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 whatever reason — but most of all, they’ve never encountered love — the true love of Jesus. 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. Here’s what God says to us about our language:

~ 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 know a better way, 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. 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 DIFFERENT, and DIFFERENT never felt and looked so good! I think I’ll cruise on over to the High Road. How about you?