You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Matthew 7: 13-14 NLT
Weatherproofing our life through the narrow way seems to be a simple choice between two gates, a broad one and a narrow one. One choice is a highway of life that is accessed through a wide and easily accessible gate. The path of least resistance, the way the crowd is going. Then, there is a narrow gate that is hidden, or hard to find at least, for there are very few who Choose this path. And, when they do choose this narrow way, they find it difficult, uphill, against the flow.
The destination of the two roads is different. They don’t end up at the same place. The wide road leads to destruction, while the narrow road leads to life. The easy, popular choice ends badly, while the difficult, less popular choice ends well. The difference, according to Jesus, is a destination of God’s Kingdom, or hell. Pretty drastic difference. And there doesn’t appear to be a third destination for the undecided. It’s either, or. To not choose, is to choose, so to speak. The narrow, difficult, hard to find path to God’s Kingdom, is sought and found intentionally. All other paths, streets, and avenues lead to the highway to hell.
The Good News is that if you seek the narrow way, Jesus assures you that you will find it, remember the Weatherproof principle #17:
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 NLT
No matter what we have been through, for good or for ill, the journey begins we choose to seek and walk the narrow way, the way of God’s Kingdom, in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, Lord, Savior, and King. Choosing to follow Jesus is the first step, through the gate and onto the narrow path.
Parents can model this choice for their children and raise them under the covering of Christ and the Church, but the child will, eventually, probably, have to make their own choice. At some point in life, maybe multiple times, we come to crossroads where the broad and easy way that we are on intersects with Christ’s narrow path and we are faced with a choice. Will we surrender our personal agenda and turn to Jesus’ way, or continue on the wide path with most other people, and remain lost and alone?
Some people choose the narrow way when they are still children, my wife did. She chose Jesus before her feet could reach the floor of the church pew. And she loves Him to this day. I was in my teens and entered the gate with my best friend Randy. It’s been five decades and neither of us regrets making the choice.
Others don’t come to the crossroad till they are older, or experience a crisis of health or traumatic loss. The wide road has nothing for them, but when they open their eyes, and see, maybe for the first time or maybe for the one hundredth time, the goodness of Jesus, and it finally clicks that He is the One they have been longing for, the Answer, Healer, Savior, Father, Friend, and they step towards him in faith, the journey begins.
None of us, however, stop at the first step. We don’t just step through the narrow gate and life is over, instead, it is just the beginning. Jesus calls it a “path”, or a “narrow way” because it is a journey where each day involves decisions and choices that will result in staying on the path, or veering off. Opportunities to choose God’s Kingdom Way, or the way of the world.
For instance, we face situations where it would be easy to gossip, to talk about someone in a negative light, to position ourselves higher at the expense of someone that isn’t even there to speak for themselves. And any of a number of other situations, speeding, lying, cheating, lusting, stealing, anger and rage—and each of these little choices either helps us make a little progress up the narrow way, or cause us to lose footing and slide down with others who are allowing themselves to do evil. Our daily choices lead us higher up the difficult way, or lower, back toward the highway leading to destruction.
We must remember, attaining God’s Kingdom involves all of life, not just one choice. Not just about entering in, but also walking through. Here are some promises to stand on when the way is steep and the choices are difficult.
- Ask God to lead.
Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path… Psalm 27:1
- Follow the Light of Jesus.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV
- Surrender your will to God.
The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. Psalm 25:9 NKJV
- Deny yourself.
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23 NKJV
Dear Heavenly Father, weatherproof my life by helping me choose the narrow path each day, and in each difficult choice, for I know you love me and have given me Your selfless example, to follow in Your steps. Amen