Do You Take Your Vows Seriously?

04/05/2001

Author and business leader Fred Smith writes: One of my treasured memories comes from a doughnut shop in Grand Saline, Texas. There was a young farm couple sitting at the table next to mine. He was wearing overalls and she a gingham dress. After finishing their doughnuts, he got up to pay the bill, and I noticed she didn't get up to follow him. But then he came back and stood in front of her.

She put her arms around his neck, and he lifted her up, revealing that she was wearing a full_body brace. He lifted her out of her chair and backed out the front door to the pickup truck, with her hanging from his neck. As he gently put her into the truck, everyone in the shop watched. No one said anything until a waitress remarked, almost reverently, "He took his vows seriously."

A vow is an earnest or solemn promise or a pledge to do something. Under the Law of Moses vows were to be honored. "If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." (Numbers 30:2 NKJV). Failure to keep one’s pledge resulted in sin. "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you." (Deuteronomy 23:21 NKJV).

Jesus taught that when one of His disciples makes a statement it should be true, "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'" (Matthew 5:37 NKJV). Thus any promise, solemn or not, made by Christian should be expected to be kept.

We make promises constantly as we go about our everyday lives. Sadly, some do not honor their promises. Circumstances change and thus one rationalizes away the commitment implied by the promise or vow. David Jeremiah said, "Integrity is keeping my commitment(s) even if the circumstances when I made the commitment(s) have changed."

How about you? The promises that you make to your wife, your husband, your children, do you keep them. What about the implied promises you made to God when you surrendered your life to Him in obedient faith, do you honor them. Are you faithful in study of God’s word? Are you faithful to worship? Are you faithful to pray?

Do you take your vows seriously?