Take the Narrow Road
By acceptedWhat do I mean by ‘Take the narrow road.’? Do what so many people aren’t doing, and acknowledge God. Our world is full of people who deny that God even exists. Others are lead astray to beliefs that won’t save them.
In Matthew Chapter 7, verses13-14, Jesus states: “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.” [NIV Bible]
Distractions of everyday life, our responsibilities, our goals, and our relationships can squeeze out any desire, time or energy we may have to discover who God is. Getting to know God involves pushing past the barriers of continuous activity and general busyness. The road of destruction is broad because so many people are convinced that all that matters is the here and now, and perhaps, planning for the future. It is God’s will that you take care of your family and fulfill your responsibilities. Whether you work inside or outside of the home, working provides discipline, structure and stability for you and your family. God knows that work gives us a sense of purpose and accomplishment, and that it can prevent us from becoming restless and unmotivated. But we have to make room for God in our lives–being honorable people by taking care of our families and working hard doesn’t excuse us from making the effort to find out Who God is. One of the most destructive myths that people believe concerning life after death is that as long as you tried your best to be a good person, you will go to heaven. Going to heaven isn’t about doing good deeds or avoiding the ugliest sins, it is about believing in God and knowing Him.
To believe in God requires us to look beyond the grind of living. We have to commit to making time for God in our lives. It takes time to read the Bible, and reading the Bible is a non-negotiable part of knowing God. We have to discipline ourselves to value our relationship with God enough to sacrifice some of our time to Bible study and prayer. What does this world do when a new interest starts? The usual pattern is to begin with good intentions and a lot of enthusiasm, only to end up seeing our interest fade away.
But we do have a secret weapon where reading the Bible is concerned. The Bible is referred to as Scripture and is called “The Living Word.” It’s referred to as “living” because we undergo spiritual change when we read the Bible. Every time we read Scripture, we strengthen ourselves spiritually, and we are given more wisdom by the Holy Spirit, who helps us understand the Bible more. And we don’t have to “feel” this for it to happen. In Hebrews Chapter 4, verse 12, it says: For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. [NIV Bible]
There are many rewards for seeking God and making Him a priority. Your most urgent need is to have your eternal life saved, and only God can do this for you. Eternal life lasts so much longer than the life we’re living now that there is simply no way to compare them. I try to explain it like this–this lifetime is a speck in comparison to eternity. Assuming even a generous lifetime, 100 years is nothing compared to 10,000 years. And eternity is a whole lot longer than 10,000 years.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty here. Even if you suffer in this lifetime, the promise of an endless, eternal life in a body that will never experience physical or emotional pain is a magnificent promise, and it would be foolish to turn your back on that. There are many things we don’t understand and won’t understand in this lifetime. But that’s not a good enough reason to refuse the gifts that God truly wants to give to you.
Knowing that we have secured our eternal lives gives us boldness and hope. We can move forward, rejecting fear because we know that this isn’t our only shot. If we make mistakes and disappoint ourselves and others, God is ready and willing to hear our confessions and give us another chance. We don’t have to be so paralyzed by trying to impress other people, making the most money, and racking up an impressive list of accomplishments so that we can feel good about ourselves.
So take the narrow road, the one other people are ignoring. It’s not the popular way to go, it’s the right way to go, for now and forever.