But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall under judgment. (James 5:12)
What are some reasons you would give an oath or swear? Most of the time, this is our way to give a guarantee of something we want to see happen even though we ultimately don’t have control. Throughout Scripture, we are reminded of how little control we actually have. God is the one who gives us life and sustains us.
When we swear we will make something happen, we are not only saying we will do it, but we are putting a guarantee we cannot back up. Instead of walking through the process of life with God as James instructs, swearing is our best attempt at control and autonomy from God. As people created in the image of God, made to reflect Him, our swearing and oaths make much of us and our plans instead of patiently walking in His.
Our desire to control comes naturally, especially when life feels chaotic, but it only sends us into a deeper tailspin as we are confronted with the reality, we were never made to live independent from God. Letting our yes be yes and our no be no is a small act of trust, knowing there is nothing in life that we can seal with a personal guarantee, while trusting God and His promises to bring us through.
- What are some things in life you want to control? What has happened as you have tried to control them?
- What are some ways you have felt the burden of overcommitting to a promise you couldn’t hold? What was the result?
- Pray and surrender the things you have tried to control to God and ask Him to remind you of His promises as you walk with Him.
