A Man's Word

I told him I would. And I didn't.
It wasn't a big deal. It was something small. So I shouldn't worry about it, right? I shouldn't let it bother me?

But it does. It bothers me a lot. I said I would, and I didn't.

He says it doesn't matter, and that I shouldn't worry about it anymore. But when he says that, he focuses on the thing that I didn't do that can be taken care of anyway, rather than what I'm focused on, which is the greater issue that my word should mean a little more, regardless of the promise.

Whether he realizes it or not, this incident will cause him to doubt, however slightly, next time I give him "my word."

What is your word, and what can be said for it? If you don't have your word, then what do you have?

My Dad used to tell us that if we couldn't keep our word, then we weren't ready to be a man. Yet today, so many "men" have no interest in making sure that they keep their word, and they really can't be trusted to follow through with anything.

What kind of promises have you made? "I will never" do this or that. "I will always" be this way. Does it matter to you if you don't follow through with those promises? Those statements are made with the understanding that we are all human, you say? Are they? Or were those statements understood to mean that no matter what, you can overcome your humanity in times of weakness to be a man of your word?

"Preacher, I'll be here for you. When the fire is on, I'll be right by your side."

I start to yawn when I hear that these days. And I almost even feel like it's an indicator that they surely will not follow through.

Peter said, "I will die with you." And he denied the Lord in his darkest hour.

Somehow, in society today, a person's word doesn't mean as much as it used to. Think about when the Bible demeans "trucebreakers," which is someone who doesn't stick to an agreement that they made. In olden times, I could have shaken a man's hand, and bought his piece of land from him with that handshake. Now, we need multiple notarizations, bank papers, 14 signatures, etc.

You get the drift...

People do not mean what they say.

Here's a popular one: "Till death do us part." Wow! What about the third time you say it? Do you mean it that time, too? When I went to Technical School, I heard a guy tell his girlfriend, "I'll always be with you." That was about 4 months before they "broke up," as they say, and that was about 2 years ago now.

Talk is cheap, and actions speak louder than words. People don't want to hear what you say, they want to see what you do. The preacher wants you to be there for him, not talk about it in times of ease. Your husband or wife wants you to always be with them, not just tell them that because it's what they want to hear.

I am determined to be a man of my word.

He told me not to worry about it, so I have chosen not to beat myself up over it. But what I will do: let him know that I'd like a chance to make it right, and show him that I am not one who says, and doesn't do. People who do that aren't men.

I have been, and am determined to remain, a man of my word.