Keeping Your Word - Soul Choice Ministries

Some time ago, I had my personal home on the market for sale. Two realtors came by to show the property. Both of their clients were interested. Shortly after they left, I received a call from one of the realtors asking if I would accept the full-price offer on the home. I said, “Yes, if it’s the terms we discussed then I will accept it.” She wrote up the offer and said, “I’ll be back to your house in about an hour.” Immediately after I hung up with her, the other realtor called and said, “Bill, I’m writing up an offer on your house right now and my client is offering you $10,000 more than the full price.”

I was at a decision. What do I do? I just told the first realtor I would accept her offer, which was $10,000 less. Legally, I could take the 2^nd offer. I was not bound to take the offer that was less because nothing was in writing but I gave her my word. I felt in my heart I must turn down the higher offer.

Both realtors were shocked that I accepted the lower offer and declined the 2^nd offer but I felt I must keep my word. The realtor whose offer I accepted was not a Christian and she knew that I was. We signed the deal at the agreed upon price and the sale went through as planned.

Fifteen years later, I walked into a restaurant where my pastor was having dinner with a large group of people. One of the women at the table jumped up and said, “You’re Bill Wiese!”

She went on to say, “I’m the realtor whose offer you accepted… the lower offer, when you sold your home. I was just telling your pastor that story!” She shared that she was not a Christian at the time and the same evening I agreed to the deal, she went to dinner with a friend of hers who was a Christian. This woman added, “I shared with my friend that I was with a realtor that day who lost $10,000 because he kept his word to me.” Her friend told her, “Christians keep their word” and then began to tell her what it’s like to be a Christian. She said, “Bill, I just want you to know that I gave my heart to Jesus that very night. I became a Christian.”

Proverbs 15:27 says, “He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house.” If I had been greedy and took that $10,000, it may have brought trouble to my house. More importantly Psalms 15:4,5 says, “He that swears to his own hurt shall never be moved.” I encourage you to keep your word just as God keeps His word to us. We have no idea the impact our choice may have on another’s life.

Excerpt from Bill’s book, Recession Proof Living