“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”

That’s some age-old advice from Matthew 7:13 and its good stuff to remember as we think about our “walk with God”. It’s a passage that also brings to mind that old saying about “the path to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Really they are separate sentiments. Matthew is telling us that choosing the right path is hard and means we have to do more work. We have to be careful not to stray too far one way or the other and we have to watch where we go. But taking the easy path, while it means less thought and worry and work also means we are more likely to get ourselves into trouble. Think about it. How much temptation to do have to eat crappy food or spend lots of money if you’re on some old narrow highway? But if you take the interstate, you’ve got rest stops and outlet malls and who knows what else, all readily available. you may end up at the same destination and maybe get there quicker but you may pay a price for that in the end. May not mean you end up in hell but it might mean a bit of hell in your life if you don’t take the narrow road when God offers it to ya.

The other quote (which I can’t figure out if anyone ever said officially or if it’s just a variation of some official quotes from saints, thinkers and others along similar lines) tells us that our good deed won’t get us into heaven. We need Jesus for that and its faith, not works, that lead us to salvation. But still it’s a reminder of how important it is to pick the right path when we claim that we are walking with God.

(Deke’s post on this topic, if you haven’t seen it already above mine…or is it below mine…is here)

(The image I used is by Pastor David Hayward, who has a blog called “Naked Pastor” and an art-related site called HaywardART. Used with permission. He has prints available for sale.)