Matthew 5:37: "But let your yes be yes and your no be no for whatever is more than these is from the evil one." I love how this topic relates to our identity in God and building boundaries around our words. As Christians, we must aim to have dignity and integrity. This begins with what we say and do to others. We must be intentional about our words and how they might affect others.
Equally as important is how we nurture the relationships in our lives. There is nothing as daunting as an unreliable person, a person that cannot be trusted, or someone that cannot keep to their word and does not care for anyone else than themselves. Trust is one of the essential things that sustains relationships. Even in our relationship with God, we surrender our lives to God because we trust Him. Our trust grows through a series of commitments; we see God show up for us countless times, which makes us confident in His word. Our God is a God of His word, His word never comes back void and His word is worth more than gold. Similarly, our words must be centered around honoring God and fostering trust in our relationships. When we consistently try to honor God with what we say to others, we can be rest assured that we are building our character to be just like Christ. Also, when we treat others with integrity, we honor God.
Some of us have friends who cannot trust our words because we have disappointed them so many times. Some of us promise to do something and then do not follow through with our promise. But the Bible passage today tells us that we must be careful about our commitment. If we genuinely know that we cannot do what is required, we must say "No." It is better to say no than to disappoint someone. Some of us find it difficult to say no because we have fixed our eyes on the wrong thing. Most times, the root cause of why we are reluctant to say no has nothing to do with us not wanting to hurt the other person but simply because we are people pleasers. And we have placed our identity in something other than God. The image we are trying to protect is false and we will not be able to sustain it. So, if we know we cannot accommodate something, we must simply communicate that to the other party instead of disappointing them.
I speak more about trust in relation to this topic because our words determine whether we can be trustworthy. Christians must say yes or no without trying to sugarcoat things. Also, whatever response we give must come from a place of love.
I pray for God's wisdom to help us honor Him with our words and actions. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Salvation Prayer: If you stumbled on this blog and you do not know this "God" I write about, but you feel a leading in your spirit to learn more. Well, Welcome! God loves you and has led you here for a reason. If you desire to build a relationship with Him, the first step is to say this prayer below:
Lord Jesus, I come today as a sinner.
I know that I have turned away from You several times.
Today, I confess and repent of all my sins,
I believe You died for me and rose again,
I ask that Your precious Blood purify my life.
I ask that You change me, renew me and lead me.
Become my Lord and personal Savior.
Now, I am yours and I am Born Again.
Thank you Lord for saving me. Amen.Congratulations, the Bible tells us that every time someone gives their life to God, there is a celebration in heaven over that person; you are loved and celebrated at this moment and forever. Amen!
Next steps: I urge you to find a church to join; you may also reach out via the Contact section if you have any questions. We would love to help you with your walk with Christ. God loves you!