Simply “Yes” or “No”

 

Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 2 Corinthians 1:17

 

There are things that seem so right when we agree to them. Then, the day and the hour arrive and there are many things that seem so much more important in the moment.

This was the place I was when the Word of God convicted me this morning. “Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no.”  The rest of that verse says, “so that you shall not fall under condemnation.” (James 5:12)

Some of the things we agree to do seem so inconsequential in the whole scheme of things, especially in regard to children.

“I’ll take you to the library.” We will go to the Zoo this summer.”  “You may have that later.” “If you do well on this test, we can go get ice cream at the shop in town.”

Then, when the time comes to keep our end of the bargain, it doesn’t seem so important to keep the promise.

When we move to dealing with adults, the promises get bigger.  Volunteering to work for a ministry or to serve a neighbor, saying we will take a responsibility off of a busy-burdened friend, or just that we will show up to offer encouragement and build up someone in a rough spot. Maybe we accept an invitation for lunch or dinner.  The time comes and we have “far more important things to do”…at least from our own perspective.

In Matthew 5:37 Jesus says, “Let what you say be simply, ‘Yes’ or ‘No”; anything more than this comes from evil.”

No one needs much explanation on this. But, we do need to be reminded as I was this morning. I had made a commitment, even if it was “just” to take my three and seven year old grandchildren to the library, so I was obligated to keep it. Don’t get me wrong, there are times we may need to change plans. But, generally speaking, we need to let our “Yes” be “yes” and our “No” be “No.”

There are people, big and little, watching what we do. They see how we live, how much credence we give to the Word of God, and how much importance we place on them as we keep, or fail to keep, our word as we made it to them.

When we keep our word, my own experience is that, generally speaking, God will redeem the time and far more important things will get done.

Do our friends and families think of us as liars or as promise keepers? If you said you would do it, will you do it?