Good morning! Here is your Monday Motivation to follow Christ on the narrow road no matter what this week.
The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
After sharing with the crowd in John 6 that he was The Bread of Life and that his followers would need to eat his flesh and drink his blood many got upset at Jesus.
“At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66-69)
Friends, though the world may turn away we must be willing to continue on that narrow path like the true disciples who were determined to follow Jesus even when they didn’t understand everything he was asking them to do, even when he told them things would be difficult ahead, and even when everyone turned away. They did this because they believed he was The Way, The Truth, and The Life and that there was no way back to The Father but by him. And so they took the harder more difficult path. Which one will you take?
It’s easy to follow Jesus in the manger but much more difficult to follow Jesus on the cross.
It’s easy to follow Jesus when he says to love our neighbors until he explains that our neighbors are sometimes our enemies.
It’s easy to follow Jesus when he promises to forgive us but much harder when he says we must also be willing to forgive others.
It’s easy to follow Jesus when we’re healthy and well fed but what about when we get sick or lose our job?
It’s easy to follow Jesus when he says things that are comforting but what about when he says things that are convicting?
Will you follow Jesus this week only when it’s easy or will you choose the narrow path no matter what?
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Refill with Randy 