Years back, I was in the vehicle with someone who told me he vowed to God to go for missions after his service year. When his service year ended, he did not fulfill his vow. He got a job and stayed back. There are many believers like him who made one vow to God at one time or the other but failed to fulfill it.

I have seen believers who vowed or made pledges either by coercion or willingly who did not fulfill their vows. I noticed that some persons are so driven by emotions to the point where they make promises to God they do not have the capacity to fulfill. This is common with monetary pledges.

Severally, I have read the opening text and it has become a guide in matters of vows and pledges. I have learnt that in God's presence, my words should be few and I should listen more. When people are rushing to the altar to pledge, I have learnt not to do it because everyone is doing it.

It is irreverent to make promise(s) to God and not fulfill it. Whenever you are in God's presence and someone is coercing people into making pledges and vows, don't do it because everyone is doing it. There is no gain in it.

Also, If you are pledging to do something for God, think before you make that commitment. In some cases, you may need to consult your spouse before taking your final decision. Know that certain decisions will not affect you but the whole family. If you are still under your parents, you may need to consult them on certain issues before you decide.

I have heard of students who pledged their school fees to support projects in their campus churches. Though giving is good but that doesn't make sense for several reasons. Chiefest of it is that the money thay are pledging is not the fruit of their sweat. Someone else worked for it ( mostly parents) and gave it to them as a contribution towards the advancement of their career. Such monies should not be pledged.

In some cases, some parents took loans to pay school fees. Why should a student pledge on that kind of money to support his fellowship? If you pledge to give your business loan, how do you hope to repay? It is immoral for any preachers to coerce people to make pledges beyond rational capacity even to the point of telling them to borrow.

In God, there is orderliness and protocol. God want our lives to be Spirit-led and rationally governed. God is not the author of confusion.