In word and deed...

 In word and deed...

By Bobby Schuller, Hour of Power Pastor

"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man."

- 2 Corinthians 8:21

Have you ever seen somebody try to swear - for example, "I swear on the Bible that..." - to validate his or her claims? People that do this don't know it but they're making their claims of honesty a lot weaker.

I remember a friend of mine applying for a lease on a house trying to convince the property owner that she was a good tenant. However, to convince the owner, she kept swearing that she was a good tenant. She said, "I'm a great tenant, I swear. I never have parties or anything, I swear to you, I am the best tenant." And every time she said, "I swear," you could see the owner becoming increasingly less impressed by her.

Did she get the lease? No, of course not. I wouldn't have leased to her; would you? She would in actuality have been a good tenant, but she didn't know that by swearing like this, she was essentially saying that most of the time she told the truth, but sometimes she didn't.

Swearing is also a way of pushing people to get what you want. It's a song and dance to get people to do what you want them to do without giving them time to think about it.

God wants us to be honest in character. And when we are, our character shines brightly and is the living proof that we are trustworthy in word and deed.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to be honest in word and deed. Help me to see where my character suffers and encourage me through your Holy Spirit to be truthful in all situations. Amen.