Tag Archives: honesty

I Will

Matthew 5:31-33

People who marry take an oath before God and witnesses. They give their word to be faithful to one person for the rest of their lives. We tend to make these verses in Matthew about marriage and divorce. But the real message Jesus is trying to get across is much wider and deeper than that one issue. He’s been talking about integrity in this Sermon, about character and disposition. He’s been talking about the seriousness of sin and its effect on our spiritual health.

Then he uses the marriage oath as an example. We ought not to read verses 31-32 without verse 33. It’s a shame the Bible publishers put in that arbitrary break. So let’s not, for sake of argument today.

If you make an oath of any kind (which Webster defines as “a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one’s future action or behavior”), you had better honor and protect it. If you don’t, and you break that solemn promise, you are no different than an adulterer. Jesus is painting a word picture, using marriage as an example of someone who doesn’t keep his or her promises.

Sometimes I think we consider an “oath” as a big deal, like a doctor taking an oath to do no harm, or a witness taking an oath to tell the truth in court. But if I know Jesus, He’s not only talking about the “big.” He always gets to the heart of an issue, doesn’t He? That’s what I believe He is doing here.

Have you ever heard someone referred to as a “man of his word?” What does that mean? I think most of us know at least one person who has the kind of integrity that if he says he will do something, you know he will. He always does what he says.

We, as Christ followers, ought to be men and women of our word. Whether it’s a promise to pay our loans on time, or take out the trash, if it’s the promise to our employer to do our job, or a promise to our child to go to the dance recital, if we say we will… we will. Jesus was a man of HIs word, and if He is our example, we ought to be, too.

I believe Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, is laying out the truth for believers. We are held to a higher standard. Our faith is evidenced by the kind of life we lead. More than anyone, a Christian ought to be the person who has integrity, honesty, the person who will follow through with what is promised.

If you say, “I will,” will you?

Character

Proverbs 8-13

Wisdom. Integrity. Honesty. Discipline. Trust. A good work ethic. Good sense. Truth.

All these, and more, are mentioned in Solomon’s proverbs and ought to be present in every believer.

Yesterday in Sunday School, we talked about the fact that Paul used himself as an example of how to live this Christian life. “Imitate me,” he said in 2 Thessalonians 3. Paul had nothing to hide, and confidently put himself in a fishbowl.

Could I do that? Could you? Or are we trying to hide a tiny sin that would expose us as hypocrites?

The book of Proverbs reminds me that my character is as important as my testimony. Maybe more so as I represent my Savior to a world that needs Him.

May 13; The Truth Hurts

Psalms 64, 70, 84, 141, 143; 2 Samuel 18:19-19:43

Absalom is dead. The son who did everything in his power to steal the throne from his father, David, was killed in a battle he was fighting with the intent to destroy David. David wished he’d been the one to have died instead.

Now, I dealt with a lot of middle school parents who thought their precious children could do no wrong, even when presented with evidence to the contrary. But David takes the cake.

David went into a very public, very agonized mourning over the death of his son. I’m not saying he was wrong to be sad. He was a father. But David’s mourning went to the point his own soldiers – those who had been loyal to him when his own son betrayed him – were ashamed to have fought the battle. The solders went into mourning.

So Joab, the leader of the army, went to the king and shook some sense into him. We, of course, can’t hear Joab’s tone of voice. But we can read his words. And it doesn’t appear that he was joking. These are some harsh words. Truthful words. But Joab doesn’t seem to be worried about hurting the king’s feelings.

David was wrong. David acted badly. And he had to be told in no uncertain terms.

I’m not a very good Joab. Confrontation is not my strong suit. Oh, I can write a script in my head. I can imagine what I would say to someone I think needs to hear the truth. But actually saying those words out loud is not something I do.

God is convicting me about that today.

Joab realized that what David was doing was hurting other people, and jeopardizing David’s kingship. I can watch a loved one making similar choices, choices that perhaps hurt others, or worse – jeopardize their relationship with God and eternity.

David needed Joab’s firm honesty. My loved ones need mine. I don’t want to hurt anyone. But sometimes the truth hurts. I don’t want to lose a relationship with them by making them upset with me. But God is asking me if their liking me in this lifetime is worth their eternity without Him?

Man! I do NOT like what God is saying to me today. But He speaks the truth.

And the truth hurts.