Chances are you’ve heard Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”—perhaps most famously, the last three lines:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Whether or not Frost intended this, his narrator’s walk in the “yellow wood” provides a wonderful analogy for our walk with God: a life following Him may not be easy, but it will make all the difference.
In today’s brief yet powerful passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issues a simple invitation: go with God to pursue life, rather than the ways of the world which ultimately lead to destruction. The gates leading to each path represent decisions we make every day: wide, broad gates are easier to get through and grant lots of people access at once, whereas small, narrow gates are more difficult to navigate and might deter some from entering.
Think about all of the decisions you make on any given day. What will I wear? Who will I ask for help with this task? What will I say in that meeting? How will I spend my free time? There is no shortage of “worldly wisdom” advising us on how to handle things—but sorting through that can often feel like looking at a bunch of different directional arrows tacked to a sign post!
Lucky for us, God gifted us with a clear roadmap: an example to follow (Jesus), a resource to reference when we need help (His Word), and way markers for support and encouragement (fellow believers). It may not be easy to follow the path of obedience to God, as it is often “the one less traveled by,” but we certainly don’t walk alone.
Inevitably, we will take wrong turns. But I don’t think we’re expected to do it perfectly; we are expected to give it our best shot, to aim in the same direction as our Creator, “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Big or small, choices become habits—it’s up to us to take each step with Him in mind.
For reflection:
- When is a time in your life you were faced with a decision that came down to following God or following the path of the world? What helped you make that decision and how did your choice impact your life afterwards?
by Rachel Shuster
Recommended Posts
A New Ordinary
March 30, 2024
Practice: Examen
March 29, 2024
A Good Friday
March 28, 2024