Who Needs Them Anyways?

    “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.” Mathew 6:37

  This passage is about making vows, promises that are sworn based on the power of a third party.  I guess we do this sort of thing to add some sort of validity or weight to our words. Or perhaps, by invoking the power of a third party, it is supposed to make it easier for us to succeed in our promises. involving someone or something else gives us the wiggle room to lay blame on them for our failure to keep our word.

  For example, “By God, I will do this!!”

  And when I didn’t or don’t remain true to my word? “God didn’t help me at all!”

  Perhaps this is why New Year’s resolutions have a tendency to fail.

  Who needs them anyways? Life is challenging enough already!

  Or maybe trying to keep our word is the devil’s playground. It is to his delight that broken promises leave behind a swathe of destruction, anger, guilt and bitterness; all the things that keep us apart from God and each other. (Forgive me. Lord, for all the times I’ve broken my promises.)

  But then, our ability to fail tremendously opens the doorway to learning about grace and forgiveness.

  Grace. What a beautiful thing it is.

  I think, too, the devil is very happy to erase everything Christmas represents by setting us up for failure a short while later; when our New Year’s diet oath fails or our exercise regimen lands on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn again.

  So where is this going?

1.       The heartbreak of broken promises.

2.       The guilt of broken promises.

3.       The shame in breaking them.

4.       The blaming...ourselves and others.

  Man, that’s an ugly list!

 

  Ah, I know where this list needs to go…directly to God’s ear.

  Lord, for someone who dislikes making lists, they seem to be a big part of my writing. (Smile.) Grant me the ability to scratch them off one by one. Let me learn to say “no” without feeling guilty. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!