THE BROAD AND THE NARROW WAY

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV)

 At the beginning of life, each soul stands before these two paths. In each of us the love of life is strong, and in each is the desire to get as much as possible out of the years which may be given. Amiel expresses this strong passion for life when he says: "A passionate wish to live, to feel, to express, stirred the depth of my heart. I was overpowered by a host of aspirations. In such a mood one would attempt to devour the whole world, experience everything, see everything, learn everything, tame everything, and conquer everything."

In our early years each of us wakes up to the throb of strong natural impulses, and we are tempted to argue, if God has given me these strong desires, why should they not be gratified? Why should I not throw the reins on the necks of these wild horses, and let them bear me where they may? To do this, is to go through the wide gate, and to take the broad road. It is the way of society, of the majority, the "many" go in there, It is pre-eminently the way of the world, and no one who goes by this way, allowing his course to be dictated by strong natural impulses, need fear that he will be counted strange or eccentric!

It must be admitted that, in its first stages, the broad way is generally easy and rather delightful. The boat launched on the flowing stream sweeps merrily and pleasantly along the gradient of the road slopes so as to make walking easy, the sun shines, and the path is filled with bright flowers. But to a life given up to self-indulgence, there is only one end, destruction.

There is a more excellent way, but it is too narrow to admit the trailing garments of passionate desire, too narrow for pride, self-indulgence, greed, and avarice, it is the Way of the Cross, but it leads to life! We all want to see life, and the remarkable thing is that those who expect to get most out of it by self-indulgence miss everything; while those who seem to curtail their lives by following Christ, win everything. Few find and enter this path, is the lament of our Lord. Let's put our hand in His, that He may lead us into the path of life, "that shines more and more unto the perfect day."

 PRAYER

Dear Lord, as Enoch walked with You of old, so would we walk each day, choosing the narrow path; order our steps in Your way, and graciously walk with us. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.