Take the High Road

1. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2) The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. 3) The eyes of the Lord are everywhere keeping watch on the wicked and the good. 4) The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”

Proverbs 15:1-4

As I read verse 3 of this text, I wondered to myself if we all would remember that-would our lives be different? If we remembered that everything we do or say is being watched and heard by the Lord Almighty, wouldn’t that or shouldn’t that change us? It should for me.

The other verses speak about our words and how we communicate with each other, how we “interact”. It talks about building up and tearing down. It talks about speaking the truth and untruths. Words like “gentle, wise and healing jump out at me. Those words remind me that as a Christian I am to “take the high road” because only Satan and his followers take the low road. Words that describe them are – harsh, folly and deceitful. What road am I on? What road are you on?

As I write this I am truly struggling with the answer to that question. I know what road I want to be on, but what road am I really on? I want to be on the high road. I want to give gentle answers, be filled with Christ’s wisdom and knowledge. I want my words to be healing.

How many times have we allowed anger and resentment to crush our spirits only to leave us feeling empty and shallow? We might have the “last word”-but when the smoke clears-how does your heart feel? Mine has felt pretty low at times.

The next time you’re in a situation that you don’t feel you can control, and your anger builds and wants to lash out with strong and hurtful words, remember –we have a choice. We stand at a cross road every day and make a decision with our words and actions what road we will take.

The Bible says in Matthew 7:13 & 14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”

Follow the right road-take the high road” and let’s walk together with Christ.

Father God, please help us to remember that we have choices everyday. Help us to remember that every decision that comes to us does not have to be made without your input. Lord may you guide our attitudes, our actions and our voices. Thank you for everything you have given to us but most of all for your love and forgiveness. In Jesus name-AMEN

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-3

Spring always helps me reflect on the newness of life. It reminds me of new beginnings, of things starting fresh. Spring to me is a time of renewal. It’s a time of year that I look back and think about maybe some mistakes I’ve made and ask myself, what I can do to make things better going forward.

It also reminds me that I have in the past, had a tendency, when I make mistakes; to hide them or ignore them like they didn’t happen. Like I’m the only person who saw it or witnessed it, so I can bury it in the dirt where no one will see. But we know that spring brings warmer weather, a lot of rain, sometimes strong winds.

Have you ever planted a spring garden too early and the wind and rain of spring washes the seeds to the surface and exposed them to the whole world? Sometimes that’s the way our sins are. We think we can hide them just beneath a thin layer of soil and no one will know, but God comes along and gives us a little of His wind and rain, and we’re totally exposed to the world. There’s no hiding it after that. It’s embarrassing, it’s awkward, but most of all for me, it’s convicting.

He doesn’t expose us for his entertainment. He exposes us for our humility. It’s His way of saying to us, “You can’t slip that little secret under the rug and not think I’m not going to see it”.

I do garden some and I’ve found that some seeds need to be wiped or washed off before they’re planted. I think God does that with us, He allows the winds and rains to expose our flaws so He can pick us up, wash us of that sin and replant us deep in His soil so we can grow as He planned. When we give Him control He will plant us in His garden and his love cultivates and fertilizes our lives and we grow to His potential.

We are to be gardeners, good gardeners. Gardeners that plant seeds of God’s truth, of His love, of His forgiveness and His plans for our lives and for the lives of those we love. We are to plant seeds for tomorrow- for His coming Kingdom.

The Bible speaks a lot about planting, sewing and about harvesting. And as women we have so many people that cross or paths everyday. Maybe we have family, spouses or children. Maybe it’s co-workers and friends. Or maybe it’s those that we don’t see eye-to-eye with. How can we plant seeds to these people? -by our actions, by our speech, by our attitude?

For me the two hardest groups to plant seeds are family and enemies, family because they know me so well. They see me when I’m good and when I’m bad. They see me when I’m strong and when I’m weak. It feels like I’m living in a fish bowl and they watch everything, just waiting for me to make a mistake so they can say “HEY, you can’t do that- you’re supposed to be a Christian”

My enemies because sometimes it feels as no matter what you do, they’re not going to like you, let alone listen to what you have to say about God and His promises for their life.

But we are commanded to plant seeds, to witness- to be salt as the Bible calls it. I want to encourage you to really see the people in your life that need the Lord. Words are sometimes forgotten, but actions can stay with someone forever. Be an example of Him in everything we do, whether we’re with family, friends, co-workers or in awkward situations with those who don’t want us around. Lift them up in prayer and ask God for ways to reflect His love to them. I want to encourage you to do something this week that truly reflects the Lord in your life and may His Kingdom be glorified.

My First Devotion

Proverbs 31:30

“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”.

This is my favorite scripture. It reminds me that we should always look on the inside. What we see on the outside can be misleading- it might look good but can be evil inside. Like a beautiful apple cut in two can at times reveal a very rotten core. How many of us have worked to look our best but still feel ugly inside? I know I have. Christ made us in Him image. He planned what we would look like before we were conceived. His plan for our lives is that by being filled with Him, we will radiate His Spirit from our inside out. It starts with His heart in ours- His love, His Spirit- filling us so we can’t help but reflect Him in all we do.

Father, help me to be filled with the Spirit that only you can give. Make me radiate with your love so all will see you in me and be blessed.

Julie Watson 1/15/08