Committed to the YES

by Chris Lett (M.Div. ’93)

Are you committed to the YES?

I remember years ago when I was in my first year of graduate school being asked that very question. It wasn’t the first time being asked that question, though. As a matter of fact, my father would often ask me that in different ways when I faced many different challenges growing up. But that day in a mentor’s office I was asked “what was I willing to do to overcome” a personal matter that I needed help with at the time. I sat there in silence across the table for probably 45 minutes or more while he busied himself with doing some tasks of the day at his desk which he had moved to after about 5 minutes of my silence.

Finally, after about 45 minutes or so, he stops what he was doing and asks, “well, are you willing to do whatever it takes Chris? “ I’ll never forget that moment for as long as I live because I said, “NO,” and I got up and walked out of his office and didn’t see him again for about 6 months.

After 6 months of living with that decision and the consequences that resulted from it, I sat right back across the table desperate, hurting, afraid, a beaten down young man and answered his question which he asked again, “Chris are you willing to do whatever it will take to be an Overcomer in this issue of your life?” To which I replied, “YES,” with tears in my eyes and a will that was ready to dig in and do the hard work because I needed help and wanted freedom from a particular chain that continued to hold me down ever since I was a young kid in my father’s house. And do you know what happened? I overcame!

But it didn’t happen until I was ready to do whatever it took. And that meant with that particular issue from my past I needed help to take the necessary steps to overcome it. I had to first commit to the “YES” and then walk in that.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 NLT

In the following verses of that chapter, he describes what any person must be willing to do. And also, just to be clear, he describes what Jesus was willing to do as a result of His “YES” to His Father. And in doing that anyone can become an overcomer in all areas of life: struggles at work, home, school. No matter whether the issue is with self, or your marriage, or relationships with family and friends…anything. But you have to be committed to the “YES” and the process of working that out.

What are you facing right now? What challenges are you dealing with in your self, marriage, relationships, or work which have been defeating you or slowing your progress down? And how far are you willing to go to overcome those challenges? Every great victory or success demands great sacrifice and total commitment. And this always means working the process of overcoming.

So are you willing to live by the commitment to the “YES”?

Additional Scripture:
Colossians 2, 3
Galatians 2:20
Romans 12
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Romans 7, 8