According to a 2015 Deloitte Survey, 6 out of 10 Millennials chose to work for their current employers due to their “sense of purpose.” What we value gives us purpose. Just as organizations have values, individuals do also. Most people have 5 to 7 core values that identify who they are. For the Christian, we are to be “in the world, but not of it.” We are to be different than the world – in our values, in our beliefs, in our character and in our behavior.
Where does my faith intersect with this topic? What is “the pointe” of this passage? How can I explain “the pointe” to a non-believer? How does “the pointe” help me be different than the world?
Do you keep or break promises? (If you aren’t sure, try taking this quiz to discover how strong your integrity is.)
If you break promises you are certainly not alone. The headline on May 30, 2019 of the People’s Daily website from mainland China read, “US faces severe credibility crisis as it frequently breaks promises.” The media’s presentation to shape the perception of the Chinese people about the United States is simple and clear. The United States does not keep its promises.
But most of our promises are not kept or broken on the world’s stage, where everyone sees and everyone knows. According to the Scientific American website, breaking a promise is a complex neurobiological phenomenon. Their findings show that an MRI brain scan may be able to predict those who are making false promises before they actually break their word.
to break or not to break
Is it really that big of a deal? Does it really matter whether you keep a promise or not? Isn’t the real value in the intention – you wanted to do the right thing, but circumstances change and you deal with it in the best way possible. It is such a little thing. It probably isn’t important in the big scheme of things to God. Does God make promises? Does He keep them?
When we turn to God, He offers to establish a covenant relationship between us and Him. We understand covenants or contracts – we enter them all the time. In this covenant, you provide these things, while I in turn provide these things. I agree to purchase a new car from a dealer. In return for possessing and driving the car, I agree to make monthly payments to the dealer’s financial office. As long as I live up to my part of the agreement, I may use the car as I choose.
God is faithful to keep His promises – His part of the agreement or covenant with us. He has faithfully kept His promises through the ages.
What are the promises that we agree to keep with God? The Bible teaches that we are to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength; and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37). There are numerous ways that we can “keep” those promises. Do we remember? Do we write them down? Are we also faithful?
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