I love songs that have a moral to them. One of those songs has a lyric that describes what happens to a young man’s life when he refuses to say “no”. “Before I knew better, before I woke up, I did a whole lot of crazy, foolish things that I’m not proud of. It was just like me to risk it all. Even when the pain outweighed the pleasure, before I knew better…. Somehow I lost track and wound up giving in, to the late night life, and the good time friends You told me one day that you would leave and all I had to say, was “there’s the door, what are you waiting for and who needs you anyway?…. before I knew better.” Song by Brad Martin

A great amount of wisdom is in that tiny word. “No”. How many families or individuals that you are aware of, never learned the power of that word. Jails are filled with those that never learned to say that word.

Eight of the Ten Commandments given in Exodus are in the negative form. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image….” “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them….” “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain…” “Thou shalt not kill.” “Thou shalt not steal.” Thou shalt not bear false witness.” “Thou shalt not covet.”

Again, we find in Scripture in Exodus 23:1-2, “Thou shalt not raise a false report. Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.” “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil….”

The Scriptures are replete with the protective power of the word “no”.

Many lives and souls would be saved literally and spiritually by saying the word “no”. No, to evil companions, no to error, no to hurting others, no to gossip and the list is endless.

…but to say the word “no”, we must be a person with character and backbone. No to wrong, yes to righteousness. Let us take counsel and learn the protective power of the word “no.”

“No is a complete sentence.”

Eileen Light