In 1967, Paul McCartney sang, “I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time.” On that Beatles track, John and George sang a response: “It can’t get no worse.”1 That response was an honest lyric in the 1960s—and many may feel it’s still an apt description today.

“God is able to sweep all of our failures and our disappointments into fulfilling His purpose, so that the great and transcendent power might be seen to belong not to the old clay pots which are our lives but to … the Lord Jesus.” —Alistair Begg

Dear Friend,

In his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul explains to his fellow minister that the grace of God trains us to “say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions” (2:12 NIV). Jesus uses similar language when He teaches His disciples to answer requests directly: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37). For the Christian, in other words, there is a right time to say no—and a crucial element of leadership is knowing when that time is.