The Value of Promises
A promise is an act of will in which one commits to give something to or do something for someone. We make promises constantly, knowing that we do not intend or want to keep them. For example, when we say, “I promise I’ll be there in five minutes” – while still thinking about taking a shower – or “I promise I’ll pay you tomorrow,” knowing we don’t have the money to do so – or even at a Baptism, when the priest asks us if we intend to raise our child in the faith, and we promptly respond, “Yes, we promise,” without pausing to consider the commitment this entails. In the past, this was not the case. When a promise was made, the person who made it would assume it as a duty of honor and an obligation to fulfill. I long for a society in which promises are valued and kept.
The best example of faithfulness to promises is God. “God is not a mere mortal to lie and change His mind. Does He not fulfill what He promises and carry out what He says?” (Numbers 23:19) Everything He promised to His people was fulfilled little by little: the promise made to Abraham to multiply his descendants, the one made to Moses to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, the promise to send the Israeilits a Savior, and Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit to His apostles.
Some of God’s promises are conditional, meaning they depend on our response, such as the promise to forgive all sins on the condition that they are confessed. Others are yet to be fulfilled, such as the second coming of Jesus Christ. Yet, in all of them, we can be certain that they will be fulfilled. God cannot fail to keep them, because:
- His nature is to be truthful (truth is part of His essence)
- He is faithful (He would cease to be God if He were not)
- He is immutable (He does not change, so He cannot alter what He promises)
- He is Love (His promises always intend to benefit us)
The words of Jesus in John 14:1-3 encompass these four attributes of God:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am.
I believe that one of the main reasons there are so many marital breakups is because we have lost the sense of commitment and the seriousness of promising something, especially when God is taken as a witness. Despite our lack of regard for the value of promises, God takes them seriously and will hold us accountable for them when we are in His presence.
Hopefully, we can get better at being people of our word and truly embrace the value of being faithful and truthful.
Mother María Elena Martínez is a nun, born in Mexico City, where she still resides today. She has had a consecrated life for more than 30 years. She is currently a member of a community called María Madre del Amor which is dedicated to evangelization through Emmaus retreats in parishes and prisons and Sicar retreats for young people.