The Weight of Our Promises: Living with Integrity Before God

There's a sobering story in the book of Acts that rarely gets preached from pulpits today. Perhaps it's because it makes us uncomfortable. Perhaps it's because it forces us to confront the gap between what we promise and what we deliver. But discomfort often signals exactly where we need to grow.
When Promises Become Lies
In Acts chapter 5, we encounter Ananias and Sapphira, a married couple who made a fatal mistake. They sold a piece of property and pledged to give all the proceeds to the apostles. There was no law requiring this—no mandate, no pressure. They chose to make this promise freely.
But when the money was in their hands, something shifted. Maybe they started thinking about what they could do with that money. Maybe they convinced themselves the church didn't really need it all. Maybe they rationalized that giving some was better than giving nothing. So they kept back part of the price while claiming they had given everything.
Peter confronted Ananias directly: "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" Before Ananias could even respond with an excuse, he fell down dead. Three hours later, his wife Sapphira arrived, unaware of what had happened. When Peter questioned her, she maintained the same lie. And she too fell dead on the spot.
This isn't a story about tithing or church finances. This is a story about the sacred nature of our commitments to God.
The Difference Between Fear and Reverence
What should our response be to such a dramatic display of God's power? Should we live in terror, afraid that one misstep will result in divine judgment?
Not at all.
There's a crucial difference between fearing God out of intimidation and fearing God out of reverence. Lost people should fear God because they stand outside His grace. But for those who know Jesus as Savior, the fear of the Lord is about respect—about recognizing His awesome power, His holiness, and His justice.
Think about how you related to your parents growing up. If they disciplined you, you likely weren't afraid of them in the sense that you thought they would harm you. But you respected their authority. You understood there were consequences for disobedience. Even as adults, many of us still want to make our parents proud, still care about disappointing them.
Our relationship with God should be infinitely deeper. We serve a God who is just, who is holy, who treats everyone equally. He will judge each of us by the same standard. That reality should inspire reverence, not paralyzing fear.
When Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Anyone can say "I love you." Anyone can make promises. But actions reveal the truth of our words.
We live in a culture obsessed with happiness—with doing whatever makes us feel good in the moment. The world tells us, "You only live once, so do what makes you happy." But that's not the message of Scripture. God doesn't call us to pursue our happiness above all else. He calls us to pursue holiness, to live with integrity, to keep our commitments even when it's inconvenient.
When we make a promise to another person, we're not just making a commitment to them. We're making a commitment before God. Our word becomes our oath. And when we break that promise, we're not just letting down a person—we're lying to the Holy Spirit.
This applies to every area of life. When spouses commit to each other in marriage, they're committing before God. When we tell someone we'll pray for them, that's a commitment. When we say we'll be there for someone, show up for something, or follow through on a responsibility—these are all promises that carry spiritual weight.
The Gift of Time
Of all the gifts God gives us, time might be the most precious. We never know how much we have left. We never know when the last conversation with a loved one will be our last.
That reality should change how we live. It should make us more intentional about telling people we love them. It should drive us to make that phone call, give that hug, speak that word of encouragement. Because tomorrow isn't guaranteed.
The urgency of time should also affect how we approach worship. When we come together as believers, are we prepared? Have we cleared our minds of distractions? Have we dealt with the anger from the argument earlier or the frustration from the week? Or do we rush in, spiritually unprepared, unable to fully receive what God wants to give us?
Preparation matters. When we take time during the week to study God's Word, to pray, to get our hearts right, we position ourselves to receive more when we gather. We give more cheerfully. We worship more fully. We connect more deeply with both God and each other.
The Power of Community
Something significant is happening in the church world today. People are moving away from mega-churches where they can be entertained but remain anonymous. They're seeking smaller communities where they can know and be known, where relationships matter, where accountability exists.
This shift back to authentic community is biblical. The early church met in homes. They shared meals together. They knew each other's struggles. They bore one another's burdens.
In a smaller community, we can't hide. We can't pretend everything is fine when it's not. We can't maintain a façade of spiritual maturity while harboring secret sins. But this vulnerability is exactly what leads to growth.
When we truly commit to a church family, we're saying, "I'm going to show up for you. I'm going to pray for you. I'm going to celebrate with you and mourn with you. I'm going to speak truth to you even when it's uncomfortable." That level of commitment requires sacrifice. It requires putting others before ourselves. It requires the kind of love that Jesus modeled.
Giving It All to God
Perhaps the most challenging question we can ask ourselves is this: Have we truly given everything to God?
Not just our money, though that's part of it. Not just our time on Sunday mornings, though that matters too. But have we given Him our worries, our fears, our plans, our relationships, our careers, our dreams?
So often we hold back. We say we trust God, but we keep one hand on the steering wheel of our lives, just in case. We pray about our problems but continue carrying the weight of them ourselves. We make commitments to serve Him but let those commitments slide when they become inconvenient.
God wants it all. Not because He's a demanding tyrant, but because He knows that's where we'll find true peace. When we finally release our grip and fully surrender, He takes our burdens and gives us rest. When we stop trying to control everything and trust His plan, we discover a freedom we never knew existed.
The Invitation
The story of Ananias and Sapphira isn't meant to terrify us. It's meant to wake us up to the seriousness of our relationship with God. Our commitments matter. Our promises carry weight. Our integrity—or lack of it—affects not just our earthly relationships but our spiritual life.
The good news is that we serve a God of grace. Jesus made the ultimate commitment on the cross and followed through completely. He died so that we could be forgiven for all the times we've broken our promises, all the times we've held back, all the times we've lied to ourselves and to Him about our level of commitment.
Because of His sacrifice, we have the opportunity to start fresh every day. To make new commitments and actually keep them. To live with integrity. To love with authenticity. To worship with our whole hearts.
The question isn't whether God is committed to us—He proved that on the cross. The question is whether we're truly committed to Him.
What promises have you made that you need to keep? What commitments have you let slide? What areas of your life are you still holding back from God's control?
Today is the day to make it right. Not out of fear, but out of love for the One who gave everything for you.