Topic: You Can Count on People of Integrity [RICK WARREN Devotional 8 January 2020]
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“People who promise things they never give are like clouds and wind that bring no rain” (Proverbs 25:14 GNT).The Bible says people who don’t follow through on their commitments are like clouds that never produce the benefit of rain. If you’re a person of integrity, you keep your word. When you say you’ll do something, you do it.
You may have every intention of keeping your promises when you make them. But if you don’t follow through, it leads to negative consequences—some that you may not even be aware of.
For instance, when you break a promise to your spouse or your children, bitterness may seep into the relationship like a poison. Your friends and family can’t trust you if you continually break your promises to them.
You may say circumstances have changed. And maybe they have. But having integrity means you keep your promises even if they no longer benefit you, even if they hurt you, or even if they cost more than you anticipated.
The Bible says in Proverbs 10:9 that when you keep your promises, you’ll walk securely. In other words, reliability leads to stability. When people can take you at your word, your dependability produces tremendous confidence in their lives and in yours.
It may be tough to keep all of your promises, but when you do, God will honor your commitment. Psalm 15:4 says that God blesses people who “keep their promises . . . even when it hurts” (NCV).
- How have you been hurt by other people’s promises to you that weren’t kept?
- What promises have you made that you haven’t kept yet? If you don’t know, ask your family and friends, and be humble when they tell you.
- What are some ways you can guard yourself from making promises you can’t keep?