Faithful Man: Devotions for Living in Faithless TimesMuestra

BE THE MAN WHO SAYS WHAT HE MEANS

In the United States, incoming presidents often take the oath of office by placing their left hand on a Bible while swearing to uphold the Constitution. George Washington began the practice on April 30, 1789, and presidents have continued it into modern times. According to The New Yorker contributor Hannah Rosefield, the use of oath books in a legal setting dates back to ninth-century England, when certain transactions were conducted at the altar with participants swearing on a gospel book. A few centuries later, English courts adopted the practice. Rosefield writes, “By placing a hand on the book and then kissing it, the oath-taker is acknowledging that, should he lie under oath, neither the words in the Bible nor his good deeds nor his prayers will bring him any earthly or spiritual profit. In time, this became standard legal procedure—all witnesses swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth—and made its way into American courts. British witnesses today still take their oaths ‘by Almighty God,’ as American oath-takers conclude theirs with ‘so help me God.’” We might be tempted to affirm the practice of swearing our truthfulness by the Bible or by invoking God’s name, but doing so isn’t biblical. In Matthew 5:33–37, Jesus prohibits taking oaths. He wants His followers to have such integrity that their truthfulness is never called into question. A truly faithful man says what he means and keeps his word. When his integrity is intact, his words will be believable. Next time you feel tempted to swear something is true, remember how trustworthy most politicians are and ask yourself if the oath will boost your credibility.

Do you ever say things like, “No really, I’m telling the truth”? What are some better ways to convince people?