How Good Is Your Word?

There are a couple of important sayings that have gone by the wayside in recent years. One is: “A man’s word is his bond.” A little better known is the proverb, “A man is only as good as his word.” Both statements have pretty much the same meaning: “If you say you are going to do something, you do it.”

It seems, at the present moment in American history, how a person says something is more important than if he/she actually does what they say they will do. A current example of this is a New York City mayoral candidate who continually promises voters that he will stop sending naked pictures of himself electronically to women who aren’t his wife. On camera this gentleman is very sincere and emphatic that he has broken this inconvenient habit, but then some time passes and it is revealed he is up to his old tricks again.

The “say one thing but do another” syndrome is so prevalent that we are hesitant to talk about it because it has become a way of life for most. On a daily basis people make passionate promises which soon after they either forget or decide are too difficult to keep. The most tragic is the promise, “Till death do us part.” It is rare not to see at least a tear in the eye of the bride and groom as they make their wedding vows to each other. And yet, a few years later those solemn promises are set aside as either impractical or unrealistic. We have gotten to the point that it is acceptable if we mean what we say at the moment, however, if we change our minds in the future, then the promises of the past are cancelled out.

Our worship services this Saturday evening (6:00 pm) and Sunday morning (10:00 am) will involve the commitments of baptism and confirmation during which young people will commit their lives to serving Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. There will be emotional and inspirational moments during these services. But as important as what is said this weekend is the day to day living in the coming years of these young people. Such special services serve an important role in our own spiritual lives. As we watch other confess their faith in Christ, we should be asking ourselves the searching question, “Have I been a Christian man/woman of my word?