Do I have to keep a foolish promise that I made?

Question:

I want to talk about something that has troubled me for a couple of years. My hobby was to make websites, and I had a couple online. One night, I felt compelled by something to utter a promise to Jesus. A promise to remove my web sites. Feeling compelled by this (thought or whatever it was) I uttered the pledge. At some point afterward, I removed my sites. Afterward, I have speculated whether it was Jesus or another divine being that had urged me to utter the promise. After thinking things through, I have begun to suspect that it wasn't God who told me to utter the promise. Still, do you think I am still bound to the pledge and as such unable to make websites in the future?

Answer:

First, you need to be honest. No one compelled you to make this promise. You decided to offer it. It was your own choice. As to why, I do not know. I assume that the sites you were creating were not immoral.

Assuming that it isn't a promise that requires you to sin in order to keep it, you have one of two choices concerning rash or foolish promises: You honor your word, or you admit that you made a mistake and apologize to God for speaking without thinking.

"Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few" (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

"For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body" (James 3:2).

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