By Allen White
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
Have you ever sat through a seminar where the speaker promised a
surefire way to get rich quick? I’m always waiting for the punchline to be: If
you want to get rich like me, then sell tickets to your own seminar. After
all, if their methods worked so well, why are they being so generous with their
information?
Shortcuts usually come up short. We do learn our lesson – don’t
give 50 bucks to any fast talking stranger who blows through town. See, this
devotional has already made you $50 richer.
The wide gate gives plenty of elbow room. You go with the crowd
and go with the flow. But, if the whole crowd took a shortcut to being rich,
then who would be rich? Everybody would have the same. If the whole crowd gave
the least of themselves to gain spiritual assurance, then no wonder so many
flounder in spiritual mediocrity.
But, the narrow gate – it’s a bottle neck. It’s inconvenient. It
requires sacrifice. It makes us uncomfortable. But, it also leads to Heaven.
The wide gate, according to Jesus, leads to the other place.
Many of us spent much of our teenage years trying to be unique by
blending in with the crowd. We fought our parents over expressing our
individuality by dressing exactly like our peers. Our concern wasn’t creativity,
but conformity. Only the freaks and geeks stood out. No one wanted to sit at
that table.
How much has the world squeezed us into its mold? Many people want
to be religious enough for a good reputation, but not so religious to stand
out. Now, we all know a few people who are “over-saved.” These are the folks
who make every statement into a spiritual analogy. “Boy, I saved a lot at the
mall.” “Well, Jesus saves us completely.” You get the picture.
The wide gate caters to Christian consumers who need to be
entertained to stay interested in church. Let’s be honest. If someone has to
put on a show in order for you to follow Christ, what is this getting you? If
you want a show, stay home and watch TV.
The narrow way is radical. It dangerously sets you apart from the
crowd. The narrow way will take you to places where you never imagined yourself
going. The narrow way is risky. The wide gate is safe, well, until you reach
the end.
How are you playing it safe in your relationship with God? Is He
your spiritual blankey or binky when you have trouble? Or is God the director
of your life?
As Francis Chan puts it, “You have a choice each day to depend on
yourself, to live safely, and to try to control your life.
“Or you can live as you were created to live – as a temple of the
Holy Spirit of God, as a person dependent on Him, desperate for God the Spirit
to show up and make a difference.
When you begin living a life characterized by walking with the
Spirit, that is when people will begin to look not to you but to our Father in
heaven and give Him the praise” (from The Forgotten God, page 156.
Support Galatians 419 Ministries with a Tax Deductible Donation through the Joy to the World
Foundation:http://joytotheworldfoundation.org/operating-projects/149-galations-419-ministries/backing
Leave a Comment or Subscribe: galatians419.blogspot.com
More from Allen White: allenwhite.org
Facebook: Galatians419
Group
No comments:
Post a Comment