The Narrow Way

As we march into the weekend, I thought I’d send us off with a few thoughts about the choices which might lay ahead of us in the near future. Every day is filled with options and while many of them may seem small, even utterly inconsequential, their sum eventually adds up to our individual destinies. I believe that most choices, or directions, basically lead down one of two paths. First, there is the high moral path of the greatest good which, in my opinion, generally leads towards God. Then there is the path of compromise, which may not lead directly towards darkness or evil, but certainly tends to meander away from God. Sometimes that variation can seem slight, but with every choice we make we are generally taking a small step in one direction, towards either heaven or hell, if you will. The exciting, scary, amazing thing about life however, is that we have the opportunity to re-choose with each step. Sometimes a few thoughtless shortcuts or detours can land us in places we never intended to end up so we must choose both wisely and cautiously. We, as believers, must try to avoid the proverbial path of least resistance and endeavor keep our feet upon what Pilgrim’s Progress referred to as the narrow way. That will often be the more difficult path, offering deferred benefits instead of immediate satisfaction, but it will always prove itself worthy … while proving us worthy as well. I believe the poet Robert Frost summed it up best in the closing lines of his well-known poem The Road Not Taken, when he penned the words,
“I shall be saying 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”

Well spoken, I think that about covers it. All the best to you as you choose your own path today.

The Narrow Way
There are always two roads to choose from
At least two roads, or more
The easy path of compromise
We’ve all tried that one before
And then the way more difficult
Less attractive, at first, it’s true
But yielding better results by far
Once every journey is through
How will you choose when paths diverge
For that juncture may come today
And broad is the path to destruction
Yet, far better the narrow way
By Frank Carpenter ©