Broken Promises

What would our world be like if every politician kept every promise he/she made?  I can say this, it would be a lot different than it is now.  Not necessarily better or worse, but definitely different.  And what about the promises that we make to one another that aren't kept?  How would life be different if those promises were kept?  I am certain there would be less heartache and pain if that were the case. 

A promise is "an expressed assurance on which expectation is to be based" according to dictionary.com.  Okay, so that means that when I am promised something, I expect the result to be just as I was told it would be.  That makes sense to me.  Why, then, is it so easy for us, humans in general, to make promises but hard to keep them?   I believe it is because we think we have more control over life than we really do.  When we promise an outcome that we truly have not control over achieving, the odds are stacked against us pretty heavily.  I also think most people know this, too.  It's crazy to think about, but, why then, if we know when someone makes a promise, the likelihood of it being upheld is minimal, at best?  And along with that, why does it hurt so much when a promise is broken or not kept?

For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.   Galatians 3:18

A promise is built upon, solidified through and accepted based on trust.  If you trust the one making the promise, then the result expected based on that promise is more likely to occur.  If there is no trust, then there is no faith in the expected outcome.  Therefore, if a person consistently makes promises and doesn't keep them, their credibility or trust level goes right out the window.

We have all lived with broken promises.  The bad news is that as long we continue to hang out with people of this earth and this life, we will have to live with broken promises.  The good news is that God keeps his promises!  We can overcome this world of sin and broken promises through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ.  That is the promise that God gave; the one promise we can have faith in that will not be broken; the one person we can have complete, unending trust in. 

The Medieval literal translation of the word "promise" is "to send forth."  God has made a promise.  He has sent us his son, who has honored his promise and left us his Holy Spirit as a great comforter and friend.  You can be sure that this is one promise that will not be broken.