by Erik Jones

The modern lesson of this proverb is not to vow more thoughtfully, because Jesus Christ taught that His followers are not to make vows or oaths.

As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ instructed His disciples, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:33-37).

The major principle we should learn from this proverb and from the words of Christ is that all our words should reflect absolute honesty and that we should always strive to do what we say we will do. Christians should be reliable people who do what they say!

To learn more about being a person characterized by honesty and reliability, read “Lying vs. Telling the Truth.”