As I read this passage today I realized that rather than what we say, our actions should be the source of our credibility. People have history of letting each other down. We say we'll do something but don't for one reason or another. At times we try to back up what we say with a promise, oath or a swear to build up our credibility but Jesus says "Do not swear at all;".
He makes a great point that we really don't have any rights to heaven or earth to use it as a guarantee to gain the trust of another. We don't even have not only the control but the authority over our own head to make it what we want. However, what we have control over is what we say. And, the only thing that should back up what we say should be our actions not empty oaths, promises or swears.
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5 comments:
Thanks Lynn for a really good post! It is so easy to give good lip service but following up with the necessary actions is not always as easy. This weeks readings and reflections have humbled me and pierced at my heart. Have a great weekend everyone!
thanks, lynn, for an excellent reflection. i learned a lot from your observations today. i was most of all reminded that our actions must be the "source of our credibility".
we are good at making this and that promise, but they all mean nothing if we don't follow through on them. i've been let down so often by these kind of empty professions, and have been equally guilty of letting others down as well.
we do this either because we want the approval or good opinion of the person we are speaking to, or because we can't be bothered to really think through what we are committing ourselves to.
i pray that i might become the kind of person whose "yes is yes" and whose "no is no". people who are like this are the kind of people i like best in the world; they are the kind of people i trust most in the world, and more often than not, they are the kind of people whose character most emulates that of Christ.
i would do well to remember that "that anything beyond this is from the evil one".
Lynn, what you wrote is so true. Actions defintely speak louder than words. I'm sure we've all experienced a time when someone was not able to hold true to their promises and vice versa. Hopefully this will encourage us to be wise and thoughtful of the words and promises that come out of our mouths.
Yes I agree with what you're saying. We make lots of empty promises even upon God with out actions trying to keep them. We need to be God's people who say and act together. "Faith by itself, if it is not a accomanied by actions, is dead" James 2:5
Thanks Lynn for the post.
I guess your word mean something because it is like a promise or an oath that you give to someone and it's a sign of one's character. If you fail to keep your word, it shows one's priority because it indicates that you place yourself before anything else. And that can lead to so many other bad things.
I agree with Christine and can admit that all these readings really are humbling and shine light to things that were hidden away in my heart that aren't pretty to look at.
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