Matthew 5:33-37
God holds us to our words. Words are powerful, carrying the power of life and death within them. Being a person of integrity requires that our words and our actions align. We are to be people of our word.
What if God were not a God of His word? What if He said one thing and did another? Would we trust Him? Would we follow Him? If not, then why should people trust us? Are we truly people of our word?
Here, Jesus is speaking about vows. We may not use that term often today, but we are more familiar with the word promise. How many times do we promise to do something and then fail to follow through? A promise is a type of vow—it commits us to an expected action. Scripture also tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick. How often have we placed our hope in someone’s words only to be disappointed? It is not a good feeling.
Jesus teaches that a simple “Yes, I will,” or “No, I won’t,” is sufficient. We must be honest with others about our intentions.
People pleasers often struggle with this. Not wanting to let others down, they may go to great lengths to assure someone they will do something—even escalating their words with statements like, “I swear by my…,” you fill in the blank. Yet we do not truly have the authority to make such claims, as Jesus points out. We should not promise what we may not be able to deliver. As the saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
We are only as good as our word. Our character and integrity are measured by our willingness and ability to keep it.
This may be a good time to reflect on whether we have fallen short in fulfilling promises we have made. I am reminded of an account in the Old Testament involving the prophet Samuel. He led Israel from boyhood, and one of his final acts as their leader was granting the people the king they demanded so they could be like other nations. In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel delivers a farewell address in which he asks the people whether he has wronged anyone, emphasizing his desire to make things right. Samuel was a man of integrity, and his actions proved it.
In the words of Jesus, “Now go and do the same.”
What if God were not a God of His word? What if He said one thing and did another? Would we trust Him? Would we follow Him? If not, then why should people trust us? Are we truly people of our word?
Here, Jesus is speaking about vows. We may not use that term often today, but we are more familiar with the word promise. How many times do we promise to do something and then fail to follow through? A promise is a type of vow—it commits us to an expected action. Scripture also tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick. How often have we placed our hope in someone’s words only to be disappointed? It is not a good feeling.
Jesus teaches that a simple “Yes, I will,” or “No, I won’t,” is sufficient. We must be honest with others about our intentions.
People pleasers often struggle with this. Not wanting to let others down, they may go to great lengths to assure someone they will do something—even escalating their words with statements like, “I swear by my…,” you fill in the blank. Yet we do not truly have the authority to make such claims, as Jesus points out. We should not promise what we may not be able to deliver. As the saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
We are only as good as our word. Our character and integrity are measured by our willingness and ability to keep it.
This may be a good time to reflect on whether we have fallen short in fulfilling promises we have made. I am reminded of an account in the Old Testament involving the prophet Samuel. He led Israel from boyhood, and one of his final acts as their leader was granting the people the king they demanded so they could be like other nations. In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel delivers a farewell address in which he asks the people whether he has wronged anyone, emphasizing his desire to make things right. Samuel was a man of integrity, and his actions proved it.
In the words of Jesus, “Now go and do the same.”
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2026
January
Matthew 4:3-11John 1:32-34John 1:45-51John 2:6-11John 2:13-17John 2:18-25John 3:13-17John 3:18-21John 3:27-32, 36John 4:3-10John 4:11-15John 4:16-21John 4:22-26John 4:27-30John 4:31-38John 4:39-42John 4:46-53Mark 1:21-28Matthew 5:1-6Matthew 5:7-12Matthew 5:13-16Matthew 5:17-20Matthew 5:21-26Matthew 5:27-30Matthew 5:31-32
February
Matthew 5:33-37Matthew 5:38-42Matthew 5:43-48Matthew 6:1-4Matthew 6:5-13Matthew 6:14-18Matthew 6:19-21Matthew 6:22-23Matthew 6:24-30Matthew 6:31-34Matthew 7:1-5Matthew 7:6Matthew 7:7-11Matthew 7:12Matthew 7:13-14Matthew 7:15-20Matthew 7:21-23Matthew 7:24-29Matthew 8:1-4Matthew 8:5-12Matthew 8:14-17Matthew 8:18-22Matthew 8:23-27Matthew 8:28-34
March
Sunday 3-1-26Luke 7:11-17Mark 5:25-34Mark 5:22-42Matthew 10:1-8Matthew 10:38-40Matthew 11:28-30Matthew 12:33-37Matthew 12:46-50Matthew 10:10-13Mark 4:13-20Matthew 13:36-43Matthew 13:44-46Matthew 13:47-52Matthew 13:53-58Matthew 14:14-21Matthew 14:24-33Matthew 14:34-36John 6:29-35Matthew 5:1-9Matthew 15:10-20Matthew 15:21-28Matthew 15:29-31Matthew 15:32-39Matthew 17:14-20Hebrews 10:24-25Matthew 8:1-6Matthew18:18-20
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