My Way or the "High-er Way"

I was talking with a friend last week about how sometimes we want to do things and live life our own way.  She mentioned that she used to be a "my way or the highway" type of person.  I have to admit, there have been times in my life that I've felt the same way. It's not necessarily that I wanted my way and "that's all there was to it," it was more of "this is how I want it to go, so do it my way, because my way is the right way for me."  You see, even though I knew that God had good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11), I have still followed my own paths and choices, at times.  (Yup... I'm still a WIP... Work in Progress).

The thing about God, even though He knows the good plans He has for me, He will let me choose my way even though His is the "High-er" way.  The choices I make, or plan to make, may look like they are the best thing for me at that moment.  The trouble with that, is that I can't always see the bigger picture.  Because God knows everything about me: past, present and future, He truly knows and has the best plans for me.  I may be going through a difficult situation in life, but He already has a plan to get me through it and has seen how it will help me in the future.  He, alone, knows the blessings He has in store for me.

There was a song in the early 70's that said, "I had a dream but it wasn't my dream anymore.  I thought it was good, but Jesus closed the door.  I said, "Lord, but this dream, it was good for me," He said, "Yes, it was good but not best for thee, why not trust me?"

I need to remember, His way is the "Higher" way. When faced with a choice in life, I need to take the time to seek Him, to seek the "Higher" way.

What about you?  Are you a "My Way or the Highway" type of person?  There is another way...why not take the the "Higher" way?  You never know, it just might be the best way for you, yet.

Foundation vs "Pound"-ation

How do you relate to others that may not feel, believe or think the same way as you do?  Do you build foundations or do you try to push your way of thinking or believing on them?

My pastor posted the following message from Andy Stanley: "Don't trade your ability to make a difference by insisting on making a point." We should ask ourselves if making our point is really more important than making a difference in someone else's life.

When we try to force our way or our opinion, right or wrong, on someone else, we are building a wall, not a foundation.  We're trying to "pound" our way of thinking into the situation.  Building walls separates us, but building foundations helps us in our relationships.

Life is all about relationships...with family, with friends, with co-workers and even with people we meet in the coffee shop, grocery store, etc.  We will not always agree with everyone, but we can find a way to get along.  Romans 12:18 tells us "if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

If we treat each other with love and kindness, we will build foundations in our relationships.  We should strive to treat others as we, ourselves, would like to be treated.  Isn't that the Golden Rule?  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Did you know the Golden Rule comes from the Bible in Luke 6:31?

The next time we're in a situation with someone who might not agree with us, let's try to take a moment and think about what is more important... our "right" to be "right"... or the relationship.

After all, as my grandmother used to say, "you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."