58. Q&A: How do I Know When to Say No and Make Room for God?

In this Q&A episode of Curious for Christ, I dive into the powerful practice of saying “no” and how it can help us prioritize God in our busy lives. Saying no is more than just setting boundaries—it’s about making room for God and allowing Him to guide our decisions.

Key Takeaways:
• Why Saying No is Hard: Our culture values busyness and productivity, making it hard to say no. But when we’re too busy, we risk crowding out God and losing sight of His plans for us. Jesus calls us to seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33), and sometimes that means saying no to distractions.
• How to Know When to Say No: If we’re feeling overwhelmed and lacking joy or peace, it’s a sign we need to reassess our commitments (Galatians 5:22-23). Saying no to something allows us to say yes to more time with God.
• The Power of No in the Bible: Jesus practiced saying no by retreating to pray (Mark 1:35), and Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet over being busy like Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Both examples show us how saying no can help us focus on what matters most—our relationship with God.
• Practical Steps to Prioritize God:
1. Seek God’s guidance in decision-making.
2. Create margin in your life for quiet time with God.
3. Learn to say no without guilt.
4. Prioritize God-centered commitments.
5. Set boundaries that honor God.
• Spiritual Rewards of Saying No: Saying no creates space for peace, prayer, and a deeper connection with God (Psalm 46:10). It helps us realign our priorities and live with more clarity and intention.

Bible Verses Mentioned:
• Matthew 6:33 - “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
• Galatians 5:22-23 - “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
• Mark 1:35 - “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
• Luke 10:38-42 - Mary and Martha: “Mary has chosen what is better.”
• Psalm 46:10 - “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Challenge for the Week:
Reflect on what you can say no to today to create more space for God in your life. Trust that when you make God your priority, everything else falls into place with more peace and purpose.

If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend who might need a reminder that it’s okay to say no. And as always, stay curious, stay connected to God, and keep seeking His will for your life.

Thanks for listening!


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Transcript

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Hi, and welcome back to curious for Christ today's Wednesday. It is time for our Q and a. So we're diving into a topic that many of us struggle with learning to say no. And how it connects to prioritizing God in our lives. Saying no, isn't just about setting boundaries. It's also about making room for God and inviting him into every decision we make in our lives. So that we let him guide us. So how do we learn to say no and ensure God is our ultimate priority. Let's learn Hey there, before we dive in today's episode, I want to take a moment to talk about something really important. When we become Christians, God takes the lead in every decision we make. We step back and let him guide. Because we know he has the ultimate plan. My coaching program, spiritual growth coaching. Isn't just an option. It's essential. Your relationship with God is the foundation of everything, your identity, your purpose, your relationships, your family, your children, your children's children. And so on. And of course in every aspect of your business. Can creation understand a creator's plan. Remember when God asked job. Were you there when the earth was formed? Where are we. It's time to stop relying on our limited understanding and start building our lives on the truth of God's plan. God is mighty. He is. Almighty. And he is the answer to everything we're searching for. So if you are unsure of how to start building a relationship with God, Connect with me for a quick discovery call. Just go to bit dot L Y forward slash curious for Christ discovery to book a free call and start living your life on the unshakeable foundation of God almighty. B I T dot L Y forward slash curious for Christ discovery. Welcome to curious for Christ. Do you ever find yourself lying awake at night? Wondering about God's plan for your life. Maybe you wake up with big dreams, but feel unsure where to start or what your next step should be. If you're curious about exploring your faith and finding purpose, then you've come to the right place. Hi, I'm Monica, Sandra. I too felt lost unsure of the direction my life was taking. I yearned to understand my purpose and have someone guide me. But I kept telling myself I was too busy, the timing wasn't right. And my lack of clarity prevented me from being consistent until I found Christ. He brought peace into my life and we field the way to find purpose by anchoring myself. In him. In this podcast, we'll journey together, exploring the Bible to gain a deeper understanding of him. and cultivate your own personal relationship with Christ. So open up your Bible, put in those ear buds and listen up because God is speaking to you. He is making everything new and you don't want to miss it. Let's get started. part one. Why saying no is hard. Let's face it saying no can be really difficult, especially when we are feeling indecisive, we want to have answers, but it is not clear or we have, FOBO and also we live in a culture that values busy-ness and productivity, and sometimes we fear that saying no might lead to missing out on opportunities. Or disappointing others or feeling inadequate. It's easy to find ourselves over committed and overwhelmed. And when that happens, we often end up squeezing God into the leftover spaces of our lives, rather than. Making him the center, no wonder we feel overwhelmed. Right. But when we constantly say yes to everything and our calendars are so packed, we lose the ability to discern what God truly wants for us. In Matthew six verse 33. It says seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. And all these things. We'll be given to you as well. So God wants us to seek him first. Which often means we need to say no to distractions and commitments that pull us away from him. So if you are too busy for God. You are too busy, you will likely prioritize something else over God. And that is where overwhelm. Is perpetuated. Part two, how do we know when to say no? The Bible gives us a clue in Galatians five verses 22 and 23, where it lists the fruit of the spirit. Love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness. And self-control. If our lives are so full, that we no longer feel the joy or the peace. That's a sign you're stretched too thin and need to create more space for God. When we are running on empty, we're overwhelmed by a commitment. And we like the fruit of the spirit. We are not living by the spirit. Since we do not have the fruit of the spirit. So that's a sign that it's time to be evaluate maybe. You've said yes to too many things. In those moments saying no to something means saying yes to God. It's an act of faith to trust that letting go of a commitment will open space for more time with him. So here's a question for you to reflect on what is one thing you can say no to in order to make space for God. Part three, the power of no in the Bible. I say no is not a new concept. In fact, we see it throughout the Bible as a spiritual practice. Jesus himself practice the power of no. After healing and teaching crowds of people, he would often retreat to quite places to pray. As we see in mark one verse 35. Jesus knew when to step away, even when others demanded more from him. His no allowed him to prioritize his relationship with God, rather than getting caught up in human expectations. And he was busy. And he was tired and sometimes he was stretched by God. But he knew. To distinguish when it was time to give. And when it was time to go back and usually the busier, he was the more time he needed to be with God as well. Think of Mary and Martha in Luke 10 verses 38 through 42. Martha was busy doing many things, but Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to him. When Martha complained, Jesus said Mary has chosen what is better. He didn't say that Martha chose the wrong things. But Mary chose what is better? Mary essentially. Said no to busy-ness and distractions. And she chose instead to focus on the most important thing. Which has spending time with Jesus. And in the same way, our note can be a way of protecting time for God. When we say no to things that aren't aligned with his, well, we are saying yes to more intimacy with him. But we do have to be intentional. Part four. Practical steps to prioritize God. So how do we actually begin to say no and make God the priority in our lives? So here are a few practical steps. Number one. Seek God's guidance in decision-making. Before saying yes to any commitment, take a moment to pray. Ask God, is this your will for me right now? Sometimes we say yes out of habit, but when we stop to ask for God's direction, we might find he's leading us in a different way. Number two create margin in your life. If your schedule is constantly full, there's no room to hear from God or rest in his presence. So schedule intentional time to be with him, whether it's through prayer, reading scripture, or just sitting quietly and listening. It might mean saying no to other things, but that margin will give you space to connect with God more deeply. And you will avoid burnout. Number three, learn to say no without guilt. There's a difference between guilt and conviction. Conviction comes from the holy spirit. It leads us to align more with God's will. Guilt often comes from people pleasing and not wanting to let others down. It's not a pleasant feeling and it does not give you peace. When you say no. Do it with confidence that you are honoring God with your time and energy, and he will guide you. You don't need to justify or to explain sometimes as simple, I can't commit to that right now. Is enough. Number four prioritize God-centered commitments. When you evaluate your schedule. Ask yourself. If your commitment reflect your priorities. Are you making time for God, for family, for rest or for service? When we intentionally choose commitments that aligned with God's heart, we can confidently say no to the things that pull us away from his purpose. Number five. Set boundaries set, honor, God. Healthy boundaries are key to prioritizing God. Jesus said boundaries all the time. He knew when to serve when to pray and when to rest. And by setting clear boundaries around your time and energy, you're protecting your relationship with God and ensuring that you're living according to his will not the world's demands. So now part five, the spiritual rewards of saying no. When we begin to practice saying no, we start to see this spiritual rewards more time for prayer, more space to listen to God's voice. More peace in our hearts. We become more aware of his presence because we're no longer rushing from one thing to the next, but instead we moving through life with intention. And clarity and we see that we are not alone. During all these phases of life, Psalm 46 verse 10 says be still and know that I am God. When we learn to say no, we create space for stillness and believe me, if you don't make that space, intentionally god may created for you. We all reach a point where we need to discover who God truly is and recognize what we've placed at the center of our lives. So let's choose the living God, the God who loves us, who created us. God almighty as our foundation. This is the ultimate purpose of our lives. To know him deeply. He's the creator, the one who gave us life and the one with whom we'll spend eternity. Being a Christian means giving it all back to him so we can start living for him and living with true purpose. So learning to say, no, isn't just about cutting back on commitments. Again, it is a spiritual practice that helps us align our lives with God's. Will. When we make God our priority. We experience deeper peace purpose connection with him. Somehow we are able to do everything we need to do with more peace and ease. Isn't that amazing. It's so true. So I challenge you, add myself this week to pause, to pray, to be aware of your thoughts. And practice the power of know by making room for God, so that he can lead us in the right direction. We need God in our lives. So what's one thing you can say no to today. My friend. Thank you for tuning in to curious for Christ. And if you found this episode helpful, don't forget to share it with a friend who might need a reminder that it's okay to say no. It's more than okay. Trust me. And as always, let's stay curious, stay connected to God, keep seeking his will for your lives and bye for now. Hi, and thank you for joining me for our Wednesday Q& A. Clarity is key, so if you have more questions about God, the Bible, faith, or how to apply it to real life situations, please Feel free to email me at hello at alexandraalvarezcoaching. com. It's hello at alexandraalvarezcoaching. com. A L E X A N D R A A L V A R E Z coaching. com. And if you're enjoying the show, I'd really appreciate it. If you could leave a review, that's how I know what's resonating with you. So just go to Curious for Christ on Apple podcast or Spotify, Scroll down and click write a review. Don't forget to follow the show so you're notified when our next Q& A is out. Thanks again and I'll see you next week.