Am I misunderstanding something?

[ssammoh]

Why do people think it's okay to say you are going to do something, and then not do it? Doesn't the bible make it clear its a sin to not keep your word? I don't want to sound judgemental (I am struggling with this myself!) but I am disturbed by the amount of times I have seen Christians make verbal plans to do something and then back out because "something came up", and then they think it's acceptable. I always feel awful when I do that and I don't understand why so many people take their own words so lightly.

The bible is very clear that lying is a sin. Shouldn't people try to make sure that what they say is the truth?

Am I misinterpreting something here? Can someone please explain why people think it's okay to back out on things after telling someone else they were going to do it?

 

[Soyeong]

Why do people think it's okay to say you are going to do something, and then not do it? Doesn't the bible make it clear its a sin to not keep your word? I don't want to sound judgemental (I am struggling with this myself!) but I am disturbed by the amount of times I have seen Christians make verbal plans to do something and then back out because "something came up", and then they think it's acceptable. I always feel awful when I do that and I don't understand why so many people take their own words so lightly.

The bible is very clear that lying is a sin. Shouldn't people try to make sure that what they say is the truth?

Am I misinterpreting something here? Can someone please explain why people think it's okay to back out on things after telling someone else they were going to do it?

I think there is a big difference between someone who said that they were going to do something when they had no intention of doing it and someone who plans to do something with every intention of doing it, but had something come up. None of us know the future so none of us can say with 100% certainty what we will do, but we can make plans and express our intention to follow through with those plans, but we should also understand that plans can be subject to change. I think that where integrity become an issue is in our reasons for changing our plans. Take an example where someone said that they would do something, but then an emergency happened where they or someone close to them ended up in the hospital, so their plans changed. In that scenario I would not call their integrity into question, whereas if someone said they would do something and then changed their plans because felt like it doing something else instead, then I think that they were not being serious about their word.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Actually the Scriptures say that it is boasting to say that we will do this thing or that thing in the future, since we don't know the future. But I do understand your frustration.

We should of course try to be true to our word, but as you say it is not our place to judge others in this way either. We cannot know their hearts or their intentions. Maybe they ARE just being careless. But in any case, it's a good idea to pray for them. Anything else is not good for our own spiritual condition. It does take a lot of effort and practice to learn not to do this though.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Why do people think it's okay to say you are going to do something, and then not do it?

This is what people do generally and specifically whenever they want to,
unless they are
as Scripture says "New Creations" in Jesus,
or
otherwise somehow set apart (by Yhwh)
from the rest of society(which is all evil)
so as to be able to do what is right consistently and reliably.

Trust Yhwh by faith and grace in Yeshua.

mankind is NOT trustworthy at all, not even close.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Why do people think it's okay to say you are going to do something, and then not do it? Doesn't the bible make it clear its a sin to not keep your word? I don't want to sound judgemental (I am struggling with this myself!) but I am disturbed by the amount of times I have seen Christians make verbal plans to do something and then back out because "something came up", and then they think it's acceptable. I always feel awful when I do that and I don't understand why so many people take their own words so lightly.

The bible is very clear that lying is a sin. Shouldn't people try to make sure that what they say is the truth?

Am I misinterpreting something here? Can someone please explain why people think it's okay to back out on things after telling someone else they were going to do it?

Jesus says it is better to be the son who said "no" and then decided to do so later than the son who said "Yes" and didn't come.
.
I recall having similar frustration throughout my 20s, then I came to the conclusion that church christians tend to only care what the bible says, when it matters to them. So what the bible says is nice, but I don't expect church christians to follow it.