DECIDE: YES OR NO

THE COST OF STAYING ON THE FENCE

"Let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No" - Jesus

"Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No', 'No'; for whatever is more than these is from the evil one". Matthew 5:37

To decide yes or no. That’s not an easy rule to live by. Imagine if we could remove the word maybe from our vocabularies. The world would feel so black-and-white, without all the gray areas where I tend to linger. Honestly, I use maybe a lot. “Maybe I’ll dive into this.” Well — today I’m deciding I will.

The word maybe only appears in the Bible a handful of times, and never from the mouth of God. Jesus didn’t say, “Maybe I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He simply said, “I am.” God’s truth is always clear; it’s me who complicates things.

We live in a world that pressures us to weigh and re-weigh our choices. We make lists of pros and cons, then someone throws in a few more examples, and suddenly our decisions feel muddled. For me, the hardest part is when I feel like I don’t have the right to speak up because I don’t have “skin in the game.”

Take abortion. I’ve never had one, never been pregnant, never even walked that road personally. Part of me wants to stay quiet because of that. But when I go back to Scripture, I can’t ignore what God says about life. That’s what shapes my conviction, even when my own experience is limited.

Of course, the “what ifs” come: “What if you were raped?” “What if your life was in danger?” I’ve thought about those questions. If it were me, I pray I would choose to carry the baby. If my life were at risk, I would do everything possible to preserve life — mine and the child’s. And if God, who knew us before we were born, chose to take a child home early, then that life still had purpose. That comforts me, even though it’s hard.

The truth is, staying silent doesn’t actually protect me. It just makes me someone who goes along with whatever’s loudest. And that doesn’t feel right either. Jesus said what’s in our hearts will eventually come out of our mouths (Luke 6:45). I don’t want my silence to say something I don’t believe.

That doesn’t mean speaking up is comfortable. It isn’t. Sometimes it risks friendships, sometimes it risks misunderstanding. But real friends won’t be scared off by conviction, and I don’t need to be scared of them either.

I’ve also realized you don’t have to be an “expert” to have a thoughtful opinion. Immigration, for example, is a complicated, emotional issue. I may not have lived that experience, but as someone who pays taxes and loves this country, I do feel it’s fair to think carefully about it. Borders matter. Rules matter. Compassion matters too. Holding those truths together isn’t easy — but it’s part of seeking wisdom.

At the end of the day, it’s not about having all the answers. It’s about being honest with myself and God. Saying yes when I mean yes. Saying no when I mean no. Not hiding behind “maybe” just because it feels safer.

So I’m praying: Lord, help me be brave enough to say what I mean and mean what I say. Help me not to complicate what you’ve made simple. Teach me to live in your truth — even when it’s uncomfortable.

Thank you for reading! Please share if you feel this would help someone. This blog exists to bring biblical clarity to the stories shaping our world. If you’ve been encouraged, share this post with someone who needs truth and hope today. Together, let’s stand firm in Christ—where faith meets the front page. These are my thoughts. What are yours?