September 4
Gates Narrow and Wide
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. –– Matthew 7:13-14
I used to fly a lot for work, and I discovered something about airports: some are built for planes, and some are built for people. For example, though I love the city of Atlanta, I don’t really care for its airport. It’s definitely built for planes rather than people. If you are at one end of the airport and need to make a connecting flight at the other end, good luck. The same goes for Newark and LAX. On the other hand, I do appreciate Denver International, as it’s well-designed and fairly simple to move from one terminal to the next. (Let the airport arguments begin!)
Making things easy for people to move around is just logical, right? Whether it’s a highway system, an airport, or a shopping center. In other words: make it wide, easy to navigate, and simple. When it comes to God’s Kingdom, however, things get interesting. Consider the fact that the preferred path is the narrow gate, while the broad roads lead to destruction. Jesus, of course, talks about this in the Sermon on the Mount (toady’s verse above).
Like so many things in God’s Kingdom, the idea of a narrow gate being the best way forward seems illogical. Why not make the best way forward as wide as possible? For those of us who have been following Jesus for a while, this may seem like navel-gazing, but I would suggest that’s because we’re used to the idea. Jesus was stressing to the crowds (close to 10,000 people that day, including women and children) this critical point:
The decision to surrender your life to Christ isn’t complicated; but actually doing it is hard.
It’s like diving from a 3-meter board: you climb the stairs, walk to the edge, put your hands together, and fall forward. Easy, right? It’s the old adage that just because something is simple to understand doesn’t make it easy to do. Essentially, what Jesus is telling us in Matthew 7 is that most people take the easy path and refuse to embrace the message of the Gospel, while few choose the narrow path, which leads to spiritual life. And it’s not that God set it up that way. I mean, it’s not as if He said, “I’m going to make it really difficult for people to give their lives to Jesus.” Rather, His message—as articulated by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount—is that while all have access to the Kingdom, only a few will choose that path. Sad? Yes. But when anyone chooses their own path—other than through Christ—that’s exactly what it is: a choice.
Man of God, have you chosen the narrow gate that leads to life, or are you walking the wide road that leads to destruction? Here’s how you can answer that question: When you choose Christ, and when you choose to walk with Him in a posture of surrender, that leads to the narrow path. What road are you on?
If you’ve never made a decision to turn your life and will over to Christ, there’s no time like the present. If that is something you desire, pray with me:
Dear God, I acknowledge that I cannot earn my way to heaven, and that the way to You is through Your Son, Jesus. I admit that I have been living life on my own terms, walking the wide path that leads away from You. Instead, today I come to Your throne and ask that You cleanse me of my sins as I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. In Your name I pray, amen.
If you just prayed this prayer to become a Christian, angels in Heaven are rejoicing! (Luke 15:10). E-mail us and let us know about your decision, so that we can connect you with next steps and celebrate with you as well! connect@everymanministries.com.