Trustworthy People; Trustworthy God

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, this will be the last week of daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks!

‘Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.’ –James 5:12

We have all been lied to. We have all had people break their promises to us. Maybe it was an investment gone bad or something that someone never had the intention of carrying out. We’ve probably had a car or furniture salesman take us a time or two as well. And unfortunately, we’ve probably been on the other end of it as well where we are the ones who have broken our promises.

God designed our church, our family, to be a very vulnerable community. It is a place where God desires us to be able to share everything about ourselves in a trustworthy environment. We shouldn’t have to worry about people stabbing us in the back or gossiping about us. We should be able to depend on each other for support, encouragement, and nurture.

James is responding to a culture where there were very legalistic teachings about when a person could break their vows. It is very similar to the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Some have taken this to extremes to say that we shouldn’t take any oaths at all, such as in a courtroom or in any type of legal contract. That kind of teaching is missing the point. James is challenging us to be trustworthy people who keep our word based on who we are, not merely upon a legal document that we sign.

How do people take your words and promises? One of the best places to evaluate yourselves is in your home. Do your children and your spouse see you consistent with your promises, or do you way too often fail to live up to your words? The home is both the best and the toughest place to start, as it is there that you tend to be the most comfortable.

May you be a person who is absolutely trustworthy in everything you say and do, and through your words and your actions may both the church and the world know that our God is absolutely trustworthy too.