Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14
If you imagine what the narrow path might look like
We know it’s narrow, that we can envision
We know we have Jesus Christ Himself cheering us on,
standing at the Finish Line
We also have the examples in the word
of a Great Cloud of Witnesses,
those characters in the bible who have gone before us in this world
and have gone on to be with the Lord, who made it to the Finish Line
Their lessons of faith in the bible spur us on
But there are also distractions
Many distractions
Distractions that entice us to get off focus
Where should our focus be?
That Christ may have the preeminence
And He is the head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things He may have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18
Distractions of false doctrine
Distractions of attacks
Distractions of enticing sin:
Gossip, slander, drunkenness
Or any other sin you can think of
Beckoning us, calling us
to put our focus on whatever earthly pleasure or desire or muck
the enemy would send our way,
to spend time with whatever it is distracting us
rather than spending our time for the kingdom
or putting ourselves, our flesh before the Lord
There is a psalm where the psalmist says
God is not in all of the thoughts of the wicked
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance,
will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. Psalm 10:4
All his thoughts?
Is God in all your thoughts?
I’m not sure He is always in all my thoughts
We can be lovers of self
A really good goal is to remember God throughout the day
It goes along with praying without ceasing
Receiving our daily bread from the Lord
To seek the Lord about all our decisions is the main point
Many decisions we make will affect us in eternity
Keeping close to God so that He can lead us and guide us
is of utmost importance in our walks, to keep us on the narrow path,
to keep us from distractions that would call us away,
deceive us into thinking they are important,
important enough to spend time on
If you pick something up that is distracting,
the sooner you put it down, the better
Don’t get distracted
Additional Scriptures:
Strive to enter in at the strait gate:
for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
When once the master of the house is risen up,
and hath shut to the door,
and ye begin to stand without,
and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us;
and he shall answer and say unto you,
I know you not whence ye are:
Luke 13:24-25
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2 Timothy 3:2-4
Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11