James 5:12 — The dude who cried "Wolf"

READ THIS: James 5:12

12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

 

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? Short story: This dude lived in a town and would run around every day screaming that a wolf was chasing after his sheep, but there was no wolf. So, the people stopped believing him. But then one day, a wolf really was coming for his flock, and he shouted out to all the town, "WOLF!" But everyone thought he was just playing around... so... he got killed. The End. I said "short story," not "happy story." My bad.

Jokes and stories aside, the Bible makes this point very clear. We need to make sure that we are trustworthy, so that when we say "yes" or "no," people know we are saying the truth. People who need to say, "No, I mean it! I swear!" are usually the people that haven't built up a lot of trust with the people they are talking to. If we are honorable and trustworthy, all we will need for someone to trust us is a simple "Yes" or a simple "No."

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Who is someone in your life that you see as very trustworthy? What about their character and the way they act makes them someone you can trust?

2. For many people, building trust takes time. Who is someone in your life that you can work towards building trust with today?

 

TRY THIS:

Be honest! Do your best this entire day to make sure every single thing you say is truthful. If not... that's okay, but think about just how often we aren't fully truthful when we speak!