Yes be Yes
But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37
The key verse for today comes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. It is basically Jesus' command not to swear falsely and verse 34 states that "do not swear at all". Does this mean that Christians cannot make wedding vows or swear oaths in a courtroom? Absolutely not, Jesus teaches us to be truthful through our words.
First of all, why do people swear or take an oath? Such statements as “I swear to God that this is true! ” Using God's name or swearing will increase the value and trustworthiness of our words. In other words, it means we speak truth.
It will be no more lies and no more oaths until we come to the kingdom of God where there are no lies but the whole truth. Since we are still in our flesh and in a broken world, we are not yet fully people of truth, so Jesus teaches us to let our yes be yes and our no be no so we can reflect our character as truthful, sincere and honest. God wants us to speak what we mean and mean what we say so that no oaths or vows are needed to maintain integrity. Therefore, letting our yes be yes and our no be no is a form of “godliness ”.
It is a process to grow in godliness, and James 3:2 says we are perfect if we do not stumble in word. No one is perfect, so we need God's grace to transform our character so that our words reflect truthfulness and honesty. “Slow to speak” is a practical application of saying a yes or a no. We need God's wisdom when we testify or say yes or no at all times. Sometimes, when we aren't honest to ourselves, we say yes to others quickly and later regret it. In sharing God's truth, we may compromise to avoid offending the listener, thus saying "no" when it is time to say "yes".
Sometimes it's hard to say "no" without over explaining, which means our "no" isn't really a no, and gives the recipient the power to turn it into a yes. Consequently, we need the wisdom and authority to say no with confidence that is truthful to ourselves and to the situation.
As we speak from the heart, let us remain humble and truthful before the Lord. Let us live under the Holy Spirit's guidance at all times. Let our yes be yes, and our no be no, for we are accountable to God who is on the throne.
Blessing prayer: May our words reflect truthfulness and integrity as we grow in godly character. Let the Holy Spirit guide us to speak the truth without fear of men. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
