Keeping Our Word part 1
Category: Faithblogs
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This week millions people all over the world will be thinking up their New Year resolutions. These resolutions will come in all shapes and sizes, and range from simple things like not shouting at the kids any more, to far more difficult things like giving up smoking. Other resolutions will include exercise, diet, TV viewing habits, cutting back on foods and drink, and so on, and many people really intend to keep these resolutions. However, how many resolutions go past the first month of a New Year? It seems it’s all too easy to let things slip and fall back into our old routines or habits.
Over the last few years I have made the observation that many believers live out their lives like New Year’s resolutions. They say things like, they want to spend more time with God, or that they’re going to read their Bible every day, and so on. And they may have all the intentions in the world of keeping their word, but all to easily fall back into their old ways.
My point is this – how many of us do what we say? And it’s not just in spending time with God reading the Bible and so on. How many of us have let others down because we’ve said yes, but then turned around and then said no? How many of us have said one thing only to do another?
Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:33-37 – “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Good friendships are not usually made over night, they take time to develop. But I can safely say this, you will never trust someone who continually says one thing and then does another.
On the flip side, honesty helps us grow in our relationships with Christ and with others. Ephesians 4:15 tells us, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
Dishonesty is contrary to the character of God, as God is the only true promise keeper – “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19
On the other hand, the Bible tells us that Satan is the father of lies – “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
Being a follower of Christ means a wholehearted commitment to truth. In short, we need to be people of our word. I’m sure none of us really wants to be known as a liar; surely it’s better to be known as someone who keeps your word.
The first point I want to make in this short series of Faithblog’s is, keep your word even when it seems insignificant.
Someone once put it this way, “when you start to justify a little dishonesty because it seems insignificant, be careful because you’re one step closer to doing what you never thought you would do.” (Source unknown)
The truth is, it’s the little things that make all the difference. Every time a casual commitment is broken, a small amount of damage is done. Think about the child that is constantly told by his father that something will happen on the weekend only to find out again that his father has to work. Likewise, how many romantic relationships would work if dates were broken all the time because they were thought of as insignificant?
And what about all those little white lies that we tell? Let me ask you, have you always been honest about your age? Have you always been thoroughly honest with your taxes? Have you ever been dishonest about calling into work sick when all along you just wanted a “me” day? Have you ever cheated on a test? Have you ever lied to get out of trouble, kept silent when you should have told the truth, made yourself appear better than you are, or lied to gain an advantage or get your way?
All of us have probably done one or more of the above, but listen to what God says in His Word, “Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully” Ephesians 4:25
Join me next time as I continue looking at how we can keep our word.
Christian St John M.Div, BChM, ACS
December, 2008
Picture by Sam Wrengh
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