The Gospel of John
Has anyone ever made a promise to you that they couldn’t keep?
Reflect on that memory for just a moment and ask yourself how that felt at the time?
Now let’s turn that around, have you ever made a promise that you couldn’t keep?
It didn’t end too well did it?
Jesus also experienced a time in which someone couldn’t keep a promise to Him, and it was actually His best friend. Continue on with today’s reading to see what Jesus has to say about making promises:
Read John 13:36-38.
https://www.bible.com/59/jhn.13.36-38.esv
The promise Peter was making was something he couldn’t possibly keep, and yet he in his pride pushed forward regardless.
And as easy as it may be to look down on Peter for his failure, we often make the same mistake today.
We make promises to family, friends, and even ourselves that we fully intend to keep, but in the end fail to do so.
Even when the outcomes are entirely out of our control, we put on a sincere smile and give people our word for fear of disappointing them.
Yet what we don’t realize is that breaking our promises is far more
disappointing and even damaging to those that we give them to than if we never gave them in the first place.
And that is exactly why Jesus strictly warns us of this:
“”Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”
-Matthew 5:33-37 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/mat.5.33-37.esv
In other words, you need to be careful with the things you tell people and ought to behave with such integrity in this world that you shouldn’t need to back up your words with false oaths and promises.
For what is better? To be honest with someone and give them an accurate expectation and maybe even surprise them when you do more than you told them you would? Or drop the ball and leave them disappointed and maybe even tempted to not trust you in the future?
Therefore, be weary of the promises you make and above all, let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”, for only by integrity will you be able to live a life honoring to those around you and most of all, to your Father in Heaven!
