The Importance of Promises

Life is just so unpredictable sometimes. At one point, you may be feeling on top of the world. Another, it just seems like everything you’ve worked for, everything you dreamed of, everything you desire… just crumbles and falls apart right in front of you.

You build your world around your family and friends. After all, in the debate between nature versus nurture, it is ironic that both entities play very crucial roles in shaping one’s values, ideals, beliefs, principles, behaviour and attitude.

Human beings are social creatures. Whatever you want to call it: socializing, fraternizing, gossiping, chatting, hooking up, etc… it is undeniably true that communication plays a vital role in establishing a “connection” between 2 or more people. Consequently over time, you place your trust and confide in the people who are close to you… you make promises, you tell secrets, you are acclimatised to their company, etc. By doing this, you are hoping that the bond and the confidentiality clause, that is usually the essence of any friendship or relationship between two individuals, would be sufficient enough for both parties to not breach the trust of the other person. You are hoping the other individual will not let you down and be there for you through thick and thin.

However, the paradigm shifts when the friendship or relationship is put to the test. Every one of them has a limit, what one would call a “breaking point”. Fragile ones are the first to succumb, followed by the more stable, definitive ones. Even the strongest friendships or relationships will fall when the basic instinct of survival comes into play. In the end, it is the selfish nature of mankind, a fallen race, that will ultimately lead us all to our own destruction.

Yet, somewhere people still make and keep promises. They choose not to quit when the going gets rough because they promised once to see it through. They stick to lost causes. They hold on to a love grown cold. They stay with people who have become pains in the neck. They still dare to make promises and care enough to keep the promises they make.

I want to say to you that if you have a ship you will not desert, if you have people you will not forsake, if you have causes you will not abandon, then you are like God.

The commitment to keep promises protects families and friendships. Taking promises too casually creates disillusionment and fear. Honouring promises made to another will honour oneself too.

I want the people in my life to know that I will keep my promises as much as I can with the strength imbued in me by the power of the Holy Spirit. I expect them to do the same too, even though sometimes we may fail. =) God bless us all as we pray and seek His will on this issue together!

~Tim~

The Socrates Test

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three."

"Test of Three?"

"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to test what you're going to say. The first test is Truth.
Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about It."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not.

Now let's try the second test, the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..." "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him even though you're not certain it's true?" The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued. "You may still pass though, because there is a third test - the filter of Usefulness.
Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?" The man was defeated and ashamed.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

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Sometimes, we tend to hear things about other people from others, but that is exactly why we need to know which voice to listen to: the Good, the Bad, or the Ugly. There will be times when even the closest people to us will tend to hurt us, whether intentionally or unintentionally, but if the relationship/friendship has been built on strong, unshakable trust, then it is definitely worth saving! Unless proven otherwise, give each one a chance to voice his or her opinions before passing judgment. Everyone deserves a second chance at something, and this can be seen more clearly by Christ's obedient act more than 2000 years ago.We did not deserve Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, but it is by Grace we have been saved! We have inevitably been given... a second chance... our God is the God of Second Chances!

Jesus, help me to make the right decisions in life, especially when it involves the many people I cherish and love. Help me to open up my ears to what is true, to what is good, and to what is useful, both for myself and for Your kingdom. Help me to seek Your will in everything I do and glorify Your name!

~Tim~