Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:33-37 that our yes should mean yes and our no should mean no. We should not have to make vows to someone for them to trust our word. Instead, our word should be trustworthy all the time.
33 “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.’[n] 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 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. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
If we feel we need to tell someone “I promise I will…”, then perhaps we should reflect on why they need that reassurance. Do we often let them down if we just say “I will…”?
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