February 26

Being a Person of Your Word

Deut. 23:23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.

In ancient Israel it was the practice of the people of God to make vows to God and to each other. What God wanted to get across to us in our reading today is the seriousness of fulfilling that vow. The importance of being a person of your word is seriously lacking in our culture. Whether it is in a marriage, the marketplace, a financial agreement, or simply to show up to an agreed upon plan, people today very rarely keep their word.

Integrity is a word widely used in our language but few people know what it means. The origin of the word comes from the Latin “integer” which means “whole” or “complete.” In mathematics, an integer is a positive or negative whole number of zero – a number without any fractional part.
One synonym for integrity is sincerity – the state of being truthful, genuine and free from deception or duplicity. This is a word Bernie Madoff and most politicians do not include in their vocabulary.
The word “sincerity” comes from the Latin “sincerus” meaning clean and pure through and through. It is the result of two Latin root words sine (without) and cera (wax).
Tradition tells us that dishonest Roman sculptors would cover up nicks and flaws in their statues with wax filler. The deception would last only until a hot summer sun melted the wax away and exposed the flaws. A sculpture that was pure and flawless was said to be “sine cera” without wax.
In the same way, a human life that is pure and whole is “sine cera” without wax. The person who lacks integrity has hidden flaws that will be revealed in their character when exposed to the heat of trials and adversity. The most prevalent test we have for sincerity is the examination of how much do we keep our word.

Here are some practical ways to becoming a person of your word.

1. Picture every promise as a promise made before God. This is actually true!!
2. Make very few promises.
3. When you make a promise write it down so you remember your commitments.
4. Remember you are building or tearing down trust with your fulfillment of this promise.
5. If you don’t keep your word ask for forgiveness. This includes your promises to your children.
6. The little things count.
7. Always tell the truth..... Always!!
8. Create a culture of truth in your family.
9. Keep your word even when it hurts.

Thought for today: “When people think of you do they see a promise keeper or a promise breaker?”

“Semper fidelis” the promise to always be faithful. May that be the label people place on us.