An interesting thing happened last week — at least, it was interesting to me. Two of my business clients, unrelated to one another, sent me notes via e-mail thanking me for my timely completion of projects I’d done for them.

As pleased as I was for the complimentary feedback, it started me thinking. What sort of commentary is it on today’s business climate that a contractor completing a job on time is worthy of special recognition? If you hire someone to do a job, ought you not to be able to expect that the job will be completed within the timeframe agreed upon, barring extenuating circumstances to the contrary? Isn’t it a little sad that a worker who keeps a commitment is the noteworthy exception, rather than the rule?

Of course, this unfortunate situation isn’t unique to business. A lack of dependability pervades every kind of relationship in today’s world. We used to hear phrases like these fairly routinely: “You have my word on it.” “A promise is a promise.” “You can count on me.” “My word is my bond.” And people, more often than not, meant these statements when they made them. Today, if you hear someone say, “I guarantee it,” it’s an advertising slogan, not a genuine, sincere commitment to act.

People think nothing of saying they will do something, then failing to follow through. Sometimes these failures are trivial, but what about the times when they are serious? Someone takes a job, agreeing to do a certain amount and quality of work for a specified amount of pay, then can’t be counted upon to show up and do the work. Another person borrows money from another, agreeing to repay the loan within a certain time, then reneges on the payments. A man or woman vows to assume the responsibilities of marriage — “for better or worse, forsaking all others, until death do us part” — then vacates the moment things turn from better to worse, or can’t be trusted to faithfully forsake all others, or is long gone long before death is on the horizon.

Worst of all is when we — you didn’t really think I was only talking about other people, did you? — deal with God in this manner. We make a commitment to serve Him when we become disciples of Christ, but conveniently forget the obligations of that commitment whenever it suits us. We can’t make time to assemble with the saints as we should (Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42). We can’t be bothered to share the gospel with others (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:4). It’s too much of a burden for us to be dead to sin and live for righteousness, or make ourselves a living sacrifice (Romans 6:1-14; 12:1-2). Moreover, we get angry when someone calls to our attention the fact that we’re not living up to our duty to the Lord in any of these areas.

We expect God to keep His promises to us. Suppose God decided to neglect this commitment: “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12). Suppose He said, “Yes, I know I agreed to forgive your sins and forget them, but I changed my mind. I’m going to hold those sins against you anyway.” Where would we be then? If we count on God to do what He has said He’ll do, should He not be able to depend on us?

I fear sometimes we allow ourselves to believe God owes us something — we rely on His providence and mercy because we think we deserve what we receive from Him. But Jesus tells us that the master owes the servant nothing, even if the servant is obedient in every way: “Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do’” (Luke 17:10).

God does not owe us His thanks or reward for a job well done. Rather, we owe Him our most diligent, faithful service. In the same way, whatever commitments we make in life, we should honor them: it’s what is our duty to do.