Verse: Matthew 5:36-37
And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Devotion
I love the practicality of this. Have you ever sworn to someone that what you were saying was true? “I swear to God” or something like that? Have you ever used a phrase like that to back up a lie? Have you ever known someone was lying but they just wouldn’t admit it and dug their heels in, swearing they were telling the truth? The more they would lie, the angrier they’d get to not be believed!
I’ve been thinking about this verse, why it’s so quietly powerful. Because when someone is trustworthy and you know it, they don’t need to swear on anything. They are confident in the truth and they have nothing to prove. They are as good as their word. You know they will shoot you straight. They will do what they say. They will tell you the truth. And those are the people that it is good to be around.
I think that is harder than it sounds. I think we talk faster than we process sometimes (just me?), we offer help or volunteer our services, without really meaning it. Or maybe we mean it in the moment but it doesn’t hold a lot of weight, and so we forget. This is a great reminder of a simple and straightforward way to be a person of character. Mean what you say, and say what you mean. Speak simply and truly. I actually find this so challenging. It’s easy to say I’ll do something. Follow-through is tough! Even when I have every intention of doing so. It’s more rare than you might think.
What a great witness of who God is - to be faithful and truthful and worthy of trust.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to be a person of my word. To represent you well. To be trustworthy to those around me, and a comfort to those who are uncertain. Amen
Guest Author: Emily Costa