As a school child I was taught the importance of keeping my word and my promises. “It is a mark of character,” my teacher emphasized. Unfortunately, the following story which I read some time ago, typifies far too many people in today’s “hang-loose” society and, pathetically, far too many business people.

According to the story, “There was a rich young man who became critically ill and was taken to the hospital. His condition worsened, and his doctor told him that he wasn’t sure if he’d recover, but that they would do all they could for him. The man was terrified and said to the doctor, ‘Please, doctor, do everything you can, I don’t want to die, I have so much to do yet in life, and if you can help me get better, I’ll even donate $10,000 to the fund for the new hospital.’ The young man happily began to improve and recovered, and a few weeks later was released and went home.

“Several months later he ran into the doctor who asked him how he was doing. The young man said, ‘Doc, I haven’t felt better any time in my life.’ The doctor said, ‘that’s great because I wanted to ask you about the money you said you would donate to the new hospital fund. You remember you said if you got well, you’d like to donate $10,000. We could really use that now.’ The young man said, ‘Man, if I said that, I must have been really sick.’”²

Keeping one’s word and his/her promises is indeed a mark of character. May it be said of you and me, “He is a man of his word,” and/or “If she says she’ll do it, you can count on her to do it.” And what about our promises to God? May we always keep them.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that I can always depend on your word, knowing that you always keep your promises. Help me to be a person of my word and always keep my promises. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Isaiah 55:11 (NIV).

2. Author and source unknown.