High Road

Growing up a preacher's kid wasn't always fun. Besides the irritating label, somehow it seemed I was supposed to be a little bit less human than the next kid. My list of do's and don'ts was a little longer and a smidge more particular than that of others. Most of my friends were okay with this PK but to some I was viewed as something semi-divine!

The older version of me looks back and sees being a PK from a different angle. Raising my own children, I admit I expected a lot from them -- holding them to a high standard. That standard was often higher than other parents, and why? Because I know the standard by which we all are measured – it’s God’s measure, not man's! Peter repeats God’s words to His people in Leviticus, “Be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16). There’s the standard – the measure for living! With Godly wisdom we carefully gauge and siphon the poison that threatens holy living. In his book, "Winning The War Within,” Charles Stanley writes: "If doing business with certain individuals or groups puts you in a position that causes you to violate your convictions time and time again, quit doing business with them. If watching certain television shows causes you to lust, don't excuse them because of their entertainment value. Just quit watching them. If being with a particular group of people causes you to stumble, don't rationalize by saying, 'But they are my friends.' Get some new friends!" This is what it means to raise the standard! God’s standard isn’t a limbo bar which by the rules are lowered over and over again. Holy living is based on precepts set by a holy God which are never compromised. His standards challenge us to take the high road. Pastor Tony used to say, "When in doubt, throw it out!" Good life choices are based on wisdom and truth -- God's wisdom and truth. Sure, tough decisions aren’t always fun, but the rewards are out of this world!