“SAY NO!”
When you don’t learn to say no, you end up disliking yourself, as well as the people you are trying to please. In some cases we have difficulty saying no because we’re afraid people may not like us. In other cases we believe that to be “a good Christian” we must always say yes. Jesus said, “Let… your no be {a simple} no, so that you may not sin.” Only when you have the courage to say no will you manage to mature, be able to address your own unmet needs, and start respecting yourself. And in time, others will too. So do these three things: (1) Think before you respond. If you need to, say, “Can I get back to you?” Don’t make commitments without consulting God, your calendar, and your family. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you” (Jas 1:5 NLT). (2) When your plate’s full, say so. Responding to so-called emergencies, caused by somebody else’s poor planning and sloppy habits won’t do either of you any good. Limit what you say yes to, then stick with it. Don’t take on more because you feel pressured, guilty or indispensable. You’ll discover your only indispensable until you say no-or die! (3) Go with your gifts. God has given us each unique talents. If you’re to choose between singing in the choir, or sitting on the finance committee, go where your talents will be best utilized. Is this always easy? No, but unless you learn to do it you’ll end up investing too much time and energy in what seems urgent, and neglect what’s important.
wayneaugden 
I tend to say, “yes” too often because I really want people to like me or to see value in me. I always have to remember that God is Gracious, so I don’t have to prove myself. I can rest in his appoval that I have because of Jesus.
Great comment, Ted. I thank you for sharing it.
Wayne, avoiding over commitment has become my soapbox more and more. I teach HS choir and my kids are wonderful, and involved in many activities. I see stress in them a lot- I try to teach them that every time you say YES to one thing, you say NO to another, and they need to think about it carefully befor they commit!
Amen…and I pray that God teach all His children the same thing. 🙂