It can be so easy to make a vow or promise; however, not as easy to keep the vow or promise. In fact, if you are human, then you have probably broken a promise at some point in your life. It can be difficult to avoid making promises when you have relationships with people. So is it better to make a promise just to break it or never make a promise in the first place. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said in verses 33-37, “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”
So from these verses, it sounds like it is better to avoid promises in the first place if you know that you cannot keep your promise. We know that Jesus does not want us swearing by the name of God when we do make a vow. He even goes on to say that it is better to give a simple answer rather than making empty promises. This is something I have tried to live my life by recently. I feel an urge to tell somebody I will do something for them, but if I never do it, then I know my words were empty and meant nothing. What about you? Do you tend to make promises and keep them, or are you like me in this struggle? Take the advice of Jesus and give simple answers rather than void promises.