Your Intentional Yes or No

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

─ Proverbs 18:21 ESV

Of the 170,000 or more words in the English language, two one syllable words can forever change our lives. Jesus addresses the use of these two words in scripture:

“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 5:33-17 NKJV).

Our lives are truly a series of yeses and noes. We become who we are every day in the way we answer life’s questions. Our words bring life or death into our world (Proverbs 18:21). When we choose our words carefully and respond to life’s questions with a firm yes or no, our confidence increases. The path becomes less cluttered with the debris of indecision, and our mind and emotions are more settled and at peace.

Jesus is reminding us, don’t swear by anything, but be settled in your heart. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

Today’s One Thing

What’s a yes or a no in your own heart right now that you need to wrestle with, think about or pray about? Take the time this week to carefully consider your decision, then act on that.

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