Promises, Promises

You are God! Your words are trustworthy. 2 Samuel 7:28

As parents, we make many promises to our children, committing to attend events or be available to help with homework or simply buy a favorite brand of cereal. When we keep our promises, we build a trust relationship with our children. But when we break our word, we damage our kids’ ability to trust us, others, and God.

Ted was a father who made one promise after another, but rarely followed through. He would say to his daughter, “Samantha, we’re going to get a horse for you,” or comment to his son, “Bobby, just give me a little time to rest up, and I’ll hit you some grounders.” Ted never made time for either. When his children began drifting away, Ted finally realized that he needed to change. By then, however, they’d learned to get along without him; his words no longer carried any weight. Yet Ted was determined to regain lost ground with his family. After two years of keeping his commitments, he began to earn back their trust.

Your kids will need the ability to trust in order to form healthy relationships as adults and to establish a firm faith in God. If you are handing out empty promises at home, don’t wait another minute to mend your ways. Listen instead to the words of Jesus: “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37).

Before you say good night…

Do you keep your promises to your children?

Do your children see you keeping promises to others?

What promises do you need to begin to fulfill?

Heavenly Father, we know how important it is to keep our word. Let us think before we speak and act on our words, so that we can be models of integrity and trust for our families. Help us to be Your trustworthy servants. Amen.

• From Night Light For Parents, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
  Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.