Enter Through the Narrow Gate
By Kenny Luck
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. (Matthew 7:13)
Sooner or later in our walk as God’s men we encounter what Jesus calls the narrow gate, or narrow path. It’s that incident or situation in life where we have to make a choice: stay the course of obedience in the midst of a trial, or take the easy way out ( i.e., deny, medicate, or otherwise avoid the crisis at hand).
For many choices in life, only God and you ever know whether you were obedient to what He called you to do. At other times, however, the circumstances of the choice are “out there” for all the world to see—how we respond to a negative diagnosis, a wayward spouse, the sudden death of a loved one.
The narrow gate swings both ways—we choose whether to lift the latch and walk through it, or we can also choose to turn around, re-open the gate, and walk away. Or, we can avoid the narrow path altogether. When we walk the narrow path, it:
pinches and hurts—because it’s narrow;
requires sacrifice and “death to self”;
may require giving up on some dreams we thought were important.
Here’s what also happens: The fires of adversity heat us up to a spiritual temperature at which we become malleable. Like a glob of glass at the end of a glassblower’s rod, the Holy Spirit can now breathe into us and form us into His desired shape. No heat = no transformation.
The narrow gate is a two-way gate because God gives us free will. As God’s man, we need to stay on guard. Jesus warned: “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:14). Be one of the few. Once you lift the latch to the small gate and start down the path of the narrow road, lean on the Holy Spirit as your Navigator; find traveling companions who will walk with you; use the guardrails of prayer and His Word to keep you on the true path.
Father, lead me down the narrow path, and may I never look back again. Help me stay the course.
Surrender Brings Victory
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
At precisely 9:04 am on September 2, 1945 aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, World War II officially ended. Signing on behalf of Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese foreign minister inked his signature to the document acknowledging Japan’s complete and unconditional surrender to the Allied powers. It was an awesome sight for those few that attended. I have a good friend whose father was a sailor on the USS Mississippi, which was anchored not too far away, who was able to see the ceremony take place through binoculars.
General MacArthur punctuated the ceremony by expressing the deep desire of all who witnessed this moment: “It is my earnest hope—indeed the hope of all mankind—that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the carnage of the past.” If you follow history, you know what emerged from this moment: a U.S.-led economic recovery plan. It fostered a slow but steady recovery from the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, enabling the last half of the twentieth century to become one of the most productive and peaceful periods in the history of the world.
By all accounts, placing itself at the mercy of the prevailing powers allowed Japan to renew itself, rebuild, and recover. But first the Japanese military and government had to completely give up, lay down its arms, and surrender unconditionally. This is certainly a great illustration of what is necessary for us to experience the love that God has provided for us his children.
Imagine Japan’s coming to the formal table on the USS Missouri and saying to General MacArthur, “We’ll sign, but we want to strike through the ‘unconditional’ part. We will agree, however, to using the phrase ‘mostly surrender.’” That wouldn’t have cut it with MacArthur or the leaders back in Washington, D.C. And neither is it be acceptable for God’s men.
Your Father will provide the faith that you need to surrender to Him.
Father, You will not hold back. You keep Your promises.
Published with permission from Kenny Luck and Every Man Ministries.
Read more from Kenny Luck: Preparing For Storms, Leaning Into Risk
Kenny Luck is a pastor and author on a mission to revolutionize men's ministry, free men spiritually, and ignite spiritual health worldwide through Every Man Ministries.