One of America’s favorite game shows for many years was The Price is Right. A favorite feature was when contestants chose between what was behind doors number one, two, or three. Behind one of those doors was a fabulous prize. Behind the other two were items of much less value. It was always a tense moment as people made their choice. When they picked the right door, the place went wild and the lucky winner celebrated enthusiastically. When contestants chose incorrectly, the host tried to console them by assuring them that what they had just won was better than a kick in the head. Viewers who watched the events on television often wondered which door they would choose if they were ever fortunate enough to get on that show.
Jesus claimed that every person must make a more important choice with a far more fabulous prize at stake. Jesus declared, “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). This passage has rightly been understood as addressing salvation. Even though everyone desires to obtain eternal life, only a minority of people actually secure it.
But this passage can be applied to other areas of life as well. These verses address the ways of God. How God handles something as important as our eternal salvation provides a compelling clue as to how he will deal with less critical matters. People want many things from God: a better job, a more fruitful ministry, robust health, a vibrant marriage and family. I contend that to obtain those things, we must undergo a similar process to obtaining salvation.
There are several practical takeaways from this passage:
First, God has amazing blessings for people if they are willing to seek them. God could have simply handed each person salvation without any effort on the part of the recipient. But these verses indicate that we must follow a path and enter a gate to receive what God has for us. I believe this sequence is true of any endeavor God places before us. Why do some people experience amazing spiritual victories while others do not? Why do some people regularly experience answered prayer and others don’t? Why do some people traverse the deep places of God and others linger near the surface? A journey is typically required to claim God’s promises. Some people are simply unwilling to invest the necessary effort to receive the prize.
Second, broad and easy is the way that leads to destruction. The reason so many people choose this path is because it requires the least effort or investment. Marketers know that people are eager to find the easiest road possible to their desired destination. When it comes to the things of God, following the crowd will often lead you off track. Jesus warned that few people take the path that leads to life. It’s not out of reach, but it is not a popular path.
Third, Jesus said the road that leads to life is difficult. Wouldn’t a loving God make the road to life broad and gentle, with tall fruit trees lining the way to provide shade and sustenance to its travelers? Perhaps. But Scripture cautions us that God’s ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8-9). God is not motivated by numbers. He wants people to exhibit proper attitudes. He understands that great rewards are best achieved with great effort.
Some may understandably argue that salvation is free. It’s a gift. It requires no effort on our part. That’s true. But we receive it in a countercultural way. God requires us to humble ourselves and confess our sin and need for salvation. There are many who would rather travel to the four corners of the globe and ascend the highest mountain than admit they have a problem they cannot solve. Salvation is a free gift, but it requires us to confess our sin, turn from our wicked ways, and accept Jesus as our Lord. There are millions of people unwilling to do so. There are countless people, like the Rich Young Ruler, who want to establish their own terms for salvation. They are put off by God’s prerequisites.
Likewise, God makes the path to his vast treasures difficult. There are many who commence on the proper road but soon grow weary and lose heart. Every Christmas season, I am reminded about the road to good health. I can easily recognize the path to weight loss and cardiovascular health. It involves not consuming everything I enjoy eating. It includes exercising, even when I would rather not. I typically commence each new year with healthy habits and routines. But that road is difficult. I soon begin to struggle to stay on the path. If God wanted me to have a lean, healthy body, why didn’t he create a pill I could take each morning with orange juice to achieve it?!
Jesus said that “few” find it. Most people never discover or enjoy what God has made abundantly available for them, which is tragic. Many Christians have found the path to salvation, but they have not found the gate to joy, or fruitfulness in ministry, or victory over certain sins.
We should not assume we can merely follow the crowds and still enter the narrow gate. The right path for us will probably not be the one that appears most attractive. It may seem difficult and uninviting. People may even criticize us for following it. In those moments, we’ll have to decide just how much we want what’s behind that door.
I have written and spoken often about my father. He is the greatest man of God I have ever known. I admire him greatly. He often took the narrow road when it came to his walk with God. Dad was called to small, struggling churches. I watched him take paths I did not see many other pastors taking. He got up at 4:00 a.m. to meet with God for many hours each morning. He always had his Bible, a stack of other books, and a notepad beside his chair. He was constantly cultivating his faith and seeking to trust God for more. His was a difficult path. It required effort and sacrifice. But over time, it proved extremely fruitful. Others would later question why God blessed my dad’s church far more than theirs. I have come to believe that God doesn’t play favorites. He blesses those who take the narrow path.
While my dad typically took the right path in his relationship with God, he was wasn’t always as careful in other areas. Those who know my dad personally know he has always had an unsatiable sweet tooth. My mother worked tirelessly to help my dad walk a healthy path. It never took him long to exit that path! As a result, Dad eventually became a Type 2 diabetic. To this day he suffers consequences because he chose not to walk the difficult path when it came to his health.
I don’t mean to criticize my father. We all struggle to take the right path in certain areas. Some preachers want to experience more fruit in their preaching, but they are unwilling to take the path that involves more reading and study. Some want to improve their career, but they refuse to take the path that leads to higher education and better credentials. Some wish they had a more vibrant walk with God, but they can’t imagine rising at the hour required in order to enjoy extended times in God’s presence each day.
These realities lead me to ask myself some troubling questions. Am I on the wrong path in certain areas of my life? Am I doing some things because they are easy rather than because they are fruitful? Could my life be more victorious and abundant if I were to switch the path I am taking? It is so easy to take a wrong turn and end up on the wrong path. Perhaps we simply took the advice of a friend or blithely followed along with what we saw others doing. It might have been the only option we could see, and we never bothered to investigate any alternatives. Perhaps we are like my dad. We made a wise choice concerning our salvation but have struggled in other areas.
Jesus made it clear that he won’t force his best on us. He also described how life involves choices. Not everyone chooses well. I pray that in the days ahead you will choose the narrow way. Perhaps the hard way. But the path that leads to life.
