Once upon a time important business deals were sealed with a handshake and special contracts were closed with a meal, now days things have changed and it seems that it is necessary to write everything down to make sure no one takes advantage of us and the documents are so confusing that we need someone to help us translate them. It seems that it is hard to find people who comply with what they say. It is time to bring back the way things are supposed to be, for our word to mean something and for people to be able to rely on us. Our everyday words and actions are a reflection of our beliefs and values, what are yours saying?
In 1 Samuel we read the story of David and Jonathan, a beautiful example of how two friends stood by their promise. “After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond of love between them, and they became the best of friends… and Jonathan made a special vow to be David’s friend” (1 Samuel 18:1; 3) they were determined to stand by their word, unaware of the challenges ahead and how their own lives would be at stake. Saul became very jealous of David and tried to kill him several times, but Jonathan always protected his friend. Even tough Jonathan was the son of Saul, his reverential fear of God was above his family ties or desire for power. This closeness to God helped Jonathan love “David as much as he loved himself.” (1 Samuel 20:17) He received strength and wisdom not only to save David’s life several times, but also to encourage his friend during the tough times.
To stand by our word says a lot about our character and about who we are; it helps people feel at ease because they can trust us and they know that we will say the truth and will stand by our promise, no matter what. In our relationships people need to be able to count on us, our word has to mean something. So many times we say things we don’t mean, maybe we just want to act nice, or maybe we don’t have anything else to say and want to fill that awkward silence. Just imagine how nice it would be for every word that comes out of our mouth to be true. I am sure this is what we intend and want, but it is very hard to do; most of the time there are hurdles in the way that hinder the truth and need to be dealt with and sometimes we are just too tired, too busy or too distracted to even notice them. We may be tempted to forget our promises and think it is ok because everyone is doing it anyway, but remember “This is what the Lord has commanded: A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.” (Numbers 30:1-2)
The amazing thing about standing by our word is that the impact goes beyond our lifetime. In the story of David and Jonathan we read in 2 Samuel 9:1-11 that “One day David began wondering if anyone in Saul’s family was still alive, for he had promised Jonathan that he would show kindness to them.” He found out that Mephibosheth, one of Jonathan’s sons was still alive, so David found him and said to him “I’ve asked you to come so that I can be kind to you because of my vow to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the land that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you may live here with me at the palace!... and from that time on Mephibosheth ate regularly with David as though he were one of his own sons.”
There is power in the tongue, it “can kill or nourish life” (Proverbs 18:21); God has placed a great value on our word; let’s start speaking according to Jesus’ advice “Just say a simple, ‘yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t’ your word is enough.” (Matthew 5:37)
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