Road rules

People can place their hope in a lot of things. But when hopes are attached to the wrong things, our expectations perish. Not so with God-given hope of joy. Based on the finished work of Christ, it will carry us into eternity. When the hope of Jesus is in us, our joy is complete! (John 15:11 NIV)

Wisdom does not guarantee a problem-free life or make us immune to the fallout of bad decisions. But wisdom will lead us to a life God blesses. And God will bring peace to our paths—a peace that surpasses human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

When we trust in Jesus, the old is gone; the new has come. We are forgiven of our past and adopted into the eternal King’s family. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life of obedience. Our position in Christ gives us significance, security, and acceptance. We do not have to follow the instincts of our old lives.  

We must teach our children the power of words from their mouths or through their thumbs with Tic Tok, Instagram, texts, or Twitter. And, of course, an important part of teaching is show and tell. We must model what we teach!

Amazingly, the right words at the right time have the power to change our attitudes instantly. It moves our hearts from gloomy to joyful, our minds from confusion to clarity, and even puts a smile on our faces.

Telling the truth comes from the heart through the lips of a person who desires to honor God. Truth-telling is something we can show and tell our children every day. Remind your kids that God loves honesty—it’s like a kiss on the lips. 

Challenges need to be shared and discussed but make a habit of letting your family share the good news of the day. God’s Word promises that it will refresh us and cause our hearts to rejoice.

Let’s be conscious of the meaning, the volume, the tone, and the facial expressions that set the context. Let’s thoughtfully and intentionally speak life-giving words. Let’s watch our tongue!

We work productively, earn the appropriate degrees, develop healthy relationships, pray and participate as citizens, and use our money as good stewards. But we cannot trust in any of these alone. Victory rests with the Lord.