Do you ever use, “But seriously”, to preface a statement you want to make to someone? Do you have friends who do, or who use a different, but similar phrase that essentially means the same thing? When I hear someone say, “But seriously”, or just plain, “seriously”, I have to wonder if everything they said prior to that wasn’t serious. Perhaps it wasn’t truthful, or it was to some degree, less than the whole truth.
Jesus said, "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool/ or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white of black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."
Matthew 5:33-37
Your character should be such that you don’t have to use a vow or an oath to convince others that your words are true. You see, your character should be your oath, your bond. People, who know you, should have a high level of trust in what you say because they have observed the way you live. If you consistently live a life of integrity and are a person of your word, those who know you will believe you because of who you are at your core. That is the kind of testimony that pleases Jesus and which draws others to Him.
