Keeping Your Word in Everyday Life
It is easy to say yes in a generous moment. Then the week fills up, and the thing you offered slips to the bottom of the list.
Someone may still be counting on that yes. It is worth returning to it.
All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;
(Matthew 5:37, NIV, excerpt)
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses oaths and tells His listeners to speak plainly and truthfully. He rejects deceptive speech and the use of solemn language to make a person's words seem trustworthy. His teaching reaches into the everyday way we answer one another.
Make your answer honest
Before agreeing to something, consider what you can actually do. A clear answer gives the other person useful information. You might offer a smaller commitment that you can keep.
When you have said yes, write down the detail that matters: the time, the task, or the person to contact. Following through is one practical way to honor someone who trusted your words.
If circumstances change, let them know as soon as you can. Acknowledge the effect, apologize where needed, and agree on what is possible now. Honest communication remains part of faithfulness when plans need to change.
Bring the ordinary commitments of your day before Jesus. Ask Him to shape both your words and your follow-through, so that love for your neighbor becomes something dependable they can experience.
A prayer
Lord Jesus, make my words truthful and my actions considerate. Give me wisdom before I answer, faithfulness to follow through, and humility when I need to make something right. Amen.
Read Matthew 5:33-37 in the NIV.
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Faithfulness grows in the ordinary things we follow through on.
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