100 Days of HopeSample

The Narrow Road

Having grown up in northern New England, I am drawn to the poetry of Robert Frost and, in particular, his poem “The Road Not Taken.” I appreciate the image of solitude and the picture of being in the woods, moving slowly among stands of trees bursting in fall colors. I relate to pausing at the crossroads of two trails in the White Mountains, and, ultimately, making a choice to pursue the less popular and perhaps not-so-easy route. I celebrate the end of the story where the decisions we make can result in a more meaningful life.

But wait. Frost wasn’t the first to describe the consequences of hard or even unpopular choices. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says to “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.”

It is clear that taking the wider and easy route is the popular choice. If we can avoid as many bumps in the road as possible, we believe our journey will be more pleasurable and hence more fulfilling. However, this passage tells us that when we take this less popular path, the path where we need to step out in faith and squeeze through the uncomfortable tightness of the narrow gate, our feet are then placed on the pathway to eternal life.

While the narrow road may never transform in to the easy road, neither was the road that God’s son traveled for the sake of our redemption.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the example of your son who gave up his position in Heaven to sacrifice himself on our behalf. Help us to surrender our lives fully to you today.