Lois's Writing

GALATIANS 5:13-16

A person does not consider the pros and cons of walking through the wide gate and taking the  path that leads to destruction.  Instead, he or she drifts onto that path without thinking of the consequences.  The narrow gate is different--we must deliberately choose to pass through it and take the sparsely populated way to heaven.

Walking on the narrow road requires faith, discipline, and determination.  we must be reading the Bible daily and maintianing an active prayer connection to God.  By surrendering our lives to Christ, we keep our hearts on the narrow road.

Truthfully, we all have desires--our fleshly appetites--over on the easier pathway.  We are each tempted to sin.  As we choose to give in to temptation, our feet may remain on the narrow road, but our hearts return to the broad way.  The more we choose to participate in sinful actions and attitudes, the deeper our heart is embedded in the worldly way.

We tell ourselves that we are achieving freedom and that it is our right to do what we want.  However, the truth is, we are grasping at false contentment while the "genuine article" awaits us if we just return to obeying God.  And we are not the only ones injured by our rebellion.  Fellow travelers on the broad way are watching us.  When we act just like them, they make a judgment: "Hypocrite!" In that way, we lose our testimony.

The narrow way may be hard to follow, but God promises constant aid and great reward--salvation and joy now: heaven later. 

L. J.