This morning I settled Sophia on the couch with a snack & some juice & her movie so that I could sit in the other room & give Jocelyn her bottle & get her down for a nap. It was while sitting in the other room that I heard one line from Sophia’s video – one line – & I knew that God was going to finish an itch that He had started a few days earlier.
It is sad to me that we no longer think about our word. Not our words or the words we necessarily speak each day. But when we give our word. When we make a promise. I have been thinking about how casually we can promise something to our children, our spouses, a friend, an acquaintance. These are the questions I have been contemplating:
- When I GIVE my word, do I really intend to KEEP my word?
- Do I give my word because at that moment it serves a purpose in my life?
- Do I truly think about the seriousness of not keeping my word?
The answers to these three questions matter significantly because….
- When I give my word, if I truly do not intend to keep it – then I am lying.
- When I give my word because it serves a purpose in my life then I am self-absorbed & selfish.
- When I do not think about the seriousness of keeping my word, then I will treat my word casually & sin occurs.
Our God is a God that makes covenants & keeps covenants. He is faithful to His word. If we are to reflect Him, then we are to be a people that keep our word as well.
This is what Scripture says about this very topic:
“Do not break your oath but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord. Simply let your “yes” be “yes” and your “No” , “No”.”   (Matthew 5:33 & 37 NIV)
“Above all, my brothers, do not swear – by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be ues, and you “No”, no, or you will be condemned.” (James 5:12 NIV).
“Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: “This is what the LORD commands: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.” (Numbers 30:1-2 NIV)
So here is the line from Sophia’s video:
And when I make a promise, I never ever break a promise. {Long Pause} Ever!
Rapunzel to Flynn Rider in Tangled
May we all be like Rapunzel & never ever break a promise. May we be known to be people of our word.
“Do what you say you’re going to do & the rest is a lot easier.” (Seth Godin)
