How many time has someone promised you something only to leave you with a bitter taste wishing that promises didn’t exist? When is it okay to break a promise? Is it ever okay to break a promise?
Growing up i learned to dislike promises, and in my early adult years I used to always say, “I don’t promise, I don’t like them and I don’t like surprises.” There are times that I still don’t like surprises… hehehe. As humans we naturally want to know the outcome of the situations we’re presented with, or in most cases would at least want all things to have an outcome of some sort, right? And it broken promises, it seems like there’s no outcome, only disappointment. In most cases, at least.
Humans, huh.
Keeping a promise is morally important because it serves as a foundation in which our relationships stand and will be founded. Knowing that one can trust someone don’t simply serve as a steppingstone as many may say but as a solid rock with which we can build generations to come. The way one is morally founded and decides to build their relationships and wishes to be seen in the eyes of others will strongly play a part on how they hold on to the promises they make to others; the reason why they make the promises or the weight their promises hold plays a very important part as well.
We will not always be able to hold on or keep all of our promises. Some people make very vague promises, and many individuals promise just to try to make others happy or to gain credibility in the eyes of the world.
However, this is not the case with every person that makes a promise, there are situations in which one promises to be somewhere in ten minutes and gets stuck in traffic, thus breaks it 15 min later. That example doesn’t mean that the person had ill intentions at heart or acted morally incorrect, it simply means that some people use the word promise out of content or takes it too lightly.
Now, is it ever morally permissible to break a promise? Yes. it is morally correct to break a promise that was made under a lie, to correct a wrong action. In other cases, some people find themselves in situations where they have to break promises to avoid an immoral action or to fix their life and depart from sin.
Fortunately, enough, Jesus is a promise keeper.
I hope you can take some wisdom from this today and begin correcting some actions.
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.” Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
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Denise Kilby New Hope MHCLC Assoc. 