“When a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” (Numbers 30:2)
God likes when we honour our commitments to him and to others. When we don’t, it hurts Him. Yes, we hurt God when we don’t honour our commitments. Can you believe that?! It is important that we complete that which we have purposed to do. Why? Because that’s called integrity.
When you say to God that you’re going to meet with Him at 5:00 a.m every morning, show up and do so on time. When you say to God that you’re going to walk with an extra snack every Friday to give to the homeless, walk with the snack. If you have to save to buy it, then do so. Honour your commitments!
Despite our best efforts, every promise we make is conditional because we may be unable to keep our word due to circumstances beyond our control (James 4:13-15, Proverbs 16:9 27:1). Thus, you might be unable to be somewhere or do something due to sickness, disability, or the failure of transportation to deliver you on time. In fact, only God can perfectly keep each of His promises. However, not being perfect is not a bypass for us to break our promises.
There will be times when you may regret having made a promise, but you should still keep it. Don’t worry, I am speaking to myself too. I have been guilty of over-committing myself. What seemed like no big imposition when I made such commitments, initially turned out to be very overwhelming in the midst of the bustle of life. Sometimes I find myself asking, “Why did I even agree to do this? Didn’t I realize how difficult and disruptive this would be?” These, however, are not valid reasons to break my word.
Be very cautious about making commitments. One way to avoid being tempted to break a promise is to avoid making too many. Also, always think before you speak. Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.” Solomon rightly described the human tendency to speak without thinking before God and others. Let’s us be ones who consider our words before we utter them.
Way forward:
If you’ve been one to dishonor your commitments to God and to others, maybe consider seeking forgiveness. Why? Because breaking your commitments is dishonorable. Giving commitment to someone and not fulfilling it will not only break trust but it also affects feelings. If we hurt people in this way we want to ensure that we do the right thing, which is to apologize and ask for forgiveness. Note that there is no judgement and condemnation for you… I am guilty, so let me put my hand up! Learning this simple principle will help us to do life better with God and people.
Angelisa is a Jesus enthusiast, Worship leader & Christian youth leader. She considers herself to be the old-fashioned type of girl who loves spicy food and belly bottom laughter. Among her passions are singing, working with children, and encouraging others.