49 PROMISE-KEEPING BUILDS TRUST ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE FENCE.

“Dad never keeps his promises,” complained the young boy.

For this child, the path of his life was littered with the broken glass of shattered promises. His dad was always promising to do something with him, but rarely keeping his promises. Expectantly the son would wait at the door for his father to come home and play with him, take him out, or spend time with him as he promised. But almost always the father had just another meeting, another call, or another trip.

The father would always ask for forgiveness and make another promise. The son forgave, but soon lost trust in his father’s words.

What about you? Are you a promise-keeper or a promise-breaker? A promise-keeper says what he means and does it. A promise-keeper puts priority on family relationships. A promise-keeper believes that his word is his bond.

This same father became very upset when his son as a teenager began to break his promises. The son promised to come in on time, but never did. The son promised to study hard, but didn’t. The son promised to remain a virgin, but couldn’t.

Promise-keeping works both ways. But it starts with the parent.

What promises have you made? What promises need to be kept? What repentance needs to be offered to your child?

But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’ (Matt. 5:37).

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him. Amen, to the glory of God through us (2 Cor. 1:20).