Keep Your Promises, & Make Amends If You Can’t

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(4) Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. (5) But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: (6) Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.’ (1 John 2:4-6); ‘A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.’ (Proverbs 25:14 – NLT)

All of us have likely had to recant something we’ve promised to someone. It is not always something done without regard or malice, but we have told people ‘I can meet you for lunch on Tuesday’, and then, perhaps a day or two later, remember your doctor appointment or telling someone else prior that you’d be having lunch with them.

In the corporate environment, especially contracting services, a customer comes up with a requirement, a set of the five ‘W’s’ (Who, What, When, Where, and Why’) and it is up to the contractor to determine the ‘How’.

Usually, the ‘How’ is somewhat standard based on the type of service requested. For example, a general building contractor is given the requirement to build a house, and with the set of plans, the dimensions, and the type of building material chosen, they can usually determine the amount of materials needed, and the time required to receive each component and when each phase can be started.

The foundation is given so much time to be poured, then the blocks (or frame) are delivered and the walls are raised, then the rafters are placed on top so the roof can be completed, and so on until the house is complete.

But the general contractor can only be as ‘on-time’ as the delivery of the goods and the timeliness of the sub-contractors in starting and completing their work.

So, if the contractor states the house will be built in six months, but the block is delayed one month from arriving, then it is likely it will now take an additional month to complete, or the work schedule gets ‘crashed’ and the following craftsmen must rush and possibly sacrifice some quality.

Most reputable contractors will contact the buyer and let them know the delay will push their moving time out one month, in order to ensure the materials are not sitting out and the remainder of the work is not rushed to ensure quality. Some may offer a ‘perk’, like an upgraded kitchen to make up for the inconvenience.

Some buyers will understand, while others may work themselves in a ‘tizzy’ and demand the work be finished on time, not realizing the one month delay will not hurt them, or hurt them far less than a house build rushed to complete on a schedule (especially if someone rushed and skips attaching the roof to the house, and a hurricane comes – ‘whoops!’). 

Now in the scheme of things, it’s not the end of the world (despite many who think any speedbump is TEOTWAWKI, or ‘The End Of The World As We Know It’).  It will be fixed, and a year from now no one will be thinking of this delay.

It is, however, a good example of how we either intentionally or unintentionally fool others (or ourselves) that we have done something when we have not. 

In Proverbs 25:14, when you state ‘I got this’ but don’t, it’s often like the TV weatherman (or woman) saying, “It’s going rain today!” so you make plans to stay inside, and lo & behold it’s dry and sunny, or worse, the opposite occurs and there you are, walking a nature trail and it downpours. 

We prepare ourselves for what others may ‘promise’ (‘I promise I’ll get dinner tonight’) but if one does not keep their promise we find we are now behind and lacking (you now have to make dinner, which means you’ll miss today’s ‘Wheel of Fortune‘ or ‘Family Feud‘, and never find out if the Smith family from Tulsa won the trip to Barbados),

The first verses (1 John 2:4-6) speaks of this in terms of knowing God.  There are many examples of people who say ‘I know God’ or ‘I’m a Christian’ but do not follow God’s instructions.  They profess their faith with a but clause; ‘I accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, but…’ 

The but clause can be, ‘…I think LGBTQ people can be leaders of the church’ or ‘…there are times when abortion is OK’ or ‘…there are times when a boy (or girl) got to be a boy (or girl) and have a good time at the <their chosen location of debauchery>.‘  

I see the current Pope as such a person; he says he’s the leader of Christianity, but he supports Communism, which is by definition an atheist theology (mankind can make a utopia), and embraces non-traditional theological stances (supports LGBTQ movements, believes all religions lead to Heaven). 

It is up to God to judge the Pope, not me; however, I do look at the fruit the Pope is producing and it doesn’t look appetizing, actually it is quite rotten. 

We cannot know if others know God, but don’t fool yourself – pray and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Follow what Jesus says and commands; ask for the Holy Spirit to take control. 

Read your Bible, serve Christ, and pray for discernment and instructions.  It’s not enough to be a ‘½-day Saint & 6½ Day Heathen’ just in church, you need to be the Christian Jesus wants you to be not only inside church but outside in the world. 

You promised the Lord you would obey Him when you said you’d follow Him – so obey Him! If you find yourself in a predicament, where you absolutely are going to break a promise to the Lord or someone else, ask Him for forgiveness – He is a forgiving God!