During this general election campaign one issue that I have heard raised is that of trust. The voters want to know if they can trust the promises that are being made by politicians of various parties. I think we have every right to ask this question as this election is very important. The result has far reaching consequences which stretch well beyond our country. Therefore, it’s important that as we weigh up our decisions we feel that we can trust what the politicians are promising us.
However, it’s not just politicians that need to show that they can be trusted. All of us need to be people who others trust. When our families, friends, neighbours and work colleagues are asked about us what would they say? Are we those that they trust or would we be those who they do not trust?
We, like our politicians, have no doubt made promises that we have never kept. How many times have we said to someone, “Yes of course I will do that for you” and then failed to deliver. I expect there have been times when we have completely accidentally forgotten to fulfill our promise. There may have been occasions when we wanted to keep the promise but realised that it was going to be costly to do this and didn’t keep it. Sadly, if we are being totally honest though I imagine there may have been times when we had no intention of keeping our promises.
What about promises that we make to God? I expect we have made many promises to God in our lives. It’s not unusual for us to make promises to God in our worship songs. Do we keep them though?
I will finish with the following passage from Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 which is very challenging:
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.
When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfil it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfil your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfil it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
Still Learning 