Taking the Hide Road

Speaking as a gal whose done her share of travelling some high and low roads, I highly recommend the high roads. I've taken some perilous, torrential-rain, "low" roads that I had to turn around to take a higher road to travel. And, in the spiritual sense, I've taken some precarious "low" roads of doubt and fear and turned myself around to get back on the "high" roads of hope and faith.

There's some very angry, hurting people out there who are traveling some pretty low roads. Their hearts are broken for reasons only they know -- but most of all, they've never encountered love -- the true love of Jesus. Acting out and speaking vile and profane language is how they think they can make a difference in their world. I'm so sorry for them. If only they knew the freedom in taking the way of peace and joy that comes from our Savior. Oh, Lord, help us help them through our prayers and our living examples as Christ's followers. Here’s what God says:

~ Colossians 3:8 “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”
~ Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up that it may give grace to those who hear.”
~ Matthew 12:37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned.”
~ Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

So, how “different” are we from those who have no sense of "gracious, seasoned-with-salt" words? Some say that “It’s normal to vent and say it like you feel it. It’s normal to be angry and to speak hatefully. Normal to some is ranting and raving right along with everyone else who is travelling on those same low roads. But, those of us who take the "High Road" way, know that God called us to live a radical love-walk-and-talk life where kindness, love, joy and peace rules. There are many differences to be found in devoted God-followers.

~ We are LOVINGLY different -- extending His love freely and unconditionally to others.
~ We are TRUTHFULLY different -- believing the truth and loving the truth, speaking the truth and living the truth.
~ We are MERCIFULLY different -- knowing that God’s mercies are new every morning, we extend His mercies to those who have failed and disappointed us.
~ We are PRAYERFULLY different -- we pray in faith, we pray because of who God is and what He can do, we pray because of what God has said in His Word. We pray because we have the assurance that God hears us and answers our prayers.

We are DIFFERENT, and DIFFERENT never felt and looked so good! Being a difference maker to those on the low roads just might be the answer to this world's problems. I think I'll grab someone's hand on the low road and show them the way on the high road! How about you?

You Are Loved, So Don’t You Dare Quit Now!

Some things just don't change.....but wouldn't it be great if they did? The first two kids, Cain and Abel, birthed from the first two parents, Adam and Eve, couldn't get along. In fact, their sibling rivalry led to the death of Abel. Fast forward to the dad, Jacob, and Joseph, his son (his favorite son -- okay, that's already screaming "TROUBLE"). Why would a dad ever favor one of his kids over the other? But he did, and little Joseph became the target of his 10 brothers -- to not just bully him but to kill him. Fortunately, their evil plot was thwarted.

Obviously, people issues -- judging, bullying, gossiping, jealousy, arguing, etc. have been a part of humanity from the beginning. It's unfortunate when we consider what all those "issues" do to people. That's why it's so important that we go to a higher level -- a place of love, concern, care, and compassion for each other. Jesus said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Luke 6:31. And He reiterated, in John 13:34, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other."

Maybe you're the one who is being judged and bullied or lied about. Maybe you feel like no one really cares about you and you think that you don't really matter. Here's the truth about MATTER:. YOU ARE LOVED! Don't let people get inside your head to make you think otherwise. You are loved. You are a one-of-a-kind original and no matter what you think and what others say about you, God loves you so much and you are His masterpiece. If you were the only person on earth, He would still have sent His one and only Son to pay the ultimate price for YOU. That's TRUE LOVE! He took the high road. It's time for us to take the high road, too.

The psalmist says that God formed you. Formed is defined as great care and special attention. It's the picture of a potter expertly crafting his art at the potter's wheel. You and I were formed by the Creator for a purpose. And everything God forms, He fills. He formed the seas and filled it with fish. He formed man and filled him with breath. God has filled you with unique gifts and talents. He filled your spirit with a longing for more. God has filled your life with a supernatural destiny. So don't believe for one more moment you have been overlooked or forgotten by God. Don't accept the deception that destiny and purpose are for other people and not you!

You really do matter! Don’t you dare think about giving up! YOU ARE LOVED. Now, get out there and own YOU and your place on this earth, at this time, to stand out and be the best YOU, you can possibly be!

Don't Be Normal. Be Different. Take the High Road.

How “different” are we from what is “normal” to others? Some say that “It’s NORMAL to be stressed, fearful, overwhelmed, exhausted, angry, sad, speaking hateful about people, and on and on. “Normal” to some is ranting and raving right along with all those who are dissatisfied with politics and politicians.

My contention is that “normal” isn’t where God called us to be. He called us to live a radically ABNORMAL life where kindness, love, joy and peace RULES. Believing that way, makes us not just different, but we are also DIFFERENCE MAKERS. We take the High Road.

In Matthew 5, Jesus told us to be so different that in the face of being treated unfairly and wrong, He told us to be glad. What? THAT’S just not normal. In Matthew 5:11-15 He gave us a completely DIFFERENT way to handle those normally cranky and grumpy folks. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

To live the life God wants us to live means we will be DIFFERENT. It will be different from the way the world and the enemy of our soul wants us to live. And it will be different from the way many of the people we know want us to live. It will be DIFFERENT when we don’t side in with hateful, mean and angry people.

There are many differences to be found in devoted God-followers. These differences are seen in our relationship with God, in our place in the world, in our purpose in life, in our personal goals, in our commitments, in our motives, in our values, in our choices, and in our beliefs. One of the greatest differences is found in the attitudes of our hearts:

~ We are LOVINGLY different -- extending His love freely and unconditionally to others.
~ We are TRUTHFULLY different -- believing the truth and loving the truth, we speak the truth and live the truth.
~ We are MERCIFULLY different -- knowing that God’s mercies are new every morning, we extend His mercies to those who have failed and disappointed us.
~ We are PRAYERFULLY different -- we pray in faith, we pray because of who God is and what He can do, we pray because of what God has said in His Word. We pray because we have the assurance that God hears us and answers our prayers.

We are NOT normal. We are DIFFERENT, and DIFFERENT never felt and looked so good! I think I'll cruise on over to the High Road. How about you?