DO YOUR BEST TO HONOR YOUR
YES. Have you ever had someone ditch you because something better came up? You find out later that this person was somewhere else, not home sick like they told you? People post everything on FB. This has happened to me a few times and I’ll be honest, I’ve done it before in the past. I’ve made a commitment to somebody and then something “better” came up and so I canceled with my original plans. O wretched man that I am! I have not done anything like this in about 20+ years because I have matured in the Lord, but the temptation is still there from time to time.
I taught my children from an early age to honor their word and commitments. When my daughter was in junior high, she had made plans with one friend and then another friend invited her to a “way more fun” outing. We had this talk right here. She did the honorable thing and kept her word. Jesus tells us,
“Let your Yes be simply Yes, and your No be simply No; anything more than that comes from the evil one.” Matthew 5:37
In simple terms, KEEP YOUR WORD and honor your vows, at least to the best of your ability. It’s better to not make a vow than to make a vow and break it. Do unexpected things come up? Of course. Obviously, you might have to cancel plans for a sickness, death, wedding, or another important occasion. Please do not lose sight of what Jesus is teaching. Do your best to honor your “yes”.
The truth is, when you don’t honor your word, it erodes trust; especially if they find out you canceled on them for more exciting plans. If they cannot trust your word, they cannot trust you. And yes, we usually end up lying about why we couldn’t come- and lying comes from the evil one. Are you really going to tell the truth- that a better option became available? Probably not. You would wound their spirit deeply. Here’s a tip- just don’t give a YES or a NO, unless you know that you can honor that word. People should be able to trust that you will do what you said you would do. This is integrity.
“He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.”
Proverbs 10:9
“Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.” Proverbs 19:1
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page
