Once I participated in an event that several people had agreed to attend. I was excited and looking forward to seeing many of these people. Guess what happened? NONE of the people showed up at the event. No phone call, email or text message…Nothing. I had gone to great lengths to prepare some things for these people so I was quite disappointed but actually more disturbed and saddened by the lack of communication. I attended a Saturday morning event that started at 9:00 AM. It was a cold and wet morning and I was sleepy and tired from a busy week. It also didn’t help that my bed was warm and cozy and tempting me to stay put. I thought to myself “He won’t miss me”. But then I heard the Holy Spirit whisper “But you gave your word that you would be there.” The other day I told a friend I would email her a document once I got home. The electronic version of the document would make it easier for her to complete some tasks she needed to complete quickly. After I arrived home I got busy and then fell asleep and completely forgot to email the document until my friend called me the following afternoon to inquire about it. I apologized profusely and emailed the document right away but couldn’t help thinking about how once again I had told someone I would do something for them and completely forgot about it. This made me stop to take time to reflect on the importance of keeping my word when I commit to do something.
Have you ever verbally committed to do something and then backed out of that commitment? Did you inform anyone that you couldn’t keep the commitment? Have you ever depended on someone who committed to help you and then they didn’t come through? What did you think? How did you feel?
Often we think about how many times we’ve given GOD our “word” that we were going to be more committed to Him but what about the commitments we make to each other? These commitments are important as well. There was once a time when a handshake and a person’s word were their “bond” and the norm for an agreement. Today we are more “contract and litigation minded” (often with good reason). Undependable, unreliable, not trustworthy…none of these descriptions should be able to be used to describe us as people but sometimes I’ve heard them used as someone has uttered “I’ll help” or “I’ll be there” or “I’ll give” or “I’ll do it” and not kept their word.
Not keeping your word creates disappointment and can be hurtful to others so take time to be mindful about what you commit to. In Chapter 5 of the book of Ecclesiastes, the writer admonishes the readers to be careful about the promises they make to GOD. At one point he says, “It’s better not to make a promise at all than to make one and not keep it.”- (Eccl. 5:5,CEV-https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eccl+5%3A5&version=CEV) I know you can’t do everything someone asks you to do but whatever you do commit to do…do your best to keep that commitment. And if you by chance fail (no one is perfect and things happen), don’t ignore the situation but be kind enough to communicate with the other person(s) for this is your duty as a dependable, reliable, trustworthy person J.
Won’t you share your thoughts and/or an experience on this topic with us? Have you committed to do something and not done it? Have you had someone or others to make a commit to you and then not keep their commitment? How did this make you feel? What do you think we can do to improve on keeping our word?
YOUR WORD IS BOND
