Learning the Hard Way

"Take his garment that is surety for a stranger,
and take a pledge of him for a strange woman" (Prov 27:13).

At first glance, this proverb might seem a little weird. What in the world is this verse talking about? To “become surety” for a person was basically to co-sign for someone, to guarantee their debts. Putting your assets up as collateral for another person is a fairly risky move, but doing so for a “stranger” is downright foolish.
Maybe you have made some foolish promises in your life that ended up coming back to hurt you. Perhaps, instead of bailing you out, your parents have made you absorb the cost of your foolishness. That’s exactly what this verse is saying. Someone who made a foolish promise to guarantee another’s debts is now having to pay the price. He has lost his money and the creditor is going to take the clothes off his back (“garment”) as payment for the debts of the stranger. The writer of this proverb is actually recommending no leniency for the unwise man who made this commitment.
The idea is this: just as we see many other places in the Bible, if we are unwilling or unable to fulfill a promise or commitment, we ought not to make it. You should use care in what you promise to do for others. If you have no intention of keeping your promise, or even if you think you might not be able to keep it, it is not “kind” to tell people what you think they want to hear. Better to be honest and not make a promise than make a commitment you will not keep. You need to think ahead (see last week) and consider the consequences of your promise before you make it. As Jesus told his disciples, our “yes” should mean “yes” and our “no” should mean “no” (Matt 5:37). Christians should be people of their word. When you make a promise, make sure you keep it. If you can’t or won’t, don’t make the promise!