Following Through

Proverbs 15:4
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

Integrity defined
• The quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.

Boundaries are established through integrity. If a person’s word is no good then the boundaries and standards they set up in their lives will always be compromised. Sometimes we fail to see the long term problems that come with not keeping our word even to ourselves. We tell ourselves we are not going to do such and such or that we are not going to go here or there and before the sun sets we have compromise or faltered on what we have spoken. We reason that it is okay because it was a personal promise and did not involve anyone else but little do we realize we our establishing a pattern of mistrust and lying to ourselves and eventually others.
Christians should be people of their word regardless of who the word was spoken to.
The scripture above states that we should be will to keep our word even if it hurts. Temporary inconveniences are a small thing compared to the consequences of a broken promise. When we likely esteem our own words we devalue the importance of words thereby opening the door to deception. Words are very important. We must remember the power of life and death is in our words. Lets us all endeavor to come up a little higher in our integrity by keeping our word even if it to our own hurt. If you don’t plan on doing it then don’t say it.