Promises

Last time I talked about Alignment with The Way.

This morning, Becky shared part of a study she’s doing on the book of James. In the conversation, the teacher referenced, “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.”

It’s a line from the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus warns about swearing oaths.

It’s kind of a foreign concept to us, but the context makes sense. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were skilled at making promises with loopholes. Jesus wanted none of that nonsense.

If you’re going to make a promise, your word should be enough. “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.”

Consider that in the context of our society, where it seems like every interaction requires a lawyer and multipage contracts with language no one really understands.

I’m not suggesting you and I become irresponsible. We can’t avoid the realities of the society in which we live.

But – I’m asking myself, what does it mean to Let my yes be yes, and my no be no.?

Because I think it’s part of becoming aligned with The Way.

Do I make promises and keep them? Even when it’s uncomfortable, or when it costs me something? Am I willing to say NO rather than waffling and weaseling around?

Can people absolutely depend on my YES?

I want to say all of these are true, but if I’m honest, I’m as good at weaseling as anybody else. And there’s ALWAYS a good excuse.

Seems like kind of a small thing, this issue of keeping a promise. But Jesus talked about it right after he talked about things like murder and adultery, so apparently he thought it was a big deal.

Of course, my thoughts always go to the promise we made in 2013 to the kids at the Home of Hope. We could come up with all sorts of reasons to go a different direction, to do something easier. And I suppose circumstances could always change.

But for now, to the best of our ability, our YES is YES.