Matthew 5:33-37
"Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and 'No,' 'No'." Apparently everything else comes from the Devil. Oaths have always been a weird thing for me. I understand that they were quite controversial in brethren history, tied to putting national pride above God (loyalty), tied to taking the Lord's name in mockery ("I swear to God"), and other belittlings of God or pretenses for lying and manipulating others. However, I do not swear by anything and rarely make promises (knowing full well that all commitments are breakable and beyond my control, except for Love and intention).
Here Jesus urges us to speak the plain truth at all times. We are not to embellish the truth or mislead by speaking half-truths. Yes is yes and no is no. But honestly, there is no way I can do this. I believe Jesus strikes again with his universal sin labeling so none may boast of being sinless. Everyone misuses the way they speak for their own advantage, to avoid conflict, or to arrange a certain perception.
Speaking the truth without a divine condition (swearing oaths) may be ideal, but it is hard for others to swallow, especially if I have a bad reputation. Perfecting our deceptive tongues may be impossible, but we can work on it, and it is a process to tame our lips of deceit and manipulation. We cannot snap our fingers and go to blessed purity. Its a messy struggle that will end up hurting us and others. May we have the fortitude to press on and speak the truth simply, without selfishness. Thoughts would be loved...
Somewhere between my brain and my mouth is a filter. The strength of that filter relies soley on how well I clean it and what filth is going through it. If I keep sending nasty stuff through it, it gets clogged and doesn't work. If I don't take the time to think about my filter and clean it, the same problem is there. The filth starts with what I see, hear, and do. Truth is tricky when you live in a world that runs on sin.
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