Key Scripture: Matthew 5:34-37

But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Relevance

There are countless books and movies about the power of saying Yes when the time for decision comes. Many entrepreneurs use that one word to make millions of dollars. Conversely, many preachers make similar money getting you to say No to sin and iniquity. 

Jesus sees them as the two royal words of one's authority. Our key scripture implies that once we deliver a Yes or No, that should be the end of it. After all, we are the kings and queens of our own words! They are words of judgment, leaving no room for compromise or argument. But that only happens IF our word can be trusted! 

We all want others to trust what we say, but most of the time, we offer more than just 'Yes' or 'No', don't we? We create conditions and make promises that contradict godly instructions, and manipulate other words that dilute the power of that assurance. 

The reason we often can't leave it at Yes or No is due to the scaffolding that underpins each word, which is called responsibility. Yes or No may be short and simple, but the contractual terms that undergird them are arduous and complex. Delivering the benefits of either word requires some of our other key character components, many of which we are reluctant to use, such as Commitment, Diligence, Courage, Discipline and Accountability. 

As Christians, our word should be our bond. Every Yes or No is a contract that should be guaranteed by one's character, a prized possession. Yes and No are both words of faith, as people place a lot of faith in them. Therefore, they only come to life when underwritten by affirmative action—our works. 

When we say, "Yes, I'll get it done! or Yes, I'll be there", people take those words to the bank! They rely on the honour behind them. We, in turn, build an honourable reputation for keeping our word.

Often, we are required to say No to things, which means we need courage to reinforce our decision against backlash, and not melt and reneg under pressure. We are responsible to God and humankind for these two words.

Many Christians stumble when fulfilling the promises behind Yes and No, but they need not. Sometimes, fulfilment merely requires a small amount of extra effort, and we are on our way. 

If we can't in all honesty say Yes or No, then perhaps we shouldn't commit at that stage, depending on what it is. However, the Lord desires maturity, so eventually we must all stand and be counted for these utterances.  As with a workplace audit, where companies only obtain compliance when their policies and procedures are all working actions throughout the organisation, our two royal words require the accountability of proof. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, for good reason, you call us to a world of responsibility when we utter words. We speak words without knowledge until we understand the accountability you require. Please lift us all up to the level where we understand the importance you place on each word. 

Photo by Drahomír Hugo Posteby-Mach