THE FREEDOM TO ASK AND THE WISDOM TO ACCEPT

Adeladius Makwega – MBAGALA

September 8, 2026

It was an ordinary, peaceful afternoon. Suddenly, the voice of someone reading a message from his phone caught Mwanakwetu’s attention and drew him into deep reflection.

He heard the person reading:

“Do not give me the freedom to say something else; remember, Herod gave his daughter the freedom to ask… and everyone knows what happened. What if I said, ‘Give me your heart’? What would happen then? Hahahahaha…”

Mwanakwetu became quiet for a moment.

The smile disappeared from his face—not because the message lacked humor, but because hidden within those words was a profound lesson about life.

He began to ask himself:

Does giving someone the freedom to ask mean that we must give them everything they ask for?

The answer is no.

Giving someone the freedom to ask for something is completely different from giving them the freedom to have it.

In life, we should give people the opportunity to express their needs, thoughts, feelings, and expectations without fear. Listening to someone’s request is part of respecting their dignity. But listening does not mean agreeing.

 

That is where wisdom is needed.

Not Every Request Deserves a “Yes.”

The Bible gives us a powerful example to reflect upon through the story of Herod, Herodias, and John the Baptist.

Herodias desired something that involved the death of John the Baptist. A request was made, circumstances were manipulated, and eventually a decision was carried out—with devastating consequences.

 

The great lesson here is not that people should be denied the freedom to ask.

Absolutely not.

The lesson is that the person receiving a request must have the wisdom and courage to evaluate it.

 

Sometimes, people make requests out of greed, anger, pressure, jealousy, excessive desire, or temporary emotions. But the person receiving such a request has a responsibility to ask:

“If I agree, who will be hurt?”

“Is this right and just?”

“Does this align with moral values?”

“Tomorrow, will I be able to stand before my conscience and honestly say that I did the right thing?”

This is where we distinguish between the freedom to ask and the wisdom to accept.

 

A person who holds authority should never become a slave to someone else’s request.

 

Not everyone who asks you for something should receive it.

Not every request that touches your heart should be followed simply because of emotion.

And not every “yes” is an expression of love.

Sometimes, “no” is the highest form of wisdom.

Telling someone no when what they are asking for could harm them or harm someone else is not hatred.

It is responsibility.

Therefore, we should not deny people the freedom to ask because we fear that they may ask for something wrong.

 

Instead, we should teach them to ask with wisdom, while giving the person receiving the request the courage to say “yes” or “no” wisely.

Because:

Giving someone the freedom to ask is to respect their dignity; having the wisdom to accept or reject their request is to demonstrate responsibility.

Life needs boundaries.

Love needs wisdom.

Authority requires responsibility.

And freedom requires moral values.

Let us never reach a point where someone says:

“You gave me the freedom to ask, therefore you must give me what I asked for.”

That is not freedom.

That is the slavery of a request.

True freedom is when I am able to express what I desire, while you remain free to evaluate whether what I am asking for should actually be given.

In the End…

The lesson is not to prevent people from asking.

The lesson is to ensure that the decisions that follow a request are guided by wisdom, justice, and the fear of God, rather than pressure, greed, or temporary emotions.

Therefore, before you say “yes,” think.

Before you say “no,” reflect.

 

And before you fulfill someone’s request, ask yourself:

“Is what I am about to do right—even if no one is watching?”

Someone may ask you for something today and forget about it tomorrow.

But you may have to live with the consequences of your decision for a very long time.

Mwanakwetu reflected on that message and said to himself:

“Not every request requires an immediate answer. Some requests require the heart to become calm, the mind to think, and the conscience to decide.”

Remember:

“The freedom to ask should always be accompanied by the wisdom to accept, because not everything that can be asked for should be granted.”

Today, I simply wished to reflect on this message with you.

THE FREEDOM TO ASK AND THE WISDOM TO ACCEPT.

📧 makwadeladius@gmail.com

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