Y - Z

Y

I AM LETTING MY ‘YES’ BE YES,

AND MY ‘NO’ BE NO

JAMES 5:12

James 5:12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.

Simple, huh? It sounds easy enough but what does that mean EXACTLY?

Antonette (16 years):
Just say what you mean, and mean what you say....don’t lie. Even words with good intentions can become lies if you do not follow through with it. Excuses for not doing what you say are a cover-up for the lies. Before you promise anything to anyone make sure you can do it. If you keep making promises and then break them you will lose a persons trust. You end up hurting that person and yourself ‘cause eventually no one will trust you and your word will not be believed.
I’m quoting here, “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant is faithful 100%.” Horton- Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Suess (2008)

Deonte (14 years):
Don’t make a promise unless you know for sure that you will do it. Before you say ‘YES’ to any request make sure you have the ability, time and means to complete the whole task. When you say ‘YES’ to a request make sure to follow through with what you said you would do. Your words are valuable and your actions behind them show your integrity. So to say you’re a person of integrity you must make sure you stick to the words you say, and the decisions you make must line up with your word.
Likewise, your decisions and promises to “NOT” do something are equally as important to your integrity. As many say, ‘Your word is your bond’. If you want to be trusted stick to your word or don’t say a word.

I AM MOM:
Overextending, overzealous, overestimating, over-PROMISING....the excuses for not following through with promises and commitments. I can fall into these categories very easily if I am not careful. A promise can become a lie, and a broken promise becomes a broken heart. I do not want to intentionally hurt anyone so I have to carefully, with all wisdom and calculation, choose my words of promise before I say, ‘YES’. I have to be set on doing what I said I would do and uphold the promises I make.

Yes, there will be times that things fall through the cracks and a promise gets broken, but I do my best to make it up. I go back to where I went wrong, figure out what I did wrong so I don’t end up doing that again.

No, I am not doomed to hell because I broke a promise and unintentionally told a lie; God is a forgiving God. And besides, all I did was break a promise...right? All I did was break a promise and that is what will be remembered. I just don’t want to be remembered as the MOM who continually breaks promises and can never keep her word. I want to be a mom of integrity...if mom promises...you can count on it!

So, with careful and prayerful thought I choose well what I say ‘YES’ to. And when I say, ‘NO!’ I mean it.

I pray, Father help me be a person of integrity so I can honestly stand and say (say it with me),

“I AM Letting my ‘YES’ be yes, and my ‘NO’ be no.

I am because the ‘I AM’ says that I am.”

The Bible says:
Matthew 5:33-27 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
James 5:12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.

Z

I AM FULL OF ZEAL 

AND BURNING WITH THE SPIRIT

IN SERVING THE LORD

ROMANS 12:11

When there is a call to serve say, "Here I AM, Lord, send me!"

In this time of Christmas celebration it is easy to find a happy place to be a servant. It’s easy to keep your excitement when excitement is in the air, and on the face of every child waiting for the BIG DAY, Christmas Day. I encourage you to strive to keep your excitement even when your head starts to spin with the busyness of serving.

Find your joy in serving others out of your normal social circle. Get out of the “BOX” and seek out new ways of serving God. Share your hope, your faith, and God’s love in any way you can. Share His love in a new place with a new fervor. Be EXTRAordinary not just ordinary. Let your little light shine bright.

We know that Christmas time is a time when many people have so much on their shoulders and minds full of worries that they miss the true meaning of Christmas. Be the one who prays for them right there on the spot, and if you can, be the one who ministers to their need. Above all, be the one to guide them to Jesus, who is the only true reason for this Christmas season.

This Christmas, and through the coming year, I encourage you to make the commitment to help others and yourself by saying,

“Here I am Lord, send me and I AM FULL OF ZEAL AND BURNING WITH THE SPIRIT IN SERVING THE LORD!”


God’s Word says:

Romans 12:10-13
10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Isaiah 6:8
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Colossians 3:22-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.