Is Your Word Worth Its Weight?

in gold or a sack of rocks…

'Then Moses said, “If you keep your word and arm yourselves for the Lord ’s battles, and if your troops cross the Jordan and keep fighting until the Lord has driven out his enemies, then you may return when the Lord has conquered the land. You will have fulfilled your duty to the Lord and to the rest of the people of Israel. And the land on the east side of the Jordan will be your property from the Lord . But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord , and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Go ahead and build towns for your families and pens for your flocks, but do everything you have promised.” ' Numbers 32:20-24

let’s start off with a few definitions:

keeping a promise lays the foundation for trust and respect. when our behavior is consistent, it allows others to build faith in us. nurturing this behavior in children early on begins a pattern that leads to reliability and personal integrity. ~ primrose school ~

a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified. : a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act. ~ merriam webster ~

promises reinforce the integrity in relationships and help you get closer to those you love.
~ promises.com ~

when we don't keep a promise to someone, it communicates to that person that we don't value him or her. we have chosen to put something else ahead of our commitment. even when we break small promises, others learn that they cannot count on us. ~ psychology today ~

what does the Bible say about keeping your word?
“it is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it” (ecclesiastes 5:5 NIV). 3. “again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made'” (Matthew 5:33 NIV).

in these verses there are reminders to keep your promise and to not break them. if you do, you will be rewarded, if you don’t you will be sinning against the Lord - which basically separates yourself from the joy, peace, love that comes from Him.

your word is what allows people to gauge if they can trust you or not. it is either good or not. better to not make a promise than to do so and fail to honor it. there is only so much that someone will take if you keep doing so. best to evaluate if what you are about to commit to doing is something you can actually keep before you open your mouth.

dear Heavenly Father, teach me to keep my word. in the areas where i committed to do something for your Kingdom’s purposes or another person, help me to honor that. in Jesus’ name i pray, amen!