2 Corinthians 1:20 “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
How important is it to you to keep your promises? To always do what you say you will do? It used to be a given: A man is only as good as his word. Scripture refers to the godly as those who keep their word even when it hurts (Psalm 15:4). But today we are living in the age of fickleness. People contradict themselves without a second thought if it benefits their cause or their convenience. As a result, broken promises lay scattered like debris after a celebration.
There’s a better way.
When Paul altered his plans concerning an upcoming visit to the church in Corinth, he clarified the change was not due to planning in a “worldly manner” (2 Corinthians 1:17). He understood he represented a God who always keeps his promises and he didn’t want his actions to be misinterpreted.
Like Paul, we who follow Christ need to reflect a God who always keeps his promises by doing our best to keep ours. It begins with little things. Do we call someone when we tell them we’ll call? Do we pray for someone when we tell them we’ll pray? Do we follow up with promises we make to our children? Our spouses? Our friends?
My parents divorced when I was young. My dad had a hard time following through on things he said he would do. His expected presence at birthdays and ballgames was met most often with the empty bleachers of disappointment. Don’t get me wrong. I believe Dad had good intentions; he simply got caught up in the moment, promising things which he couldn’t deliver. But it bled into my concept of God. Had it not been for Grandpa’s consistent faithfulness, my image of God might have been irreparably diminished. And to sure up my views of reliability even more, God gave me a husband who would rather walk on hot coals than renege on a commitment.
Never underestimate the importance of being a person of your word. Say goodbye to fickleness. Show the world our God is one of “Yes” and “Amen.”