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Don't Promise
1 Samuel 24:1
"And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi."
One of the mistakes many people make is in making promises that they knowingly cannot fulfill. Making a promise should be something that is taken very seriously, for your name is put on the line with every promise. David made a promise to Saul that he knowingly couldn't fulfill. Saul asked David to promise when he became king that he would not have his family killed. It was a normal practice that when a king from a different family took the throne that he would kill the family of the preceding king. The purpose of this was to protect their throne from any uprisings. David, being a sincere and upright man, promised Saul that he would not destroy his family. However, in 2 Samuel 21:6-8, David was faced with having to destroy the family of Saul. Though David still kept his promise by keeping Mephibosheth alive, he destroyed the rest of Saul's family. Though David was sincere with his promise, he made a foolish promise that was difficult to fulfill.
Let me warn you about making promises that you cannot guarantee. Many times in your sincerity you make a promise without really thinking through the ramifications of your promise. You can't always guarantee what the future holds, therefore you should be very guarded with promises that you make for a lifetime. For instance, when you get married you are making a promise that is for life. This is why you should be guarded about whom you marry. Once you say, "I do," then you have made a promise that you must fulfill for the rest of your life.
Furthermore, don't promise what you can't always do. Many times you will make a promise to your spouse that you don't know you will always be able to fulfill. Likewise, parents must be careful about promising their children something that they don't know for sure that they can do. This is what leads to hard feelings between a child and their parent. If you promise your child something, then you better be sure that you carry out your promise. If you don't know that you can carry out your promise to its fullest, then don't promise at all. It is better not to promise than to promise and not be able to follow through.
Moreover, don't promise something that could be taken away. For instance, be careful about promising money for a lifetime. I have watched churches promise a retiring pastor a salary for the rest of his life, then not be able to fulfill that promise because of rough financial times. Though they were sincere in their promise, they could not see what the future would hold for their finances. When you promise something forever, then you better have the capability already in place to fulfill that promise.
Making a promise should never be taken lightly. Many relationships have been damaged because of broken promises. Whenever you make a promise, be sure to follow through. Though you may have good intentions with your promise, good intentions can't fulfill a promise. Be sure when you make a promise that you have the wherewithal to completely follow through with it. If you can't, then don't make the promise.