Enjoy this Word on this Hump Day Wednesday! “It is even more important, my brothers and sisters, that you remember not to make a vow by the heavens or the earth or by anything. When you say ‘yes,’ it should always mean ‘yes,’ and ‘no’ should always mean ‘no.’ If you can keep your word, you will avoid judgment.” –James 5:12, The Voice “The Importance of Keeping Your Word” For nine years now, God has allowed me to be married to an awesome woman in the form of my wife. Many of you know that when you get married, the bride and the groom exchange marriage vows. Vows simply being pledges of one another’s love with the intent of letting the other know that they would keep their respective words towards loving one another, cherishing one another, respecting one another, and the list is endless. Once you get to that stage where those vows have been broken, then a trust has been broken and oftentimes, this leads down the road for divorce. Have you ever given someone your word to do something and for some reason or another, couldn’t do it? How did it make your relationship with your friend or whomever? It probably strained it. They may look at you as someone they cannot trust anymore. Well, not only is the importance of keeping your word something we worry about living in this world, but it is also a biblical principle. If you don’t believe me, allow James 5:12 from The Voice Bible to minister to you. Within this concluding chapter in the book of James, James ministers on three different subjects. The first of which is considered a warning to rich oppressors, which is found in verses 1 – 6. The second of which deals with patience in suffering, which is found in verse 7 – 12. The last of which deals the prayer of faith, found in verses 13 – 20. It is within the second subject where James deals with patience in suffering where we obtain a foothold on the importance of keeping your word. The text begins with James saying, “It is even more important, my brothers and sisters, that you remember not to make a vow by the heavens or the earth or by anything.” The New International Version uses the terms “do not swear.” If truth be told, we have sworn that we would do something. We have sworn on someone’s grave. We have sworn on our own lives that we would do something, we didn’t lie about something, and the list is endless! Today, God wants to put us all in check that we should not swear to do anything! One thing that I have learned to stop saying is that I promise you that I will do something. Why? Because promise is a strong term and it carries so much power! However, I can say, “If it’s the Lord’s will and nothing happens,” that is a safer bet because you never know what things can happen in your life. If you have sworn to do something, do not swear to do it! If you have vowed to do something, don’t vow to do it! Here’s why you shouldn’t swear to do anything. The text is completed in The Voice Bible translation in this manner: “When you say ‘yes,’ it should always mean ‘yes’ and ‘no’ should always mean ‘no.’ If you can keep your word, you will avoid judgment.” Again, it’s very critical when you tell someone that you are going to do something, do it! You do not want to look like a liar in front of this individual or better yet, be viewed as one in the eyesight of the Almighty! If for some reason you cannot do something, please let that person/people know ahead of time! If you are against smoking, then stay against smoking! If you are against drinking, then stay against drinking! If you are not about that “cursing people out life,” then stay out of that life! If you are about loving your spouse, then love on them! If you are about serving your God, then serve Him! If you told your spouse that you were going to cook, do your best to cook for them! If you promised your child a bike or something for good grades, do your best to make it happen! Whatever things you tell people that you are going to do, please do your best to keep your word! As the old cliché says, “Your word is your bond” and you don’t want to be in any seasons where you are a bond breaker! In closing, just do what you can to keep your word! You have family, friends, co-workers, co-laborers in Christ that are watching you and wanting to make sure that you are doing what you said that you would do. If you cannot keep your word, then know that judgment will come upon you, whether if it’s from your family or friends, or most importantly, God Himself! Don’t “promise anything” anymore unless you are going to be a man/woman of your word! To my married people, strive to keep the vows you made before God and those who were around you. Your marriages can remain fairly healthy if you do so!
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 00:27:01 +0000
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