'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, NIV

 

Is there anyone amongst us who has not gotten lost somewhere along the path of life? You are travelling to a destination, but took the wrong turn-off. You have lost sight of the right signs along the way. The answer is not to accelerate, then you only go much further from where you wanted to be. Sometimes, it is necessary to come to a stop, pull off from the path and take out a good map. Sometimes, we need a course adjustment to reach our destination.

 

How do we find the right path for our lives? I remember in my grandmother’s kitchen, there was an old poster of the broad way and the narrow way. On the one side, it is indeed a broad path, with many delightful attractions along the way. There are many people on this path, but the end of the road is a burning firepit. The narrow way enters through the narrow gate and only a few people are walking this path, filled with obstacles. However, the end of this road is heaven.

 

Jesus teaches us that we enter the narrow road through the narrow gate. In John 10:9 he said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” We enter the path of the kingdom of God where we humble ourselves before the cross of Christ. We abdicate the throne of our hearts to Christ and submit to him being Lord of our lives. The gate is narrow, we can only come to Christ with empty hands.

 

The path leading to heaven is also narrow. I walk as a disciple of Jesus in his footsteps. I follow wherever he leads me. I obey his commands (John 15:10). This life-long journey of faith is not an easy journey; it is a path of self-sacrifice. I am not free to pursue my own wishes and whims all the time. It may be a difficult journey of obedience, but this is the path to life. We find true freedom, peace and joy when we follow Jesus.

 

The path to destruction seems like a lovely highway. On this path, you may do as you wish. You are your own master, you make your own choices according to your desires. In the short term, it seems like a life well worth living. However, if you miss the narrow gate along the way, the final destination is destruction. Jesus told us this to stress the importance of making the right choice in life. You cannot walk with one foot on each path, each path is going in opposite directions. We were born on the broad path, we need to change direction to walk the path of life. We need an encounter with Jesus and then we need to follow him where he leads us. This will always be the path of life – following in our Master’s footsteps.

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you meet us at a crossroad in our lives. When we meet you, we are confronted with the most important decision in our lives. You say that most people choose to continue on the broad path – it seems the easy way to go – but you are our source of life. Help me to follow in your footsteps wherever you choose to lead me, for this is the path of life. Amen.