Customer Reviews

What Matters Most when NO is better than YES

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Doug Fields has written a short, to-the-point, practical yet reflective book on why learning to say, "No", and then practicing saying it, is essential to staying healthy in a ministry leadership position. Although Fields is a youth minister and writes with youth ministers as his primary audience, this book applies to anyone in ministry--paid or unpaid, full-time, part-time, or volunteer.

Early on he writes, "I want to challenge you to say no more often so you can say yes to what matters most" (18). He develops this idea throughout the rest of the book. For those who may be in too deep and not know how to recognize it, Fields points out some warning signs that can help you discern if you're addicted to busyness, or if you're putting doing ministry above loving God (for example, consistently counting the time you spend preparing a talk or small group lesson as your own personal devotional time) . Having pointed out some signs, he also talks about practical action steps you can take to bring things back under control.

Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). The temptation is always there for the minister to do more, be more, accomplish more, and say "yes" more. Yet as you do this, you risk damaging your first love: your relationship with Christ. Fields's short book is a call back to that first love with a clear escape route from any busyness, overworking, or people-pleasing that may have entrapped you.

In What Matters Most, Doug Fields says, "You need to learn to say no to many good things and wonderful people so you'll have space to say yes to God, yes to the important people in your life [like your family and friends:], yes to priorities - yes to what matters most" (p. 21).

What does matter most to you?
I think that's why I like Fields' book so much. He doesn't presume to know what your top priorities are, because they are different for everyone. Fields offers helpful questions and thoughts to get to the heart of what matters to you. Once that's clarified, Fields offers practical ideas for making certain those things are not pushed out of your life by other people or tasks.

*note: In my opinion, the book which unpacks out this topic a little more fully is Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley.

Doug Fields is alway great but this is already covered in his other books. It is good material and a neat little booklet but costly for its size. Could have been a booklet sold for a couple bucks.