Let Your Yes Be Yes

Speak plainly - no swearing oaths to make people trust you; let your word stand on its own.

Key Concept

“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.' But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.Matthew 5:33-37 NASB1995

• Yes means yes - padded oaths mean your word was not trustworthy on its own.
• Level 1: Say yes when you mean yes - like promising a friend you will come to their party without stacking ten extra oaths so they believe you.
• Level 2: Extra swearing and hype mean people did not trust your plain word before you piled on more.
• Level 3: Jesus taught let your yes be yes because padded promises show your ordinary word was never enough on its own.
• Level 4: Say yes or no plainly at work and home - if you need spin to sound believable, fix your Complete the Cycle, not your vocabulary.
• Level 5: Integrity of speech is Heart Righteousness, not performance - padded oaths mirror Atomic Notes stuffed with prose to sound smart instead of one plain claim.
• PKM parallel: Atomic Notes - one plain claim per page, no padded prose to sound smart.
• Integrity of speech is Heart Righteousness, not performance for Let Your Light Shine.

Examples

• I told the coach I would have my kid there “God willing, absolutely, cross my heart” when a plain yes would have been enough.
• I padded a deadline promise with extra assurances so they would believe me - if my word needs spin to sound believable, the problem is not the schedule, it is me.

Note Relationships