Day 36: Oath
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
–James 5:12 (ESV)
You’ve heard the expression, “His word is his bond.” In the business world, especially, mutual trust is what makes it all work. We may feel it prudent to back up our words with a written contract or agreement, but in a perfect world it would not be necessary.
In my experience, letting my “yes” be yes is not always easy. Circumstances always seem to crowd in after the fact to tempt me to rationalize fudging on my word – just a wee bit, you understand, but still putting my “yes” under a cloud.
For any Christian, integrity is the name of the game, and it all starts with “simply” letting our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. And sticking with it.
