Be a man or woman of your word

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “Let your “yes” mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no’.” Matthew 5:37 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be a man or woman of your word”

On June 24, 1978 Linda and I said “I do”. And then for more than forty-five years we did. Today would have been our forty-sixth wedding anniversary, our forty-eighth year as a couple. On that day in June 1978 when we said “I do” we were affirming that we would be true and faithful to each other through good times and bad, in times of prosperity and poverty, in sickness and in health, until death do we part. We kept that promise to each other right up until the moment Linda breathed her last breath and went to heaven on November 30, 2023.

We live in a society today where many people seem to believe promises are conditional and made to be broken. Once upon a time honesty and integrity were virtues that were highly valued, and men and women were judged based upon their proven dependability. “My word is my bond” was a claim the man or woman of integrity wanted to be able to make and mean. Sadly, that isn’t as true today as it once was.

In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:37, Jesus taught that you are to say what you mean, mean what you say, and keep your promises. Be a man or woman of your word.

What does this have to do with taking good care of yourself? A lot! For one thing, men and women of integrity tend to be much more settled and stable in life than do people who lie, cheat, and manipulate. Additionally, people who are dishonest with others are always worried that others are being dishonest with them – and rightly so! What goes around comes around. Lie to others and others will lie to you. Break your word to them and they will break their word to you. That kind of a life produces stress and anxiety.

An honest person tends to be much more relaxed and assured, and that is certainly a more pleasant and healthier way to live. Also, if your spouse is a man or woman of integrity, and therefore a person who can be counted on to keep their word, that is a much better situation than to live with a dishonest schemer who you can’t really trust.

Honesty, integrity, and dependability are essential virtues for the person who wants to be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. I encourage you to be a man or woman of your word, and then fill your life with others who are as well.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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