Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say

We can value our words like pennies or treat them like precious gold. Jesus warns us to be very careful how we let words fly out of our mouth. The integrity of our words should stand alone. When we view our words like gold, they don’t need a co-signer to fulfill their intent. The opposite happens when we feel we must attach or embellish our words to make a point. It betrays the weakness of our words and the brokenness in our character.

Jesus says we are called to a higher ground, and our words reveal who we are. We shouldn’t have to feel the need to swear by something to give weight to what we say. Nor should we be moved to enhance a point by using an extreme description. I should value my words in order for others to value my words. I should give thoughtful consideration to reply before giving an automatic response.

Jesus said, “Let your ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ mean what they stand for. Yes is yes, and no is no. Anything beyond this is false and has its birth place in evil. This means that when we say yes, we mean it. For example, when we agree to meet at a particular time, we should make good on that promise. The exception of being late is NOT normal. Why? We treat every word that we speak as precious gold. We can close a deal by a handshake because our words mean something more than the deal being made. If we practice treating our words like God treats His Word, we build trust with others as they know our words can be trusted.

Reflective Questions

1. What relationship do you struggle the most with keeping your word?
2. Is there a promise, a word given that I haven’t honored? Why?
3. What actions can I bring God into my yes or no?

Memory Verse

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. Matthew 5:37 (ESV)

Prayer

Dear God, I know Your Word is truth, and Your Word can always be trusted. I am thankful for that truth. Help me to be a person of my word. Help me to be a person that can be counted on to always follow through with what I say. Help my yes always to be yes and my no to always be no.

Related Scriptures

Deuteronomy 23:21; Leviticus 19:12; Psalm 50:14; James 5:12; Isaiah 66:1; Colossians 3:9; Colossians 4:6