Narrow Entrance

"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,

because many, I tell you,

will try to enter and will not be able to.

Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door,

you will stand outside knocking and pleading,

'Sir, open the door for us.'

But he will answer,

 'I don't know you or where you come from.'

Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you,

and you taught in our streets,'

But he will reply,

'I don't know you or where you come from.

Away from me, all you evildoers!'"

Luke 13:24-27

We live in a time of individuality where the importance of family is at an all-time low.  In days gone by, however, where you came from meant everything.  Take, for instance, the kings of Judah and Israel.  Whenever a new king is introduced in the record, his blood line is revealed in detail.  "In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. . . His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah." (2 Kings 18:1,2b)

In the days before Google and background searches, one's family name was important in determining a person's character, values and upbringing.  If Grandfather so-and-so, for example, was known for swindling people out of their money, I would be wise to stay away from trading with anyone falling under his family name.  Knowing where someone came from was an important part of becoming familiar with a person.

Likewise, the more I know about someone's family, the closer I can say I am to that person.  When a young woman meets her boyfriend's parents, this is seen as a sign that the relationship is getting serious: The young couple is committing to finding out more about each other and thus deepening their relationship.  A stronger bond is formed when each party knows from where the other came.

Jesus made it clear that my relationship with Him is more important than what I do, how much I know or what I've heard.  I can be an expert in God's Word, hold many degrees in different facets of ministry and be from a family of believers, but if I don't know God myself, if it's only hearsay and not personal knowledge of His touch in my life, then I have not entered into God's kingdom.

Entering through the narrow gate is more than just converting to Christianity: It's about cultivating a personal relationship with a living God.

Devotion

My dog loves me.  That may seem presumptuous of me to state, but his actions give me the assurance of his devotion.  When I walk into a room, no matter how tired he is, he acknowledges me with a wag of the tail.  When I give him a command, he willingly obeys. (Well, that is unless there is a squirrel running across his line of vision; then he can't resist the chase.) If I offer a treat, he will keep his eyes glued on me, wanting nothing more than to please His master, even more than consuming the tasty morsel.  

These signs all point to the prospect that the pooch adores me.  But possibly the most convincing evidence of his loyalty to me is his desire to constantly be in my presence.  When I'm at home, he follows me around wherever I go.  He simply wants to spend time with me, even if it only means sleeping at my feet.

This is how I can display my affection for my Lord.  He is always there with me, at my side, but most of the time I deny His presence.  I go about my daily routine as if I were alone, when in fact, He is always there.  (Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 19:20, 1 Corinthians 3:16)

What if I were to begin treating God as if He was able to be known?  I could include Him in every activity beginning with getting out of bed in the morning and talking to Him about what I should wear until I come full circle and end the day back in the same place.  Each decision I make could be an exercise in intimacy as I defer to His wisdom and discernment.  Instead of walking by habit or tradition, I could begin following Him with every step I take.

As I spend time with Him in this way, He will begin to reveal things about Himself.  I'll see that He wants me to take pleasure in His creation as He points out all the colors He placed in today's sunset or the intricacy of the rose He created for my enjoyment.  He'll teach me that He prepares me for the purpose He has for me in the way that I witness His gentle hand guiding me through the process.  Soon I'll find out how much He loves me even though I keep messing up.  

Desiring to discover more and more about God pleases Him.  Many times, though, I get it backwards.  I think I need to do things for Him to prove my devotion to Him.  Oswald Chambers boldly declares that, "We slander God by our very eagerness to work for Him without knowing Him."

The narrow way can only be entered with a heart that is devoted to knowing and pleasing my Lord.

Obedience

He thought he was doing the right thing.  He knew that God required sacrifices to be made before any military campaign would be blessed by His hand.  Thousands of soldiers, too numerous to count along with 3,000 chariots and 6,000 charioteers assembled before the 3,000 chariots of Israel.  Surely God would deliver the vile Philistines into our hands, thought Saul.  We are His people and are doing His will.  I can't wait any longer for Samuel to arrive and offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.  My men are losing heart. . . I must act now. (1 Samuel 13:2-14)

And with that, Saul made the fatal decision to go against God's instructions given through Samuel (1 Samuel 10:8) and offer a sacrifice without the presence of a consecrated priest or prophet.  He did what he thought was right instead of trusting God with His plan.

It's easy to make a rash choice based on my own common sense, but God desires that I wait on His guidance and direction.  I can quickly make out a list of pros and cons based on scripture when faced with an important decision, but obeying God means I will wait for His lead and only move when He gives the go-ahead.  Things don't always go the way I think they will when I resolve to obey God wholeheartedly, but He is faithful to follow through and provide strong leadership.

Later, when Saul was caught again disobeying the Lord's strict instructions to let no human or animal live when He intended to use His people to enact justice on the Amelekites, Saul tried to cover up his defiance by claiming the animals were for sacrificial use.  Samuel said to him, "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  To obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Samuel 15:22)

There are many ways I try to do things that seem right while completely disregarding His direct calling on my life.  While there is nothing wrong with teaching Sunday School, if I am doing it out of obligation instead of obedience, I am in the same boat as Saul.

When I sense a definite calling to the foreign mission field but instead sidestep with a commitment to a local ministry, all the time and effort I put into that organization means nothing to God.

There could be a time when God calls me to quit my job and move to another area of the country but I'm afraid because I don't have any money or even a job lined up.  Instead, I establish a mission to feed the homeless in my hometown.  Unfortunately, my disobedience caused me to miss out on the provisions He already had laid out for me and the blessing of walking in His will, if only I would have trusted Him.

There are many good things I can choose to do, but only that which God has ordained for me will matter to Him.

The narrow way can only be entered with a willingness to listen and obey the voice of my Good Shepherd.

Submission

I accepted Jesus as my Savior at a Billy Graham Crusade back in May of 1976.  It was then that I received forgiveness through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus and the promise of eternal life from a loving God.  

It wasn't until about 1993, though, that I made Jesus Lord of my life.  Until then, I knew I was saved by God from eternal damnation and I enjoyed the assurance of salvation, but I did not submit myself to Him.  Instead, I lived my life my way.  When I put myself under the headship of Christ, several things began to happen.  I started to see things differently, as if my point of view was altering.  Another change that occurred was that the things that used to be important to me began to fade into the background as Jesus took center stage.

As I continue to crucify my will so I can take on God's, He continues to transform my thinking and carry on the work He started so long ago.  I will never be sorry I made Jesus Lord of my life. 

There are, however, many adjustments to be made as I exchange my desires for His.  I can no longer do as I wish but am committed to deferring to His plan for my life.  It is not just my reputation that I am concerned with, but His Name that becomes my foremost consideration.  Acceptance of the circumstances in which He has placed me becomes my highest calling.  

When Jesus is my Lord, I am putting Him at the helm of my ship.  Sometimes, He takes me through stormy waters that threaten to overwhelm.  But as Oswald Chambers asks, "Can I face things as they actually are in the light of the reality of Jesus Christ, or do things as they are efface altogether my faith in Him, and put me into a panic?"

Surrendering to Jesus as my Lord means I will trust Him even when things seem to be going wrong.  Only He sees the big picture, and my reliance on Him despite how bad things look tells the story of my faith.

The narrow way can only be entered on my knees in submission to Jesus Christ.

Jesus told us that, "small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matthew 7:14)   If I want to be one of the few, I'll devote my heart to knowing and pleasing God, commit myself to obedience to His voice, and don't just make Jesus my Savior, but also Lord of my life.  When I do these things, I'll be able to gain access to the narrow entrance that most pass on by for other,more enticing doorways.  But like it's been said many times, good things come in small packages.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will devote myself to not just knowing about God, but knowing Him personally and intimately.

When do I forgo my relationship with Him in exchange for a religious commitment?

How am I placing more importance on God's Word than on God himself?