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Daily Reading: Numbers 30 GW; John 12 GW
Rash words lead to broken vows.
People will say anything to get what they want. Desperation promotes vows to God, most rarely kept. When you’re in the midst of a crisis, promising to attend church seems like a reasonable commitment. But once the problem passes, so does the pledge. We expect God to keep His promises to us, yet we don’t keep ours to Him.
People’s words mean nothing today. Not keeping your word is familiar to all. One hundred years ago, if a man said he was going to do something, a handshake was all that was necessary to seal the deal. Today, lawyers have multiple homes from the money they make off of people suing each other. God expects us to live up to our word. If you’re going to develop your character, let your yes be yes, your no, no.
Keep your commitments.
Loving God and loving others means living up to your word. What that means is, before you commit to do something, stop and think. Is there room in your life for the activity? Can you add another thing to your plate right now? How much rest are you getting? Will keeping the commitment cause more or less stress in your life? Take time to think about what you are saying you will do before you do it.
Yoga is one way I manage stress in my life. For accountability purposes, I take classes at a studio. The package I pay is $79 per month for eight classes. Before I spent the first dime, I looked at my calendar. I talked about the decision with my husband. Once I understood the reality of the commitment, I said yes.
God wants you to keep your word, not only to Him but to others. Stop and think before you answer. Don’t make promises you can’t control.
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Lord, thank You for keeping Your promises, even though we don’t keep ours. Your grace and mercy astound us. Forgive us for not trying harder to keep our word. Help us today, as we move through it, live up to our word. Give us the wisdom and discernment to stop and think before we answer people. As we learn to keep our commitments, we grow our character more like Christ’s. IJNIP. Amen
Question for reflection
What promise to God do you need to keep today?
