David Diga Hernandez - The Importance of Keeping Your Word

Have you ever made plans with someone and then ignored their texts because you changed your mind? In terms of your reputation, do people consider you flaky? Do they trust what you say? Do your friends and family know that when you say something, you’re going to stand by it, or do they make backup plans just in case you bail, as maybe you often do? Let’s talk about the importance of keeping your word. As believers, it’s vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to convict and correct us in areas where we’re not reflecting the character of Christ. Growing up, I often heard my father say, «Your word is your bond.» By this, he meant that if you say something, you need to stick by it. Jesus said, «But let your yes be yes and your no, no; for whatever is more than these is from the evil one» (Matthew 5:37). How often do we make commitments and then back out? How often do we fail to uphold our word because the promises we made were inconvenient or regrettable? How often do we promise something when we’re in a good mood, only to recant it when we’re in a bad mood? We make commitments when we’re energized and motivated, but then try to ignore or avoid these commitments when we lose that energy or motivation. That is a lack of consistent character. Granted, sometimes situations arise that make it difficult or impossible to keep our word. For example, if you promise to be somewhere at a certain time, and then your car breaks down, that’s different. Or if you schedule one commitment only to realize that you had a prior commitment, that’s an honest mistake. Should you be more organized? Yes, but that’s not the same as flaking on your word. The unexpected can disrupt our plans, and we ought to have grace for ourselves and others when such things arise. However, this doesn’t mean that the unexpected is always a cause for breaking your word. For example, let’s say you make dinner plans with your parents or siblings, but that morning you are late for work or you get into an argument with a coworker. Your mood may have shifted, but since the plans are for the evening, you should keep that commitment if able. I think our culture too heavily emphasizes self-care. Now, don’t get me wrong; I believe we should rest, be healthy, and set reasonable boundaries to guard our time, but we have to have balance. It can’t always be about us. Sometimes keeping your word is going to require that you push through the tiredness. Sometimes our commitments will be inconvenient for us. Parents, if you make a commitment to your child, do everything in your power to keep that commitment. Husband, keep the promises made to your wife. Wife, keep the promises made to your husband. Friend, keep your commitments to your friends. And on that note, do as Jesus said: let your yes be yes, but don’t forget to let your no be no. So, according to Jesus, it’s okay to say no; you don’t have to accept every invite, answer every phone call, commit to every act of service, participate in every gathering, or obligate yourself to every favor. Don’t be pressured into saying yes when you’d rather say no; in fact, don’t say yes when you know your actions are eventually going to say no. Sometimes, in order to avoid conflict or to look good, we make commitments, but in doing so, we just delay and intensify the conflict while also damaging the value of our own reputation and word. «A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain» (Proverbs 25:14). As children of God, we should reflect the nature of our heavenly Father, and our heavenly Father keeps His word. Look at how important a commitment is to God. When Joshua and the Israelites began to conquer their surrounding regions and cities, fear of them began to spread. However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deceit. They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put on worn and patched sandals and wore old clothes; all the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy (Joshua 9:3-5). So here, the people of Gibeon are being deceptive; they’re wearing old clothes and carrying old supplies so that it appears as though they’re distant travelers just passing through, as opposed to neighbors. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, «We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.» The Israelites said to the Hivites, «But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?» «We are your servants,» they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, «Who are you, and where do you come from?» They answered, «Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God» (Joshua 9:6-9). So Joshua, without consulting the Lord, makes a treaty with the very people he’s supposed to conquer. Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were their neighbors. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, «We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel; we cannot touch them. This is what we will do to them: we will let them live so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.» Even though they had been lied to, the fact that the people of Israel had already made their commitment was enough for them to keep it. Sure, the people…