Day 17: Practice Saying No to Yourself

"Be alert and of sober mind." 1 Peter 5:8 NIV

Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning at twenty-seven. The BBC described her as "the preeminent vocal talent of her generation." One of her biggest hits was "Rehab." It won three Grammys. "They tried to make me go to Rehab but I say no, no, no." She wrote it when doctors told her she was in imminent danger of dying of alcoholism. Her own words give us some insight: "I never learned how to say no to myself, and nobody ever taught me to." People can do many things for you, but they can't say no for you. You must do that for yourself! And in the Me generation that promotes entitlement and mocks self-discipline as old-fashioned, saying no to yourself becomes harder each day. But without the will and strength to say no to yourself, you're headed for trouble and heartache. Self-restraint is like a muscle. When you flex it regularly, it grows stronger and it's there when you need it most. When you don't flex it regularly, it leaves you weak and vulnerable. Here is some of the best advice you will ever get: Pick an area of your life, and practice saying no to yourself in that one area. And the sooner you start, the better. It may be in the area of your appetite, your friendships, your spending, your thoughts, or what you view on television or the internet. "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (v. 8 NIV). Satan cannot defeat you when you're alert to where you're weak and you have learned to say no to yourself in that area.