When you see the phrase “But above all,” you know it’s important! Used in this context James tells us to “say what you mean, and mean what you say.” Be so trustworthy that no other words are needed. We need to be people of integrity.
Swearing this or that or making promises we don’t intend to keep is deceitful. Using the name of God for our benefit to manipulate others profanes His name. Jesus says in Matthew 5:37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”
Dependence vs Independence. Context and balance are required here. We need to be responsibly independent. As a husband and father I need to provide for my family yet be available to help others in need. Too often we can find ourselves in a position where we have so much that we become too self-sufficient, too independent so that we have the illusion that we don’t need God. Too many in this country suffer from this malady of prideful arrogance.
Truth be told. We need to depend upon God. We need others for prayer, healing, accountability, socialization, friendships, etc.
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