2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 5-8 GW; Psalms 73 GW
Broken promises break hearts.
Every love story that goes wrong often starts with a broken promise; someone didn’t do what they said they would do. If we’re sincere, we’ve probably broken a promise before too. You’re better off not making a promise than making one you won’t keep.
Often, the reason people make promises they never intend to keep is that it’s easy. At the moment, you’re fulfilling the other person’s desire. But in the long run, you’re building distrust in your relationships. Eventually, people won’t believe your promises; your words will mean nothing.
To become more like Jesus, we must learn to live up to our word.
Jesus didn’t break His promises. Our love story with Jesus comes with promises He doesn’t break. Seven promises Jesus made to us are:
- Life to the fullest John 10:10 GW
- Acceptance John 6:37 GW
- Reward Mark 10:29-31 GW
- Revelation John 14:21 GW
- Friendship John 15:14-15 GW
- Joy John 15:9-11 GW
- Trials John 16:33 GW
Promise wisely.
Jesus’s promised wisely. He understood His purpose on earth and who His Father was. Jesus didn’t make foolish promises; He made long-lasting vows that are still true today. Becoming more like Jesus means knowing which promises to make, which not to make.
Set proper expectations for yourself. Know what your limitations are. You are better off under-promising and over-delivering than going back on your word. Building trust takes time; breaking it can occur with one broken promise.
In years gone by, all you needed was your word. Handshakes sealed deals instead of contracts. But over the past century, people’s word has come to mean nothing. No one trusts anyone without some kind of binding agreement. So choose to become a person whose word means something.
When you make a promise, keep it. If you know you’re not capable of living up to your vow, don’t make it. Know your limitations, don’t overcommit. Become a person of integrity.
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Lord, how grateful we are You keep Your promises. Forgive us for not keeping ours. Today, help us become people of integrity. Help us only make promises we can keep. Stop us from committing to actions we can’t complete. Instead, help us set realistic expectations for ourselves and others. IJNIP. Amen
Question for reflection
Have you broken any promises lately?
