James 5:12
And since you know that he cares, let
your language show it. Don’t add words like “I swear to God” to your own
words. Don’t show your impatience by concocting oaths to hurry up God.
Just say yes or no. Just say what is true. That way, your language can’t
be used against you.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
When
I was in college, I had the good fortune to land in Francis Irby
Gwaltney’s freshman English Composition class. I had never written so
much as a “theme” in high school, and Mr. Gwaltney – an author and
screenwriter – required one written essay from us each week. He
assigned the title on Monday, and we turned in our 250-word commentary
on Friday. The following week, he critiqued what we had written and
gave us pointers…along with tons of colorful stories and recollections
of his screenwriting days in Hollywood…his service in WWII…and his
teenage years in Charleston, Arkansas, where he grew up with his good
friend, [Arkansas Senator and Governor] Dale Bumpers. Both men are gone
now…but their legacies live on in our hearts and minds…thanks in large
part to the weeks I spent under Mr. Gwaltney’s tutelage.
Mr.
Gwaltney was so kind to me, and I loved him dearly…but he was a tough
instructor. He counted off a half grade point for a misspelled word…and
an equal amount if we used the word “very.” It was his opinion that
this word was completely unnecessary…that adding it to another adjective
or an adverb was overkill…even redundancy. I have to admit that I use
this word quite often now…but it took me years to be able to do so
without hearing his voice ringing…and almost wincing with the
anticipation of a lower grade!
When I first studied James 5:12, I
was taken aback as I considered how often we swear an oath. Much like
the word “very,” we pepper our conversation with “I swears” to drive
home our point. We claim…”I swear on a stack of Bibles that XYZ
happened”…or “I swear to you he really said ABC”…or as James puts it in
this translation, “I swear to God, such and such is true.” I was struck
by James’ suggestion that this shows our impatience with God…that to
add a “swear” indicates that what we are saying cannot stand on its own
merit - and needs the “endorsement” of God to give it credence and
substance.
We are called to speak the truth…and stand by our
comments and claims. We are commanded to be the “real deal” for
Jesus…and to live in such a way that others know that they can trust
what we say is endorsed by God – without our adding an oath. Just as
the word “very” is unnecessary, an oath does nothing to truly
substantiate our words. Mr. Gwaltney insisted that the use of the word
“very” implied that we lacked confidence in our statement…and felt we
should bolster it with this unwarranted descriptive. It seems to me
that James is saying the same thing to us about adding oaths to our
language.
The next time you start to “swear,” remember James
5:12. Let your word be your bond…pure and simple. Honor God by how you
demonstrate your faith…and how you treat others. Choose your words
wisely, and let others see Jesus in your daily living. Fully embrace
the truth that no further emphasis – especially a swear – is ever
needed.
©2016 Debbie Robus
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