“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
Lies and hate speak loudly. It does not matter if I agree or disagree with a position. Those taking on any position will perform actions or use words that are boisterous. Much money is spent on ads designed to garner our attention and draw us into what are not gods. All other gods come with side effects. Think of the long list of possible side effects that come with the commercials about any medication. Maybe something similar should go along with alcohol commercials. Common side effects of alcohol consumption are temporary loss of memory, loss of jobs, loss of families, and more. Check with your family before using it and listen to their opinions.
The narrow way must require that we will serve one God and only one God. How we do this is difficult. It seems that the loud voices are ringing constantly. We can justify any misbehavior and sin. When we do that, we are serving another god. That is not the narrow way.
In one parable, Jesus has the master in the story invite folks to a celebration, but they come back with excuses. One had a new wife and did not want to leave her, another had new oxen to take for a test drive, and one wants to bury his father. None of these are sinful in themselves. In fact, in most cases, we would even commend them for their choice. However, when I understand the narrow way, I realize the mistake of those that gave excuses. They all said they were willing to follow Jesus, but first they had other business to attend to. We might say, “Jesus, I will follow you after I am married, after my kids are grown, or after I get my next promotion at work. Excuses all ring hollow when we compare it to serving the King of Kings faithfully with our whole being. Again, anything you put first, puts you on a wide road of others who are not heading toward Jesus.
Addiction is loud. Hateful Christianity is loud. Adultery and a violation of any of the ten commandments is loud. Yet truth is quiet. Truth speaks to our innermost being. Our God works to woo us into relationship with Him. He is acting in our world showing us more of Himself and telling us that He is what we are really searching for and that the other gods come with pain heartache and more. Jesus alone comes with a promise of true peace, true love, and true hope.
The problem for us is that because truth is quiet, we need to sit quietly and listen for Him to speak. We are an impatient people. We want things to happen quickly and in a hurry. We want to see the destination. But think of how unrealistic it is. This desire to constantly see the end game would be like taking a trip from New York to Los Angeles and expect to be able to see our final turn. The ancients, the prophets, and the apostles did not know where they were going. They only knew the one that was leading them. They trusted Him, they took the narrow way, and that has made all the difference.
