"When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said." (Numbers 30:2 NIV)
"I pledge allegiance to the flag . . . " "Do you swear to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth . . ." "Do you take _____ to be your wedded wife (husband), to have and to hold, till death do you part?" These are just a few of the oaths or pledges one may make over the course of a lifetime. Our promises are so important. These are not words to be taken lightly.
But, what happens when a commitment is broken? If you turn your back on your patriotism to the United States, you're guilty of treason. If you lie on the witness stand, you're guilty of perjury. If you break your wedding vows, you could find yourself in divorce court. There is a due penalty for not keeping your word.
A "pledge" can be defined as "a solemn promise or agreement to do or refrain from doing something". It's usually not a written contract, even though it can be. It used to be a man's word meant something --- it was a binding contract. Now, it seems as though many will say one thing and do another. And, then we wonder why people can't be trusted anymore.
Maybe it's time to look at some of the things in which we have made an oath or pledge. Have you pledged a certain amount of money to the church building fund, and yet to "pay up"? Are there areas of your marriage vows that have weakened since it seems "for better or worse" is mostly "worse than better"? Are you keeping on schedule to your commitment to read the Bible through this year?
I looked at the Pledge website, and this is their tag line: "Keep your furniture clean and beautiful". If a polish can do all that, then shouldn't our "pledges" keep our hearts and souls clean and beautiful as well.
God, you are not a man that you should lie. May we also "mean what we say, and say what we mean." Amen!
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