“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.” Mt. 5:34-36
How many hours and days of trouble and sorrow could one avoid if he or she were able to take this command to heart? Yet it seems almost contrary to our natural understanding of religion. Isn’t a vow a sacred thing? Does it not honor God when we make a solemn declaration, commit to a task or duty, or make a pledge in response to our inner feelings about Christ, spirituality and faith? Apparently, not as much as one might think if the meaning of this passage is clear.
However, it is not the making of a vow that gets us into trouble; it is usually our inability to keep one that often causes doubt, shame and disappointment to follow. Thus, Jesus, in his divine understanding and mercy tells us not to make one at all.
In spite of what we may think of our own abilities and plans, we have, in fact, very little control over what will happen tomorrow. Today in Western society, we tend to think we can do anything with a systematic plan or a clear system of goal setting. While this may be true when it comes to organizing and accomplishing projects, or even advancing our place in life financially, physically or educationally, in the spiritual life it can often be presumptuous or even hazardous.
Of course, we should do our best to improve ourselves and fulfill our obligations for spiritual growth and change. However, we must be careful not to set up expectations for others or ourselves that are not in line with God’s plan for our life. Even more so if we are responsible for others who depend on our guidance to navigate through the minefields of daily living.
In essence, what the Lord is teaching here is that we should know our own limitations. Though this may not be popular in todays ‘name it and claim it’ mindset, restraint and self-control are important characteristics of a contented and effective life. Though it may be true that, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” that does not mean I should push through life like an arrogant conqueror. Just because I can do something, it does not mean that I should do it.
If God wants me to do something, He has an obligation to tell me what that something is. Not that I am to just sit and wait like a bump on a log until He reveals his perfect plan. Like Christ, if I spend time in prayer and contemplation before I act, then going forward is just a matter of looking for God’s footprints in the sand.
Making Rash Vows of Emotion
How many of us have said at one time or another in a moment of desperation, “God, if you fix this situation or heal this person or take away this problem, I promise to be a better Christian, or be more faithful in my prayer life, or give my tithe more faithfully etc.”
We may, in times of great need or fear, make a rash vow or promise, hoping to move God in the direction of our own will. It may even seem that the more serious or personal the problem, the bigger the vow we must make to God. The question then comes to mind, ‘Why have you waited until now to be obedient in these things if you think they are important to God?’
In the rush of modern life, one can often do such things with no more seriousness than going through a drive-up window to order a quick hamburger just to satisfy a need or craving. Nevertheless, Scripture indicates that God does not take this issue lightly. Matthew 12:36 says, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment.”
If we consider what Moses wrote about making vows, we can clearly see why Jesus warned us against it: "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not put off doing what you promised; the LORD will hold you to your vow, and it is a sin not to keep it. It is no sin not to make a vow to the LORD, but if you make one voluntarily, be sure that you keep it.” (Deut. 23:21-23 Good News Bible)
Religious vows are often more difficult to avoid. Since they are spiritual in nature and we naturally have an inert desire to please God when we acknowledge his Lordship, discerning what is the proper response to God’s gift can often become muddled in religion or misguided guilt. Because He redeems us from real guilt when we accept Christ’s redemption on our behalf, there may be a sense that we must pay back God for what He has done for us. This can, and often does, lead to a lifetime filled with misguided efforts to do something we can never really accomplish: become worthy of Christ’s gift of Salvation.
Secular Vows
In a time when we are constantly barraged by credit card companies, mortgage lenders, and telemarketing calls and letters, it is easy to sign your life away in order to get a quick fix to a financial problem or instant gratification for a desire. However, signing on the dotted line is a binding issue that will ultimately affect your well-being if you are not able to meet the terms. That friendly sales representative can quickly become the bantering pest when you don’t fulfill your part of the contract.
The modern-day process of doing business has become highly structured, and information is commonly the product of the day. Advertising media will often mislead and manipulate this information in order to promote and sell their products and services, so we must be constantly on guard not to make commitments and agreements that bind us to principles and motives other than those Christ has endorsed for the believer.
Those of you who are baby boomers will certainly remember something called the ‘Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.’ Many of our mothers, aunts and grandmothers relied upon this seal for a quality and integrity reference in the purchase of products for their homes and families. If a product carried this endorsement, there was a general assurance of quality and value for the money.
Today it seems that what is promised in an advertisement or promotion matters little as long as there is a legal loophole inserted somewhere in the ad to cover the company from lawsuit or liability. In fact, what used to be said about the shifty used car salesperson can now be generally applied across the board in promotion and commercial advertising. In the words of an old cynic friend of mine, “If their lips are moving, they’re lying.”
However, it is not only in the field of retail marketing where this is true. It’s very common these days to receive a solicitation call from some organization seeking contributions for firemen or police auxiliary groups where there is no real connection to such groups at all. In most cases, this is just a bank of phone solicitors reading a script created by some slick marketing professional to make you feel guilty or cheap if you don’t give, and to connive you out of your hard-earned money through guilt or sympathy.
It may be that they do indeed give some of the proceeds to the organizations they claim to represent. If they didn’t, they could go to jail for fraud. However only around ten percent of the donations generated go to the organization they claim to be supporting. The rest goes into the pockets of the shyster who set up the company, and to pay the wages of their workers to sit in a room full of phones and make endless calls from a call list, asking people like you and I to make a contribution.
At times like this, a simple and certain ‘No’ comes in very handy. And don’t forget, they are pro’s at making you feel guilty or uncaring if you don’t give, so make sure you can say no quickly, and then get off the line.
Vows and commitments made during the daily routines of life may not seem spiritual in nature and we can sometimes become trapped in unpleasant situations by not taking them as such, but remember. In the life of a believer, everything you say and do is important to you and to God.
Thank you, it's prudent for me to check myself to be sure I haven't let a little fox into my life that can spoil my vine.