Narrow

I am coming to a fork in the road that seems to me quite extreme yet very necessary. As I read Pilgrim's Progress and listen to brother Zac Poonen's message God is looking for Wholehearted People. The question that I have to myself about my Lord and Saviour is Did He really mean what He said? Did He really mean Love your enemy? Or Love Him more than anything? And as I think of these questions about Christ they all come up with a resounding YES, Of Course He did. The Fork at which I come up to seems like for many who want to be wholehearted an easy answer but for some reason I battle with it, and it very well could just be my flesh. But the question is Do I really want to be like Jesus and Am I really ready to take the steps that He took. Am I ready to break free from my bondage of wanting approval of men or am I still hessitant. Am I serious about my walk with Christ on the narrow path when areas of my life look like the broad path? Do I have a desire to be great for the Lord or just great for me? Who am I in it for the destination or the Lord of that destination. Lord, give me strength and courage to chose You at any Cost, and consider it No cost and give Your Holy Name all the Glory, Honor, and Praise.

Matthew

We have so much to learn from our Savior's
example of selfless devotion, sacrifice,
and self-denial!! May GOD help us to count
it all loss for the sake of following JESUS!!

Do I really want to be like Jesus and Am I really ready to take the steps that He took. Am I ready to break free from my bondage of wanting approval of men or am I still hessitant. Am I serious about my walk with Christ on the narrow path when areas of my life look like the broad path? Do I have a desire to be great for the Lord or just great for me?

Hey Matthew
I think you already know that your the only one who can answer any of these questions that you put forth:) All I can tell you is of my own experience, i have been doing some self examination too and the truth is what it comes down to is this, "Do I love the Lord more then I love myself? More then I love my right to claim or lay hold of anything in this life as mine, when all that I have, all that I am is directly given to me and done for me by God.
I can receive it but never boast or take pride in anything."

If i do love the Lord then I am always going to keep moving forward and pressing in to Him because He draws me. The narrow path will at times be a difficult journey but knowing I am not progressing alone makes it bearable. Those days when I look to the cross and I see my beloved and I know that I know my sins put Him there...well it just causes me to marvel at His love for me.

On the flip side of that if I love self more, if I desire to be the center of attention, if I want the whole world to look at me and not Him, then I am not walking the narrow path and in self I am unwilling to. If my focus is on self in any way then I have put another god before Jesus and I am not walking with HIM.

I seem to have days as time passes in this life where I am defiantly walking with Him and life is good, there are struggles but my heart rejoices because I am with my Lord. These days are filled with peace and a quiet calm in the spirit that i am exactly where I should be, with my focus on Him.

Still there are those other days when I am feeling lost, alone and questioning, days when I know I am not walking with the Lord and even though life seems to be going wonderfully there is an unexplainable emptiness inside of me that gnaws at me non stop. It is these days that I repent of and give thanks that the Lord has humbled me and shown me once again how great my need for Him is and always will be.

I guess in all I have learned that it is not just one fork in the road of this life that we journey on, there are many along the way and each one that we come to if we look to Jesus and keep our focus on Him alone; He will lead us and draw us to Himself. For me personally I am the kind of person who wants to run ahead, who wants to make my own way and I am learning that is not Gods way at all. He wants me to follow Him, He wants me to wait at times and at other times walk forward, but each step has been chosen for me and if I love Him, truly love Him then I will obey.

I will be praying for you brother as you journey on the narrow path. I will pray that at each fork in the road you come to only Him...that you will die to self and keep your eyes centered on Jesus. He is there with you and has given all that you need to complete this adventure...now it is up to us to move forward:)

Just my thoughts

We have so much to learn from our Savior's example of selfless devotion, sacrifice, and self-denial!!

Thanks for the reminder! I know I have a lot to learn :)

Thanks Ellie for the words of encouragement, I believe that it is comforting to know there are other "pilgrims" that have or are coming to the same forks that I am coming to. I know I love the Lord as well but somedays I have a rough time showing that which like you said is a day of repentance and humbling which is what we all need from time to time. I desire to stay on the narrow path but more importantly I have a desire to follow my Saviour and Lord :) Thank you for the prayer they are much appreciated!

God Bless,
Matthew