But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. -James 5:12
I had a long time friend I had known for years. Great person who even knows Jesus. Over the years they always had business ideas, trying this and that to try to make it big. Whatever they did never really worked out and at 50 plus they sold their house and were living out of an apartment.
In my FaceTime with the Lord one morning, I sensed that God was directing me to help that person and give them a job. I met with the person at the next opportunity and spent three hours in a Tokyo coffee shop laying out the vision of what we were there to do and how they could be a part of that vision. I really sensed that God wanted to break the person out of the hole they were in.
They took the job and after a month joined our team. Working with them, I could see there was some 50+ plus years of a migrant consultant type lifestyle to deal with, but that they had a break through coming.
The morning of the third day I received a text from that person. They said the job was not right for them but in actuality there was something else going on in the background. Sadly, the last we heard from this person was a text, no face to face, no apology for taking our team’s time, no thank you for working to help them.
As a believer, James 5:12 tells us to be clear and keep our commitments. This person did not. We were burned. It’s a horrible experience as no one wants to feel they have been stolen from.
Always keep your promises to other believers unless you talk to them and are released. If you’ve been burned by someone, don’t fret. Just expect a 7-fold return for the resources that have been stolen from you. Most importantly keep your joy knowing that you have stability and Victory in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!
