No good to anyone, yet I kept trying to be everything to everyone. My pastor used to tell me, “Julie, you have many talents, but you can’t do it all and do it all with excellence” Instead of heading to his wisdom, I took it as a challenge to prove him wrong showing him my value as a staff member.  However, that led me right to ministry burnout.  

One exhausting night I picked up a book written by Lysa TerKeurst called “The Best Yes.”

This book was filled with information I already knew but chose to ignore. However, it opened my eyes to the significant impacted my choice made on my spiritual well-being by choosing not to change my behavior.

The simple lesson was the importance of saying no. 

We all have endless amounts of responsibilities; however, How and when they get to be executed matters. When we say yes to something, we are saying no to something else, so before we give our yes away, we need to ask ourselves what we are willing to sacrifice on that to-do list.

We want to live a life of peace and balance—no stress and chaos. So, before we give away our “yes,” hold it thru the filter of how will this impact my overall day and week? What am I sacrificing by taking this task on?  How will it affect my attitude, family, and well-being? If any of those answers are negative, you may want to reconsider your “yes” and be honest with yourself and the people around you.  Balance and boundaries are not something you find. It’s something you create. Be intentional with your time. It’s precious.  Making healthy boundaries in our life creates balance in our day-to-day routines.  It also shows others where the line ends and begins. It creates clarity, and people know what to expect from you.  It also prevents burnout and confusion. Now and then, we will have to make adjustments to our schedules, especially as the seasons change.  However, the truth remains the same.  Maintain a healthy lifestyle, and spiritual well-being starts with balance.

 As Lysa stated, “The decisions you make determine the schedule you keep. The schedule you keep determines the life that you live…”

 Let’s be women that live our best life and know our “Best Yes.”

“man, I need to lose weight.”

“I wish I could stop smoking.”

“I wish I had more time with my family.”

“I would love to have a cleaner house, be stronger, faster, more active, or patient.”

So many of us have goals for self-improvement, but often we wait until the new year to make “a resolution” to change. 

Yet despite our good intentions after a few short months, we fail.

Why, you ask? Most likely, it’s because we are not dealing with the root problem. I saw this quote online, and I couldn’t believe how much truth it spoke.

“The elimination diet: Remove anger, regret, resentment, guilt, and worry, then watch your health and life improve. “~ Charles F. Glassman

We have a choice to remove what is toxic to gain what is right. Our health may not improve overnight. However, by dealing with these root issues, we will see positive changes in our life, bringing us peace and less stress.

What does the “elimination diet” look like in the bible?

^“Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.”

~Psalm 37:8 New Living Translation

The Bible warns us to turn from all the things that can cause us harm.  Things like anger or rage two significant issues that can root in our hearts, causing other problems if not dealt with. 

For me, I found my escape in food. I loved cooking; it made me feel valued to feed my family and entertain a crowd. However, it also gave me a false sense of purpose and friendship. Food became how I coped with my feelings of frustration or depression. Never really facing my issues, I continued to find any reason to eat. I was never entirely honest with why I ate so much until I weighed 267lbs.

I needed to change, and I wanted to change.  However, I couldn’t do that until I discovered the reason behind my why.   

If we don’t know the root of the reason, we will never deal with the issue at the source; just continue to cover it up, making excuses for our failed attempt at change. 

If out of the heart the mouth speaks, we may want to declutter the things in our mind that damage our souls. It’s time to release them to God, allowing us to live a fuller, happier life