Yesterday, I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal.  It reports a growing trend in some areas of the country where home owners simply walk away from their loans even though they can afford the payments.  Walk away, meaning, they just stop paying their loan and take whatever hit comes to their credit score, etc.  Apparently, in some States, your mortgage company cannot pursue your other assets if you choose this option.  Usually, people do so because their homes have drastically dropped in value.

The problem, however, is that there are only a few lines even hinting to the fact that if you simply ‘walk away’ from your loan, you are failing to uphold your end of a signed contract.  I have been in countries (and in a business more or less) where contracts are often considered little more than a framework for the deal.  Somewhat optional.  And the effects of such a mindset are disastrous.  I am very concerned about what will happen to our country if more and more people begin to adopt the same attitude to their agreements.

Can you imagine living in a world where a handshake or a simple ‘yes’ was enough to seal an agreement?  Where both parties had absolute confidence that the man or woman shaking their hand or saying that ‘yes’ would uphold their end of the agreement?  What a great place to live!

Well, this is how Jesus calls His followers to live.  ”Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No’ no,” He said.  And the beauty of it is that someday (at least according to the Bible), it will be exactly like that.  On the New Earth, everyone will keep their word perfectly and completely.  No one will be walking away.  I can’t wait for that day.  But until then, we are wise to uphold our end of an agreement, no matter how difficult it may be.