In our new life with God in recovery, can people depend on us when we give them our word or do they need a court order to enforce what we already said we would do? When Jesus was on earth He observed how some people tried to add strength to their commitments by swearing by this or that. This was done to make their said intentions appear more acceptable. This practice of not being true to their spoken word offended Jesus’ sense of justice, particularly when people were using the name of God to confirm their sworn statement.
Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that something is wrong. (Matthew 5:37 NLT)
Another way Jesus challenged his disciples about the dishonouring of God’s name was in thoughtless prayer. When we confess that we’ve done wrong, are we truly sorry about what was done? Do we have a sincere desire to turn away from our harmful words or actions? When we ask God to remove our character defects are we just saying words or are we surrendering ourselves to God to live in a new way? When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. (Matthew 6:7 NLT)
In our everyday life in recovery, do our words honour God when we use His name in the presence of others? Are we honouring others in our conversations and in our commitments?
Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12 NLT)
The word of God tells us that He puts higher value on His word than on His name. Are we choosing to be faithful people who honour our spoken word?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Please help me guard the words that come out of my mouth and be faithful in all I do and say. AMEN
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