You Can Say "No", And Healthy Relationships 22 day countdown...

 

4. Let Your “No” Be “No” 

I find Matthew 5:37 to be life-changing, both spiritually and socially: “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (NIV). Here, Scripture is referring to telling the truth, and as this Gospel shares, anything else is falsehood, a byproduct of Satan and his schemes.

It’s important to be upfront with others about what your family can and can’t balance, and that requires you to be honest, even (and especially) when it’s uncomfortable. If the truth were always easy, Scripture wouldn’t have to mandate that we refrain from lies. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we ignore manners and tact. In fact, a simple, “Oh, we would love to attend, but unfortunately…” or “Thank you so much for thinking of our family, but…” goes a long way.

Don’t give others false expectations because you’re afraid to say no and offend them. The Bible is clear that we owe each other the respect of telling the truth, even if it stings.

5. Lean into Healthy Relationships

You know your people. You know who is truly for your family, January through November, who shows up on the ordinary days, the hard days, and for all the moments in between. It’s important to lean into these people in the holidays.

My husband and I have two to three families who keep us spiritually grounded and are true confidants. In fact, we are closer to them than most of our biological family members. They play a significant role in our year-round peace, hope, and joy, so why would we overlook their friendships in a season when joy is meant to abound?

Naturally, you can’t bring all of your best friends to the soup kitchen you signed up for. And not each of your most trusted pals will be part of your church’s Christmas pageant, your child’s Christmas choir, etc., but when the schedules get wild, slow down and savor moments with those who truly love you and your family.

Peyton Garland is an author, editor, and boy mama who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee. Subscribe to her blog Uncured+Okay for more encouragement.

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Hello, Friends. I am decided to let Peyton Garland's next two pieces of advice speak for themselves without me adding to them. It is a busy day today at my house as I am wrapping up some loose ends for our Christmas celebrations, and my son and his wife will be over soon.

Thanks for coming again during your own busy days before Christmas. I hope you are having a blessed day with Jesus!