“Listening and doing”

Above all, my brothers and sisters do not swear--- not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “YES” or “NO”…James 5:12

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Meditation:

Back in the times of the Old Testament, people used to swear by oaths in order to show how serious they were. Some would swear by heaven, others would swear on their own lives, while there were those who swore to God. The problem with these oaths was that they were often broken and people were condemned for being unable to stick to their word. James was trying to set people free from this bondage by encouraging them not to swear by anything - no matter how much they wanted to prove the gravity of their seriousness. He simply stated that it would be better for a person to answer with a "Yes" or a "No". Nothing more, nothing less. It would be good for us to follow in this example too. People in this day and age also try to prove their trustworthiness by swearing on all kinds of things - including their mothers' lives. In the event that you are unable to come through on the oath, you will appear to be untrustworthy. Save yourself the trouble and answer frankly. Let your "Yes" be "Yes" and let your "No" be "No". Do not create a trap for yourself by attempting to make vows or oaths you are not certain about and are not required to do.

If you really want to prove you are trustworthy, strive to be a person of integrity, by following through on your word. There is no need for you to resort to dramatic oaths in order to prove to a person that they can trust you. Things happen, Life happens. It would be better for you to stick to simplicity. It is far more effective than theatrics. If a person still doesn't trust you after you have given them a frank answer, leave it at that. Let your actions speak louder than your words.

Prayer: Father in Heaven give us wisdom to Listen quickly, to think twice or more before we Speak, and to take time to calm down instead of becoming Angry. Help us to be doers, not just listeners of your word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!!!