It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows. Proverbs 20:25

This verse goes hand in hand with “let your Yes be Yes and No be No” in Matthew 5:37. It’s much better not to make a promise rather than making a promise and breaking it. Why is it mentioned in the Old and New Testament? Well, it’s important to the LORD that we be people of our word. It’s a quality that’s in demand these days, that is, dependability.

We bring out a litany of excuses of why something didn’t get done but it’s rare when someone just admits: “I overcommitted and shouldn’t have promised that.” People are very “forgiving” when you say that but when you bring excuse after excuse, you have to ask, “what’s the point of promising in the first place?”

Think carefully before making that promise.