Some Promises Are Meant To Be Broken

I had this experience recently. I was asked by an individual would it be alright to contact another individual. They were dealing with issues in the past. The last conversation they had with the individual was not a good one and they wanted to make it right. I told them that it was not necessary as the individual had most likely forgotten the incident as it had been over 20 years ago and they probably wouldn’t remember who they were. I even gave a scenario of someone walking up to an individual asking them for forgiveness for disliking them and the individual was unaware of their dislike of them. Being made aware of this dislike, actually did more harm than good. Well days later, in the middle of a conversation, the individual let me know they contacted them anyway. After I asked them why, their response was “I know I told you I wouldn’t do it but I didn’t see the harm”. They went on to say, “Some promises are meant to be broken.” Now I discussed the “I didn’t see the harm” in a previous post but thought “Some promises are meant to be broken” deserved its own post. There is so much that can be discussed in regards to our nonchalance of COVENANT.

Did you know that COVENANT is another word for promise? Webster defines COVENANT as “a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action.” Covenants are used in many different instances; for example, marriage, the purchase of a home, insurance coverage or financial aid. They are legal and binding and there is usually a price or penalty for breaking them. As many of you know, in marriage there are stipulations given for dissolving or breaking the marriage. The main stipulation is infidelity. There is a penalty of alimony (spousal support), child support if there are children and quite a few other allowances. Not to mention, the emotional and spiritual unrest and feeling of loss. You get the point. There is a cost associated with dissolving the marriage.

Contrary to popular belief, covenants are not to be entered into lightly. There should be significant prayer and thought given before entering into or breaking any covenant. I am reminded of the covenant that we were given by God our Father. The covenant through the seed of Abraham that a Savior would one day be born and save the world and mankind from sin. What if He decided to dissolve or break His covenant with us, we would all be lost. There were many instances throughout the history of mankind I am sure and have seen it documented that it grieved Him that we could be so obstinate, downright bull-headed, disrespectful and sinful that even He had second thoughts regarding our creation (Genesis 6:5-7). Yet, He still remembers and honors the covenant and even reminds us every now and then with a rainbow in the sky (Genesis 9).

On this day, make a conscientious effort to rethink covenant and its significance in your life. Never enter into one lightly. Honor it to the best of your God-given ability. It is a big deal.