The Narrow Way

““You can enter true life only through the narrow gate. The gate to hell is very wide, and there is plenty of room on the road that leads there. Many people go that way. But the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road that leads there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:13-14‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I know you have read this many times. But read it slowly today and let the words permeate your mind. This road is not the popular or well chosen road. You will walk the opposite way of the world, definitely not the American road. If everything in your life looks likes the American way, stop and think, “Is there a problem with this?” 

We get so busy in life that we honestly do not have time to search for the narrow way. It will involve a sacrifice of time and maybe sleep and even food(if you want to fast to hear from the Lord). 

Everything I just mentioned is NOT something we want to give up...sleep, food and especially give up our time. We want to be in charge of those areas. But the rewards are incomparable! 

Let us find accountability to seek the narrow way. Let us have a desire to look for the narrow road. Let us have glimpses of the rewards that awaits us when we search for the narrow and not the wide, easy road. 

Jesus, you love us so much, you don’t water down your word and make it more palatable. Jesus, you say to follow you it involves everything we’ve got. But when we practice deferred rewards, we inherit the kingdom.  We don’t get all the promises now, but every single promise will be in our future! 

Do You Want to Inherit What God has for You

““Reuben, my first son, you are my strength, the first proof of my manhood. You were the most honored and powerful of all my sons. But your passion was like a flood you couldn’t control. So you will not remain my most honored son. You climbed into your father’s bed and slept with one of his wives. You brought shame to my bed, to the bed you lay on.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭49:3-4‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“Simeon and Levi are brothers. They are violent with their swords.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭49:3, 5‬ ‭ERV‬‬
“Their anger is so strong that it is a curse. They are too cruel when they are angry. They will not get their own land in the land of Jacob. They will be spread throughout Israel.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭49:7‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I am rereading through the book of Genesis and I was amazed by what happened when Jacob was blessing his 12 sons at his deathbed. Jacob’s words were not meant to be cruel or stroking their self-esteem with compliments. He was speaking prophetically of the future. Listen carefully to what these 3 sons heard.

Rueben should have received the leadership role or the position of patriarch. He also should have received the double portion of the inheritance reserved for the eldest child. However, Jacob reminded him that Rueben slept with his stepmother, the nurse maid of Rachel. He told Rueben that he was not able to control the flood of his passions. This event happened many years but he obviously still had not learned to control this. There was no record in scripture of a change. He gave up his inheritance in the Promised Land. Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, replaced him! Incredible!

The next two sons, Levi and Simeon, were equally called out and gave up their inheritance. Levi and Simeon, were known as the instigators of the plan to punish the rape of their sister, Dinah.

“Three days later the men who were circumcised were still sore. Two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, knew that the men would be weak at this time. So they went to the city and killed all the men there. Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi, killed Hamor and his son Shechem. Then they took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and left.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭34:25-26‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Jacob said of them, “Their anger is so strong that it is a curse. They are too cruel when they are angry.” Do you know anyone like that? Their anger cuts to the core. Their remarks draw blood. The consequence of their being unable to get their anger under control was the loss of their inheritance. Levi is still named as one of 12 tribes but the Levi nation did not receive any land because the priests could not own land. Costly price to not ever control your anger.

We all have a bent toward a particular sin problem. I have a bent toward gluttony but for the past 5-7 years, I have worked hard to get that under the Lord’s control. I am always one step away of falling back. You may have a problem with pornography, alcoholism, anger, homosexuality(yes, that is mentioned specifically in the Bible as a sin problem, regardless of what society says), greed, etc.

The price to not deal with this area of sin in our life...giving up the promises that God has for us. Even worse, our legacies are affected. If you study the Bible you will see that the families of Rueben and Simeon disappear from the picture. They never attain the inheritance that God had for them either.

Today make a decision that you want Jesus to be Lord over each area of your life. Ask Him to take over those areas that you want to control. After making this decision, find accountability. I read this last week.

“To change the defects in your life, you have to have people in your life who tell you the truth. You’re not going to get well on your own; you’re going to need other people in your life. You’re going to need support. You’re going to need a small group. Change requires honest community. “ ~ Rick Warren

The ones that you will not have success in are the ones that you choose to keep secret. Find a godly, trained counselor. Find a small group at church and go until you love it. Join a Celebrate Recovery group on Wednesday night. The longer you believe that you can handle it on your own, the farther away you are from the Promised Land God has for you.

Do you fear the person getting more likes?

“The Lord was with David, so he was successful in everything. Saul saw how successful David was and became even more afraid of him. But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led them into battle.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18:14-16‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Saul was the appointed king of Israel. And yet David was becoming more and more the people's choice. It is the equivalent of David getting a 100 times more "likes" than Saul ever dreamed of. I can see this happening in every walk of life.

In my job, there are always going to be people that are more "highly favored." There are teachers at my school that are more talented and more incredible. I really teach at a school where almost every teacher is pretty amazing. However, I have set my mind against needing the accolades and attention at my school. I know that it is a slippery slope to try to be teacher of the year for my sake and my glory. I only desire the Lord's attention and affirmation. But trust me, you have to set your heart to do this.

In the Facebook and Instagram world, there are countless online businesses that are competing for the limited amount of dollars. A precious friend of mine, Michelle Myers is the owner of a three wildly successful online businesses. I can't count the number of times, I have read her posts and they point every single reader to the Lord. But she has purposed in her mind that she is not trying to gain the love of the people. She is trying to gain the attention of one person and Him alone. A long time ago, she decided that she would not "fear" the person that is getting more likes.

In families and friend groups, we "fear" that person that is doing better and getting more attention. What a dangerous thing that the enemy pulls you into to. If you don't get a grip, look where it leads...

“But Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father wanted very much to kill David.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭20:33‬ ‭ERV‬‬

In whatever area of your life, if you see a tendency to be jealous of another person because they are more well liked and are getting the fame that you so desperately crave, draw a line in the sand today.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-5‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Be On Guard

““But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.””
Luke 21:34-36 MSG

i love reading through the gospels and soaking in all the words of Jesus. I think about this one a lot. "But be on guard!" Jesus is saying that to us because he loves us and cares for us. He is clearly warning us that we will be caught off guard if we get swept away by things of this world. We don't like to hear this. I know most Christians close their eyes and ears and go to other topics like love, grace and sweet thoughts. .

I enjoy things of this world as much as anybody...eating, shopping, decorating(the house that will burn up), etc. But I want to maintain "a sharp edge of expectation." I want my thoughts to be laced with eternal things. If I warn my sons of something, I hope they have the good sense to listen. Jesus has put out a warning. I hope I have the good sense to listen.