Daily Devotional for September 22, 2022

Counting my father, brothers, sister-in-law, and nephew, there are six Methodist pastors named Robbins.  This means sooner or later, we run into someone who had a different Robbins as pastor.
 
Tuesday, Marty joined the church.  She transferred from Marvin Methodist Church, in Tyler, Texas, where my brother, John, had served as pastor.
 
As with all new members, we take their picture.  Marty was no exception.
 
As we stood next to each other while Ellie took the picture, I had the greatest idea in the history of ideas.  
 
I decided to text John and tell him Marty had joined First Methodist Temple, and, by the way, she said I was a much better preacher than he was.
 
To make this look as real as possible, Marty sent the following text that I could forward to John. I was so excited.  Her text message said, “Pastor Tom, soooo good to meet you personally!  And, thank you for permitting me to take a picture with you.  I’m so very excited in getting to know the people here at FUMC.  Be sure to tell your brother hi for me!  Wish he were as good a preacher as you are, Pastor Tom😱  God Bless! 🙏🏻🙏🏻”
 
I immediately forwarded the text and picture to my brother in Arkansas expecting a quick, humorous, brotherly kind of comment.  
 
He wrote: “She’s awesome!  Great!!”
 
That’s it.  I was very disappointed.  He didn’t tell me to jump off a cliff, play in traffic, or get lost.  He took the high road.  Again, I was very disappointed.  That’s when I realized John had been reading the Bible again.
 
Paul said, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”  (Ephesians 4:29)
 
Needless to say, my brother did a very unbrotherly thing by taking the high road and depriving me of a laugh. He should have known better.
 
The point is, the best way to live life, avoid needless controversy, and not be dragged down into the gutter responses of life is to always take the high road.  I promise it works.  
 
Prayer:  Dear Gracious Heavenly God, help me walk and talk like Jesus.  When temptation comes, help me always take the high road.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.
 
Taking the high road is like sucking the oxygen out of an angry fire.  There’s nothing left to burn.
 
Also, just for the record, my brother is a better preacher than I am.
 
There, I took the high road.  That’ll fix his wagon.
 
I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins