JDL - Direction Forty-three - Promise Keepers

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15 (ESV))

Another interesting fad that was going on a few years back and lingers on today is the meeting of men in an event called “Promise Keepers.” The intended outcome of these events was to instill in men the understanding that they were the God-given heads of their house, home and family and that they should take that responsibility seriously. And so, many men from around the country would gather in a large gathering for a great and grand Christian pep-rally of sorts.

Certainly one cannot find fault with encouraging men to do their part in the family. Men, especially Christian men should be at the forefront of doing the things God would have them to do, especially in being the ones who are accountable to God for what happens in their family.

The problem with this sort of endeavor, as good intentioned as it might be, is that it is very misleading. Even the great Apostle Paul admitted that he could not be the person he wanted to be but that instead he was always doing the things he did not want to do (Rom. 7:13-25). Although he wanted to refrain from sinning, he could not help himself. He went on sinning anyway. And here, at these events, good men (actually sinful men) are being encouraged to do something they cannot do, at least in and of themselves, and they are being coaxed into believing that it is possible for them to do it. It is impossible for us to make promises and to keep them. Only God can make and keep promises.

Okay, giving “Promise Keepers” the benefit of the doubt, supposing they are speaking to these men who are already Christians, and supposing they are speaking to them concerning their sanctification. Perhaps they are encouraging Christian men, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to do the good works, that is, to exercise their God-given responsibilities as the head of the family. Still, would it not be better to be encouraging through pointing to Christ? Remembering that even our sanctification is from God, would it not be better to point that out?

When it comes to promise keeping, God is the best one to make promises, because He is the only one who is able to completely keep His promises. So, we would rightly emphasize what God has done, what He does and what He promises He will continue to do for us. God has created us, given us faith, put His name on us, given us forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. God continues to come to us through His means of grace to strengthen and keep us in faith. God will one day return to take us from this vale of tears to be with Himself in heaven for eternity. By His motivation, with His help, with His working and stirring in us, we are so moved to respond to all His good gifts and blessings that we cannot help but want to do the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10). And not that we do them perfectly but imperfectly. And so they are the good works of sanctification He would have us to do because they are motivated by Him, worked in and through us by Him (even and especially when others do not notice), and done to His glory.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot do the good things I want to do. My problem is when I take the focus off where it needs to be, on Jesus and instead put it on myself, that is when I mess up. Grounded and even well grounded in my Lord’s promises to me, clinging to Him to keep those promises, only then do I have any chance at even coming close to being the person He wants me to be and doing the good works He has for me to do.

My Jesus-directed life is just that, Jesus-directed. And it is Jesus-directed when the focus is on Jesus, not on me and my puny attempts at grander thinking anything of my own efforts.

Think About
How often do you make and break promises? How many promises has God ever not kept?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise and for fulfilling Your promise to send a Savior to love me and to help me to love others. Forgive me when I think I can do it myself. Help me always to lean on You, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.