Do Those Who Know You Trust Your Word?

Common Sense Commentary: "And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." 1Sam.3:19.

In the frontier days, life was harsh and even deadly. A man's life was constantly in danger; often hinging on his horse, a horse shoe, a flooded river, hostile indians, a snake's rattle or another man's word. A man's "word was his bond", as they said back then. If his word couldn't be trusted, HE couldn't be trusted, and might cause the death or injury of others. That is why, if you called another man a liar or even questioned what he said, he might very well kill you. His own life and well being, where there was little law, courts or contracts, rested on other people's trust of him and his word. If you threw his word into question, you were putting his and his family's security and even survival in jeopardy. So he would put your life in jeopardy.  It was a matter of self-defence.

It may not be that way today, but a person's word is still just as important as it ever was ... in the eyes of God and all honest people. A broken word is a broken credit rating, broken trust, broken job application, even higher interest rates, higher insurance costs and lost opportunities which you never understood the reason for.  Someone looked at your credit rating or already knew your word meant nothing to you.

If your word means nothing, your character, reputation and honesty mean nothing. Your word is one of the few things that reveals who you really are; your true self, the content of your character. Not living up to your word is simply lying, deceiving and misleading. Your word is a vow, and your promise, or it is a lie. It is another lie to justify the first lie by saying, "Oh I forgot" or "I would have kept my word but..." If you truly forgot or were delayed for some good reason, at the first remembrance or opportunity you would have called to apologize and reaffirm your intention to do what you said you would do ... and when.

Almost invariably, habitual liars are simultaneously blind to their own lies, and exaggerations, while strenuously campaigning against those they suspect and accuse of lying. As a thief thinks nobody is to be trusted, a liar thinks everybody is a liar.   "Therefore thou art inexcusable .... for thou that judgest doest the same things." Rom.2:1.


Guard your word more than your money and as much as you guard your life.... because it affects every other part of your life and your family's life. Guard it as you guard your Christian testimony because it IS your testimony. RB


"My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly." Job 33:3.  "For truly my words shall not be false." Job 36:4.

Is your word....
Your promise or perjury,
your contract or con-job,
your pledge or prevarication,
your validation or vacillation,
your predisposition or perversion,
your factum or fabrication,
your exactness or exaggeration,
your truth or treachery?     RB