Integrity is Not a Lost Art
“But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5:12
James was urging his readers to be patient while waiting on the Lord’s return. He also warned against holding a grudge against others. The tendency for folks who see the wicked prosper is first to be envious. We wonder why the Lord allows them to be prosperous when they wouldn’t even give Him the time of day much less worship Him. It is difficult to watch the ungodly as they flaunt their wealth and position as if all their success was achieved on their own. Rather than be envious of them, we should be zealous for God’s honor and righteously indignant against their actions and attitudes, not jealous of the wealth of the wicked. We are not to begrudge others because of what they possess nor are we to complain, moan, and groan if we happen to be suffering for our faith. A believer who constantly complains is not a good role model for a Christian. If we avoid murmuring and complaining and instead display patience and perseverance in trials, God will not condemn us.
Christ is our role model, but so were the prophets of God. In doing the work of God as they warned Israel to abandon their idolatrous ways and return to the LORD, the prophets were ferociously persecuted, some killed, for their testimony. If they suffered for serving the LORD and since Christ suffered for His obedience, what would make us think that we would escape the persecutions from the world? Satan and evil still abound, and we can’t avoid being in the midst of it. If we are being persecuted for our faith, we are in pretty good company.
Those who constantly complain, murmur, and display discontentment on a regular basis are not happy people. They are always at odds with others and with themselves, never being able to really enjoy life. As my aunt used to say, “Some folks wouldn’t be happy as a taster in a pie factory.” I don’t particularly like to be around folks like that. They drain the life right of you. On the other hand, the person who exhibits joyfulness regardless of any suffering that is affecting him or her, is at peace and shows that life can be happy despite hardships. James used Job as an example. He had lost just about everything, but he wasn’t blaming God until his three so-called friends came to visit and began to challenge his reasoning, which, in effect, made him begin to doubt God. In the end, though, he submitted to God and realized the greatness and sovereignty of God, who blessed him beyond measure.
James then brought his discussion to the conclusion that the most important thing to remember was not to swear by heaven or earth. This sort of swearing was not like we think, that is, using vulgarity, profanity, and taking the Lord’s name in vain, although these expressions of anger, discontentment, and hostility should never fall from the lips of any who are followers of Christ. The swearing that James indicated was that of taking an oath before God as to a certain action that one intends to take. We do not have any authority to make an oath or a promise to do something and then use God’s name to back up our oath. God has no obligation to support an oath that we make. For example, if we promised, using God’s name to reinforce our promise, to do a certain thing for someone, but then did not follow through with our promise, this would be a complete dishonor to God and a reckless use of the power of His name. It is taking for granted that God is approving of whatever we decide to do or not do. God’s name is not to be tossed around as if He is some “good luck” charm. His name is not to be profaned in any way. What James said makes me wonder about placing one’s hand upon the Bible and swearing or affirming to “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” in a court of law. I guess it really points to the seriousness of taking an oath.
The best way to keep from using God’s name disrespectfully is to always remember who He is, the holy, sovereign, and righteous Lord of heaven and earth. It is always a good idea to stop and think before we say something that we might later regret. If we are people of integrity who carefully weigh our words before we speak, then others will respect us and be more attentive to what we say. But, if we are like those who don’t know when to shut up and instead tell every gory detail, offering way too much opinion and very little facts and useful information, then others will see us as nothing more than a gossip. James said to let our yes be yes and our no be no, that is, back up your words with how you live your life. Don’t be wishy/washy or someone who goes whichever the way the wind blows. Be a person that folks can trust to be honest, forthcoming, and one who fears God and displays an unassuming and quiet spirit of integrity. This is how we can please God and build Christian character in order to glorify God and let others see the light of Christ in our lives.