Keeping promises

Proverbs 25:14 says, “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boast of gifts he does not give.”

Do you know people like that? They make promises but never keep them. They may say, “I am planning to do it,” but they never get around to it.Be careful about the promises you make. Have you ever told someone you would call back later and then didn’t do it? Have you ever said, “The checks is in the mail,” before it was? Have you ever promised you would pray for someone and then forgotten to? You need to be dependable when you say, “I will return soon” or “We will do it later.”

Keep your word!

Sometimes, as a parent, in a moment of weakness, I make promises to my kids just to get them out of my hair. Do you ever do that? I promise them something that doesn’t even register in my mind. Weeks later I may not remember what I said, but I have learned that my kids never forget anything. Never! When I say, “well, we might, maybe, do something,” they interpret my words to mean we are definitely going to do something. Start packing. You have to keep your promises.

Proverbs 20:25 says, “Its is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.” In otter words, it is always easier to get in than to get out. Do you know the number one problem in parent-child relationships? Resentment. And the number one cause of resentment is broken promises.Ecclesiastes 5:5 says, “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.”

Husbands, what promises do you need to keep? Have you promised to repair a leaky faucet or to help with a special project? What about your kids? Have you promised to spend more time together or to play baseball?When you are dependable, you don’t have to convince people that you are. You don’t have to make a big deal of it. You don’t have to say, “Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” No, you just say you will do it, and then you do it! Jesus said to let your yes be yes and your no be no (Matt. 5:37). Over time, your track record will speak for itself. Others will feel confident that they can count on you. And God will be making careful notes in heaven.

Let us keep our promises.

Faithfulness really matters in the end. This is our purpose in life. Amen
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From the Purpose Driven Life Blog - August 30, 2008