Honor your commitments
By
William Paul Conley
An erupt from my book titled “While I was
walking, God was talking and this is what he said.”
Honor your commitments
Know the limitations of time, be totally
conscious of the previous component of time, be a person of your word,
displaying the highest personal integrity by honoring your word, be responsible
– don’t take on more than you can chew. Respect and honor the rights, feelings
and time of others. Schedule your day around someone or some event you deem to
be the most important and then schedule everything you do that day around that
meeting or that event.
Who do people respect?
What type of person is respected by all? Why is
it important to be respected? A few definitions worth looking at.
Respect – to feel or show differential regard to, esteem. To avoid
violation or interference (avoid conflict with one another). Willingness to
show consideration or appreciation.
Responsible– having to account for one’s actions, answerable. Having a duty
or obligation. Dependable.
Considerate– mindful of the needs and feelings of others.
Commitment – commit– to be responsible for. To pledge or obligate one’s
self.
Integrity – strict adherence to a standard, value or conduct. Personal
honesty and independence.
Honesty– non deceptive, truthful. Not fraudulent, truthful, sincere,
genuine, of good repute. Frank.
Frank– sincere and open – straightforward.
Honor – esteem, respect, recognition or distinction. Reputation.
Reputation – the general estimation of a person held by the public. The
condition of being highly regarded.
Wouldn’t it seem logical?
It sounds so logical (marked by consistent
reasoning, reasonable, rational) that each of us would desire to have a golden
reputation, to be a person others could always count on, a person who was
trusted, respected, revered (to regard with great devotion or respect), a
person known to be able to get the job done, done right, done on time, done
professionally, a person others could always count on, depend on, come to in a
time of need. A person who never lies, fabricates, rationalizes, justifies,
wavers, tell the truth in all circumstances (tells it like it is) doesn’t mince
words, deceive, confuse, distort or misguide. It seems logical to tell the
truth and never lie under every circumstance. So why don’t we do it? Why do we lie? Fall down on our word,
disappoint others, leave others waiting for us, not finish what we have
started, and mislead people into believing what is not true as we rationalize –
we are just protecting their feelings. Why do we tell half-truths, only part of
the story, or mix and mince our words to cover what really happened? Why do we
need to choose our words carefully, be cautious of the impression we are
attempting to cultivate. How can we justify after we have made a commitment to
not calling, writing, and meeting with others? What makes us so special, the
center of the universe that we believe we are entitled to lie, cheat, steal,
misinform, disengage, justify and rationalize our every thought, word and
action – of course as it relates to us?
People want to hear the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
People want to associate with those that they
can count on, who are responsible, trustworthy, dependable, honest, forthright,
sincere, loving, kind, committed, genuine, straightforward, an open book,
happy, positive, driven, successful, humble. So why aren’t we all these
qualities listed above. Why do so many of us say we are going to call, do
something, meet someone at a specified time, commit our self to a certain
activity and then fail to honor that commitment? One word –
Darkness – having little or no light, dismal, gloomy, difficult to
comprehend, obscure. Unenlightened, ignorant, absence of light. Wicked,
sinister.
Light– brightness, enlightenment, understanding. A prominent person.
Illuminate. The illumination from a source of light. A way of
looking or considering something.
People believe that their survival in this world
is more important than those around them. Many of us commit to someone or
something never intending to honor that commitment. What we are attempting to
do is pacify, put off or delay another in order to confuse, distort, distract
and give them a sense of false hope.
Pacify– to alleviate the anger or distress of calm.
We go around telling others what we believe they
want to hear. The problem with this is that we are not telling the truth, we
are not honest with others and eventually the light will shine on our every
thought, word and deed. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
People believe they are entitled to live in the darkness, to think about themselves
first, to rationalize and justify their words and actions. The truth of the
matter is, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus Christ came into this
world and declared in John 8:12– I
am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. We
see in the definition of light from the dictionary that it is the illumination
of a source of light. Jesus is the source of light. In 1 John 1:5, 6 – it states God is light, in him there is no
darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in
darkness we lie and do not tell the truth. Jesus told us in John 3:19, 20,
21 – This is the verdict: light has
come into this world (Jesus) but men loved the darkness instead of the light,
because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and
will not come into the light for fear their deeds will be exposed. But whoever
lives by truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he
has done has been done through God. Men choose darkness over light when their
deeds are evil.
Can an honest man lie? If he lies he is NOT an
honest man
Earlier I asked the question why men fail to
honor their commitments. I then said one word, darkness. Many people never intended to honor their commitment when
they made it. They may have had good intentions of honoring knowing full well
that if they did not honor it they would be forgiven or that they could
convincingly rationalize or justify the dishonoring of that commitment. Every
time we do not honor our commitment, we tell a lie, a half-truth, people lose
trust and faith in us. The effect of repeated acts of not honoring our word or
our commitment to action leads to stronger and stronger feelings of distrust
until eventually the other person has no trust in us at all and wants to flee
the situation. Every act is cumulative, they may be forgiven however they are
never forgotten. When you dishonor your commitment by breaking it, others will
look for a repeated behavior for none of us enjoys acts of disrespect. Once we
break any act, others will be on guard for the next time and the next time and
the next time. Believe me when I say they will keep track and learn what your
true character, true nature is all about. Who you are and what you are will
always come into the light. Others will come to know you for who and what you
are, they will then make a decision to retain you as their friend, worker, team
mate, husband, and wife. For some of us it takes longer to make that decision.
Remember it takes a fool to know a fool. People who live in
darkness have a tendency to surround themselves with others who reside in
darkness. People who live in the light and truth surround themselves with
others who live in the light and truth. Those who live in darkness and continue
to live in darkness that surround themselves or associate with those who live
in light will have their darkness revealed. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15 –we see that Satan himself masquerades as an
angel of the light. It is not surprising then if his servants masquerade as
servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. We
will always get what we deserve. Light for light, truth for truth, darkness for
darkness, pain for pain, joy for joy, sorrow for sorrow, misery for misery.
They say that misery loves company
Who is the father of misery? Satan and he loves
your company, if you let him he will be your best friend. Remember to never
bite off more than you can chew, don’t over commit, don’t ever make a
commitment you are incapable, unable, unwilling, unmotivated, never intend to
keep. Your best intentions may prove to be your worst nightmare. Where there is
light there is an absence of darkness and where there is darkness there is an
absence of light. You can’t have light and darkness at the same time. You can
have varying degrees of light and darkness and that is how most of us live our
lives, in varying degrees of light and darkness. Remember in Mark 3:25 – A house divided against itself cannot
stand. We are the house, if we divide our allegiance between men and God we
will not stand – in fact, we will not stand for anything!
Dimmer switch versus light switch
Most of us are like dimmer switches in a house.
In one position you are able to have the room fully illuminated, in another
position totally dark and then there are every fraction of a turn of the dial
will bring either more light or darkness. The problem with a dimmer switch is
that there are varying degrees of light and darkness which are easily changed.
Most people like dimmer switches because they have greater control over the amount
of light and darkness illuminated throughout a room. We are no different than
that, we want to be in control depending on the mood, the setting, the
atmosphere, the circumstance, the people around, we turn our dials to
illuminate more light or dampen the light. We are constantly turning the dial
in our life depending on the situation. What would happen if when you least
expected it the bulb went out and you had the dimmer switch on dark. Would you
know the bulb was burned out? Certainly not because you had the dimmer switch
on the darkness setting. What would happen if you had the dimmer switch on the
brightest setting. Once the bulb went out would you know the bulb went out, of
course you would. In Matthew 24:1-35,Mark 13:1-37, and Luke
21:5-36 – Jesus explains to us the end of the age. He explains that we will
know, he will give us a sign as to when he is coming however he won’t tell us
when that will be so that we have to make ourselves ready at all times. Matthew
25:1-13 enlightens us with the Parable of the Ten Virgins…..
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
“At that time the
kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to
meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with
them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their
lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all
became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come
out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8
The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps
are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and
you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the
bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding
banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open
the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or
the hour.
We need to have our dimmer switch set to full
brightness at all times to that we live in truth and light and so we will see
to be prepared for the second coming of the Lord. Those who have their dimmer
switches in the offsetting or in total darkness will not be prepared and be
cast off into outer darkness where there will be weeping and wailing and
gnashing of teeth. It is better for us to be like a light switch that is always
in the on position, always in the light, always in truth, always prepared.
We started off earlier by discussing a person’s
honor. Remember never to commit to that which you are incapable, unwilling,
unable, don’t intend to honor. Earlier I listed a set of characteristics that
epitomize the character and quality of an individual. Strive for those, be men
and women of your word, live in truth and harmony, avoid conflict by living in
the light, honor your commitments, build trusting relationships, structure your
time and your life around serving others, never ever lie, tell a half truth,
mince words or embellish or fabricate. Remember to always tell the truth, honor
your commitments, be reliable, dependable and straightforward. The Lord will
bless you and reward you with an abundance of family, friends, success, positive
encounters, joy, peace, happiness, wisdom, understanding and knowledge. It is right to live in the light!
In the light you know where you are going, where you have been, and where you
are right now. As for me and my house we choose to live with the lights on now
and forever! Amen.
Living in Darkness
If we are going to live in darkness we need to
be willing and understand that there are negative consequences associated with
living and darkness. We expose our self to all kinds of problems, misery, pain,
frustration, hurt when we live in darkness. Every time we don’t honor our
commitments and break the band of trust we have with others the fabric of our
lives begin to tear and unravel. We become tattered, torn, worn, used, abused,
disregarded, unwanted, unloved, discard able, unneeded, disrespected. We are
thrown away, put in the back of the closet or drawer or used as a cleaning rag.
People use us, abuse us, and throw us away.
Why?
Because we don’t live in the light of truth,
honesty and commitment. Rather we live in a world of lies, deceit, broken
commitments, dishonesty, disobedience, distrust, self-preservation, greed,
lust, anger, bitterness, frustration, pain, loneliness, suffering, abandonment,
disrespect, envy, jealousy, pride, conceit, never thinking of the impact our
broken promises have on others. We are only concerned about our self, our
glory, our preservation, our needs, our wants, our desires, our fulfillment,
our satisfaction, our pleasure, our gratification, our interest. Me, me, me,
or I, I, I, leads to dark, darker and pitch black, total darkness. If you
are going to live in darkness you better be willing to accept the consequences.
Do you think people who live in darkness accept the consequences of their dark
actions. Some do most all don’t. They don’t even see or have a clue what they
did wrong, nor can they understand or accept that they did anything wrong.
Quite the contrary they look to blame someone else for their actions. You made
me, you made me feel this way, made me do this, that or the other thing, I
couldn’t help myself, I am not responsible, he did it, she did or they did it.
They are constantly shifting the blame to someone other than themselves, not
accepting responsibility for their actions or lack of action, justifying or
rationalizing their behavior or words, avoiding, hiding or shirking their
responsibility so as to not be exposed to the light. That is why evil operates
at night out of the light of day. Avoid the darkness, gravitate to the light,
start to turn up and on your dimmer switch revealing greater and greater
amounts of light and truth. You don’t want to have to live with the
consequences of living in darkness, it only leads to complaining, negativity,
pain, misery and loneliness. You see
the only company you get when you are miserable is misery and the father of
misery is Satan and if he is your friend I would love to see your enemy. You
have a friend in the light and Jesus is his name, there you will find comfort,
peace and joy because he plays no games. He lives in truth and righteousness,
that you can be sure, for Jesus is a friend to all those who choose to endure.
As for me and my house we choose to endure to the end in the light and the life
of Jesus. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Words to live by; Lessons in life for our
children
If you tell someone you will meet them, be there
and on time.
If you tell someone you will call them, call
them at the appointed time and date.
If you tell someone you will do something, do it
on time and on the appointed date.
If you tell someone you will be somewhere at a
specified time, be there on time.
Do (which is a call to act) that which you say
you are going to do.
Honor your commitments always!
Never, ever take your commitment for granted and
never, ever take your relationships for granted.
Everything you do has a cumulative effect on
your relationships, everything!
Never, ever say you are going to do something
and then not do it.
Every time you do this, others trust in you will
weaken until one day they will have no trust in you left.
Don’t ever take advantage of other’s good will,
kindness, weakness, generosity, and trust in you.
Always be considerate of the rights and feelings
of others before your own.
Always love, always be of service to others.
Never give in to temptation.
Pray continuously for the Holy Spirit to counsel
you on what to do, think or say.
Trust and put your faith in Jesus and not in the
world or other men.
Build bridges to others don’t act as a wrecking
ball destroying everything in its path.
Honor and respect your elders and those in
authority.
Be charitable, loyal, dedicated and trustworthy.
Be honest, kind and considerate.
Live in peace, avoid conflict.
Choose life over death, light over darkness, and
righteousness over evil.
Be joyful and let thanks be continually on your
tongue.
Respect others always and in every situation.
Love,
love, love – serve, serve, serve.
Remember to take turns and share everything.
Life is not fair, if you expect it to be you
will be greatly disappointed.
Always put 100% effort into everything you do.
Never settle for second best.
Always believe in yourself and your abilities.
Think success not failure, gain not loss, victory
not defeat.
Do unto others that which you would have them do
unto you.
Be the best at that which you choose to do.
Enjoy your vocation for if you do it will bring
you a great deal of happiness and joy.
Never have a relationship with someone you work
with or are in a group or association with.
Work hard at everything you do.
Practice, practice, practice – with repetition
comes perfection.
Review everything you do and say to see if it pleases
the Lord.
Never quit, quitters never win and winners never
quit.
Be joyful in everything.
Have a goal in life, make a plan for achieving
that goal and then work your plan one day at a time.
Dare to dream really big dreams.
Follow the light and will of our father in
heaven.
Be patient, quiet, humble.
Don’t swear, drink alcohol, or caffeinated
products, avoid at all cost nicotine, drugs, and unwarranted medication.
Surround yourself with winners.
Stay positive, avoid negativity, complaining and
gossip.
Share your tales of misery with the Lord only and your tales of
joy to everyone.
Don't forget to be humble and give the glory,
honor and praise to our Heavenly Father.
Love the Lord, your life and your neighbor.
Don’t judge others.
Don’t assume anything,
Don’t rationalize or justify your behavior.
Don’t expect anything in return for your acts of
service.
Open your eyes and ears to the counsel of the
Holy Spirit. Stay focused, be single minded.
Don’t stray from the path of righteousness.
You don’t always get what you need want and
desire.
Flee temptation, run from evil.
Remember trials are a test of faith. Have faith
and never doubt the Lord.
Trust that he will hear, listen and answer your
prayers.
Do the will of the Lord always, which is why it
is said patience is a virtue.
Lose
the me, me, me, I, I, I attitude.
Don’t worry, be happy!
Do things which please the Lord.
Never stop growing, developing your spirit, mind
and body.
Remember always – you are the best, you are the
temple of the spirit of our Heavenly Father.
Live in peace, happiness and harmony with one
another.
Avoid loud laughter.
Avoid those who live in rebellious sin, which
drink excessively, take drugs, smoke cigarettes and who frequent bars.
Remember dancing can be construed as a vertical
expression for a horizontal intention.
Stay pure and unspoiled until your wedding night
at which time consummates your marriage in the love of the Lord – two shall
become one flesh.
Stay busy, idleness is the playground of the
devil.
Live today as though it was your last.
Remember
every dark cloud has a silver lining.
Slow down – don’t take on more responsibility
than you can comfortably achieve.
Be joyful in your greetings to others.
Call everyone by their name, there is nothing
more pleasing to a man than the sound of his own name.
Forgive others, forgive yourself.
Don’t carry your past transgressions on your
back– give them to the Lord and forget about them.
Accept Christ as your savior, pray, read his
word, study his word, put his word into action, be obedient to our Father in
Heaven.
Above all love the Lord your God with all your
heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.
Start your day off early.
The early bird does get the worm.
Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy,
wealthy and wise.
A fool and his money are soon departed.
Be a wise and prudent steward of all that the
Lord has brought into your stewardship.
Tithe 10%.
Nothing in life that comes to you is free;
everything in life comes with a price tag attached.
Are you willing to pay the price?
Stay physically fit and mentally alert at all
times.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, smile, it
will brighten any setting and bring joy to everyone.
Never
say I can’t, always say I can.
Remember it is not you doing it but the Lord.
Have faith, through him all things will be unto
you.
Dress appropriately on all occasions.
Be clean, neat and with an attitude of
professionalism in everything you set out to accomplish.
Finish all good works to completion regardless
of the cost.
Never ever give up on anything that is good and
always avoid temptation or placing yourself in a compromising situation.
Find joy and happiness in the simple things in
life.
Be on guard always.
SATAN IS REAL, but so is our Father in Heaven,
Jesus Christ his son and our comforter the Holy Spirit.
Three against one, now that is what I consider
an easy victory – for the good guys.
Get the point!
Love,
love, love, serve, serve, serve, our Lord, our Lord, our Lord, neighbor,
neighbor, neighbor, receive, receive, receive, joy, joy, joy, peace, peace,
peace, happiness, happiness, happiness, salvation, salvation, salvation.
Has God made his point
clear yet?
