Worldly No's for Divine Yes'

Dericka Canada Cunningham
Nov 16, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder

November 17, 2025

This Week's Anchor

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.

That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,

and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (ESV)

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s hard to believe that we’re in the final weeks of GBW 2025. As I enter my annual season of reflection, I can’t help but consider how 2025 started compared to how it evolved. I had an experience that occurred at the beginning of the year that really set the tone for 2025. Like many Black women in my inner circle, community, and online, this year has been grounded in pausing amid the chaos, taking a mindful (and ancestral) step back, and connecting with what is meaningful in my life—all with the spirit of Audre Lorde’s call to self-(and collective) preservation.

The moment that set the course for this year started in my workplace. The year prior brought about many transitions at my job. 2024 wrapped up with conversations about what was next for my career, with preparations for a transition into leadership and a plan of elevation within my role as a staff psychologist. So, to say the least, I entered 2025 hopeful about what was to come. The process of the proposed changes moved a bit more quickly than I desired; nevertheless, the timing felt right given where I was in my professional development journey. A few weeks after submitting the proposal, I received word that a decision had been made. I had been given a promotion that seemed exciting on the surface, but as I learned more about the details, I began to have doubts.

The doubts originated first in my spirit, as something had just felt off about the whole process. Maybe it's a product of being raised by a Southern Black mama who taught me not to trust things that are rushed, but I also knew that the God I know isn’t a God of haste. Don’t get me wrong, He can move mountains in minutes, but He does so intentionally and with well-orchestrated precision. Something about this process didn’t feel purposeful in this way. I also didn’t believe that my worth was fully reflected in what was being offered. As I thought more about the additional responsibilities that would be added to my plate, I felt increasingly heavy. It was hard not to imagine all that I’d be pulled away from if I accepted this promotion: my child, husband, friends, family, other communities and passions outside of work that I’m connected to, and very importantly, GBW. This promotion was everything I wanted in 2024, but as the concerns and disillusionment weighed on me, I began to question if this was the right path.

The promotion was already in place, so I didn’t have the option of negotiation, and with the urgency to move quickly, I felt backed into a corner. I also felt pressure regarding where I thought I should be in my career. Many of my colleagues in the field had transitioned into leadership, so it felt like the obvious next step. Feeling pulled in every direction, I went to God in prayer for guidance because, despite what was being asked of me on the outside, I knew where the compass of my life was anchored. I prayed that if this promotion were not for me, God would make it perfectly clear. In the days that followed, I had conversation after conversation at my job, making every attempt to adjust my proposed role to make this promotion work. Nonetheless, after each conversation, I left feeling more discouraged and uncertain. This decision process, of course, came with many sleepless nights, and as I tossed and turned one evening, I heard a quiet whisper in my spirit that uttered, “If it’s not a Divinely emphatic ‘yes’, it’s a simple ‘no’”. I drafted an email at that moment, assured in my decision to rescind my promotion.

I was grateful that those involved in the process supported my decision because I knew that it was likely unheard of. I mean, who in their right mind demotes themselves? Yet, the moment I sent that email, I felt instant peace. The older I get, the more I desire to be aligned with God’s will, and the greater I understand Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians 1. Spiritual misalignment terrifies me, so to know that I made a decision that would allow more space in my life for His plans was truly relieving. I drove home from work that day thinking about all I would get back with this decision. In some ways, my resounding “no” felt like it opened a portal to what our anchor scripture describes as finding God’s yes. I didn’t know precisely what would become of that ‘yes’, but I can attest that life has taught me to sure ‘nough trust it.

Many of the personal stories I’ve shared in GBW have been somewhat complete or full-circle, but, to be transparent, this story is quite unfinished. It’s been ten months, and the fruits of God’s ‘yes’ have yet to be fully revealed. Still, as our anchor scripture affirms, knowing this yes is “deposited in our hearts, with a seal of ownership guaranteeing what is to come” (v. 22, NIV), I am confident in the work that God is doing within me in this season of slowing down and stepping back. As one of my good friends put it, this year has been one of revolutionary realignment for many of us. A chapter of disconnecting from what no longer serves us and connecting with that which restores, refuels, and redeems us. In this season of Divine realignment, I’ve reconnected with radical rest and joy, I’ve shifted my relationship with stress, I’ve regained agency with my health and mental health, I’ve reunited with dear friends and loved ones, I’ve become reacquainted with leisure reading, I’ve indulged in exciting series and films, I’ve daydreamed about my ministry and purpose, I’ve danced to the most invigorating concerts, I’ve traveled, and more.

This week’s devotion is a simple (raw and unfinished) story of meaningful resistance. We spend a lot of our lives focusing on everything we need to do and everyone we must say yes to, but I encourage us to embrace the power of our “no’s”, especially when they lead to a Divine yes! Closed doors are often opened pathways. Sometimes God closes the doors for us, but other times He speaks to us, empowering us to close the door for ourselves, and most importantly, for His glory. Whatever path we find ourselves on this week, I pray for our groundedness in His unwavering guidance, standing firm in our faith, come closed or open doors that may.

Reflection

What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What do you need from the Holy Trinity to provide you with Divine Guidance in this season?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?

Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week