James 5: 12 Above all, my friends, do not use an oath when you
make a promise. Do not swear by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Say
only “Yes” when you mean yes, and “No” when you mean no, and then you will not
come under God's judgment.
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“I’ll call you”
were my empty words I used when I was moving too fast. I had all the intention
of following up, but simply forgot. The same happened when I said I would pray
for a person, or pass on the message of hello.
- I found that I used empty words more than I thought.
- I had the best intentions, but I did not take into account becoming overwhelmed.
- I was not malicious in using empty words, but they were still empty, nonetheless.
James attempts to
address one aspect of character, namely avoiding making promises that may or
may not be kept. He implies that promises go before GOD and each one will be
held accountable. He then suggests, to provide an answer without making empty
promises.
My Observations:
- GOD wants me to make promises to HIM, but only the ones I will keep.
- Promises should be made sparingly, otherwise I will be held accountable for something I may or may not do.
- Saying “I may not be able to do this” is better than trying to make someone feel good by empty words.
Using empty
promises to make a person feel good is a problem. I mean, saying “I will pray”
or “I will call” as examples, only raises the recipients hopes up. But when I
don’t follow through, the problem then falls on me for not having done so. GOD
wants me to change my empty words.
HE wants me to say “Yes”
or “No” and let the person who asked for something, know that I will or will
not fulfill the request. This part of character is called reliability. I am
glad GOD is always reliable in what HE says and does.
Challenge
- What does the writer say about making an oath?
- Have you ever made a small promise to do something, but simply forgot to do it?
- Have you ever wanted other people to do something and he or she forgot?
- Will you fill your words up with a solid “yes” or “no” so people can see your reliability for the purpose of understanding how serious GOD takes promises today?
