The road less travelled.

But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Luke 12:48 NIV

Peaks and Valleys.

Have you ever noticed or thought at times how unfair life can be? One moment your on the mountain peak, and the next you seem to be in the valley. It would seem to be a familiar pattern in my life. When I find I am receiving such beautiful revelations of who God is to me, and wham next thing I know I find myself scrambling to recall the vision and forget the stuff and end up in despair and darkness threatens to enfold me. What is going on?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

James 1:22‭-‬25 NIV.

In my previous post I spoke about Sins of Omission vs Sins of Commission. And I certainly think this is a primary cause of this dilemma, but other factors are often in play.

I recently found myself wanting to break free from the perceived restrictions I felt were in place, limiting my choices. I made assumptions about others being free to live without convictions about lifestyle choices and without apparent repercussions from God or society, why then was it incumbent on me to live these standards (biblical)?

It seemed to be a bit unfair to my thinking at the time. 

Oh God the Father is so gracious and that week our Church continued the current series of Living Upside down (sermon on the mount, from Matthew 5 to 7).

“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 NIV.

Two paths

Through the scripture above caught my attention, there are only two choices, either the wide gate and path and destruction or the narrow Gate and path that leads to life. 

What I seemed jealous of, was of those on the wide path, no obstacles, limitations or restrictions or so it would appear, but Jesus said it led to death and decay, so why would so many walk on this road? 

The issue I believe largely has to do with our worldview. There are many views that shape our decisions whether we are aware of them or not. The large majority would be humanistic and hold that man is the master of his own destiny, and is free to think and act (or not) on his own accord and reckoning. He is a free agent and there are no real boundaries to hem or restrict him other than his own perceptions and or laws as they apply. The idea of any moral absolutes is rejected outright. On the other hand we have the Judean Christian worldview that says that true freedom is found in the boundaries that God has placed to guide and protect us. The idea that we are entitled to be seated on the Throne of our hearts and lives is where the destruction of society or Gods plans originated in a Garden, and the subsequent correction of that error also happens in a Garden.

Two Gardens

Picture if you will the two gardens where we see this played out. In Eden Adam refuses to obey the moral instructions and decides he wants to be like God, and in effect says to God, not your will be done but mine.

The second Garden is Getsemane where Jesus (2nd Adam) turns the tables and reverts to the real intended result, and says not my will be done but yours. 

So back to my story, God shows me through the scriptures I have quoted that I was like that man who forgot what manner of a man I was. That my life has been bought with a high price, and my jealousy was unfounded, and that I was held to a higher standard because of what was given and revealed to me. That the broad road leads to destruction and only the narrow road leads to life. The choice is mine.

Both simple and complex

It is often said that life is complex, this is true, however it can be as simple as our choices and decisions. The same is said for theology and our worldviews but does it have to be?

I guess understanding the complexity in full cant be grasped with our limited view in comparison to Gods perfect wisdom and knowledge, but if we decide to live within the convictions and revelation God has given to each of us individually we can make it as simple as the choices God asks of us to make according to those? In the final analysis we often come down to two choices.....for God or against God.  We have to decide that we can trust him, and believe that he is all he says he is or not. I have attached a quote from CS Lewis and it relates to a decision we have to make. One of his other quotes goes along the lines that God will say, okay then have it your way....in other words you can reject him at your own expense. 

So chose today which path, the narrow road or the broad road.  You only have two choices which will it be? 

In  the end, I chose the narrow road, the road less travelled, harder, but full of hope and promise of reward.