My Word is My Bond

The following is a former facebook note of mine:

I've been learning a lot in recent days as you may have noticed from a recent status that I posted on how much our actions can reflect not only on others, but on God. I used a selection of a quote that I read from Thomas Manton, quoted here in full: "Men are apt to think of God by his worshippers, and by the people that profess themselves near and dear to Him; therefore it concerns us to walk so that our lives may honour Him." This passage really hit home for me as I know recently my actions and even my thoughts little reflect what I'd want others to view as a representation of Christ. This also brought to mind the question of what values we as followers of Christ /should/ be focusing on. Love and outreach to the community are fantastic examples for others, but what about how we treat our fellows believers and close friends? What qualities are we presenting to them in our day to day lives? Two qualities that have really come to my attention lately are those of communication and dependability. After all, much of faith in God grows just through communication with Him directly to provide reassurance, comfort, and even lay our problems on Him. Why do we do this? Because we can depend on God.

There was a time when a handshake or a man's word would be enough to secure a deal, but in today's world, one must have a signed and notarized legal document in which one or both parties can sue if the other does not fulfill their end of the deal. People have become so forgetful of their commitments in day to day life that these contracts could come in handy when scheduling appointments and a person's word is meaningless. The frightening thing is when Christians are the ones who are failing the most and regret to see the importance of these things. To quote Manton again, "We seem to exalt God much in our talk and profession; yea, but we throw Him down, when we pollute Him and deny Him in our conduct." I know even I am prone to do so, but many are afraid to commit to minute things today by utilizing the phrases "maybe", "we'll see", or "if nothing else comes up,". How does this come across to someone who is observing you from a distance as you leave a safeguard, afraid of the initial commitment in case something better or "more important" comes up. Not to mention, whatever person, albeit a friend, relative, significant other, or acquaintance, how do you think that person you're brushing off feels when you're reluctant to give your word? These little lapses in faithfulness may seem small or insignificant at first glance but points to what we may become in the future. One little lapse, once dismissed, leaves so much room for it to become a pattern as "it was just one mistake" and then leads to a reputation as such. Do we, as Christians, really want to be known for not being dependable when we're supposed to follow the Ultimate One to depend on? If we can't honor God in the little things, how can we honor Him on the larger scale?

I encourage you to leave your thoughts, questions, and comments in response to this, provided they are in the spirit of love and please, no personal accounts using real names.