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Vows

                 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. (Ecclesiasts 5:1-2)

 

It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows (Proverbs 20:25)

 

We mean well. We want to do good. We are full of good intentions. A leader in the church calls for promises of some behavior or the donation of money, and our hand stretches above our heads. Yes, we’ll do it! Or, seeing no other hands raised, we raise ours to inspire others or because, well, someone has to do it. And then either someone gets mad at us for volunteering faster than they could, because they don’t like what you’re doing or how we’re doing it, or because we really aren’t the right person for the job. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t work out the way we imagined or wished.

In fact, in the Old Testament, there is a provision for women – whether daughters, fiancées, or wives to get out of what they call rash vows. If, when the father, fiancé, or husband heard of the vow, if he forbids it, the woman is freed of the vow. Guys aren’t so lucky. If they make a vow, they’re stuck with it – or get fined for breaking it. Some people may think women should have the right to make vows and be held responsible for them just like men should, but I think in two directions on this. There should be a way for guys to get out of rash vows on the say-so of someone, too (like a wife) and at the same time, everyone should be held to their vows. We are too lax about vows, and at least some of us are too apt to leap in when we shouldn’t.

And the truth is that if we are willing to place the matter before God, He will act as that father, fiancé, or husband. He will either nullify the vow or establish it. But that doesn’t free us to continue making them. It just grants us time to learn not to make them.

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