The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection GPS Guide for Wednesday, 22 July 2020
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection GPS Guide for Wednesday, 22 July 2020
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection <info@mc.cor.org>
Wednesday, 22 July 2020
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection GPS Guide for Wednesday, 22 July 2020
Life’s wide and narrow roads
Daily Scripture:
Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Go in through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road wide, so many people enter through it. 14 But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it.
Reflection Questions:
It can feel risky trying to live by Jesus' principles. They run counter to so much “conventional wisdom,” and often it can be hard to know precisely how to apply those principles to specific situations. But Pastor Hamilton wrote that we must not let fear stop us from making that choice: “To live is to risk. If you always choose the risk-free, completely safe, and convenient path in life, you’ll find the failure you experience is the failure to truly live.”*
Jesus never gave in to the urge to promise an easy road. He said, “Go in through the narrow gate” and “the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it.” Jesus’ path, though not always the most comfortable, is always best in the long run. When have you had to choose between one way that was easy but wrong, and another that was difficult but right? What did you decide?
Some people draw the mistaken conclusion that Jesus’ words about a “difficult road” mean that following him produces a dismal, joyless life. The apostle Paul, in prison after a lifetime traveling the Mediterranean world to preach Jesus, wrote, “Be glad in the Lord always!” and said he (and all Christ-followers) could have “the peace of God that exceeds all understanding” (cf. Philippians 4:4-7). How has choosing the “narrow gate” added freedom and meaning to your life?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, set me free to more and more live in your kingdom. Transform me until I want what you want and fix my eyes daily on you. Amen.
* Hamilton, Adam. Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times (p. 87). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Want more reflection on today's GPS?
Read the GPS Insight by Kari Burgess
Kari is a part of Resurrection's ShareChurch team. She is involved with the marketing, guest registration, and volunteer coordination for the conferences we host, and she considers it a joy to serve, using her gifts to help renew God's church. She enjoys running and hiking and loves being a cheerleader for her girls at all of their sporting, music and school events.
My 15-year-old daughter, Savannah, is learning to drive. We started out in the parking lots at Corporate Woods on the weekends, when they are nearly empty, giving her wide-open spaces to learn and get comfortable behind the wheel. Slowly and over time, she’s taken baby steps to drive on city streets with increasing traffic levels.
Recently, we decided it was time to practice on the highway. Rather than hop on at the busy interchange by our home, we decided to drive south on the city streets, entering the highway farther outside of town where there is less traffic.
As we were driving south, we ended up on a country road with very little shoulder and a pickup truck right on our bumper. (Side note: if you’re in a hurry and come up on someone going a few miles under the speed limit, take a breath and consider it might be a teenage kid learning how to drive. Please, slow down, back off and give them some grace!)
Savannah quickly learned that driving on a narrow road takes razor sharp focus. One slight move of the steering wheel and she could end up over the center line in danger of oncoming traffic or dropping the passenger side tires off the side of the road. She learned how important it is to know your vehicle well and to be able to gauge where you are in your lane. It’s not easy to stay on a narrow road. It takes focus, confidence and practice.
It’s easier to drive on a wide road absent of obstacles and challenges. But when learning to drive, you can’t stay in the parking lots, driving around in circles for too long, or you won’t gain the skills needed for “real life” driving. Eventually, you must venture out onto more dangerous (narrow) roads, maybe in baby steps, to gain confidence and the skills needed to one day drive on your own. And without clear direction, you can easily lose your focus and go down a wrong path.
Likewise, choosing the narrow road Jesus describes in today’s passage in real life takes focus, confidence and practice. But by choosing this road, we find that our ability to navigate life’s challenges, trials and temptations becomes easier over time. Staying focused on God’s will for us and the life Jesus calls us to, helps us “stay in our lane” and keeps us from straying from the path where Jesus is guiding us and ultimately leads us to a joy-filled life. As I think about teaching Savannah to drive on a physical narrow road, I also reflect about guiding her on the narrow road of life. She will surely make mistakes and stray off the road from time to time. My job is to encourage her and give guidance along the way, allowing her to take the wheel more and more often until she’s ready to drive off down the narrow road on her own.
Like this post? Share it!
Like Life’s wide and narrow roads on Facebook share on Twitter
If you have a question or comment about today’s GPS or Insights blog, you can send it to GPS@cor.org. We read them all, but because of the number of responses we receive, cannot guarantee replies.
You might also like:
The “golden rule”
Splinters, logs and exercising judgment
Prayer Tip: 4 Rules to Live By
Choose the right master
The right place for your treasures
Or download this week's printable GPS.
FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM
©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection <info@mc.cor.org>
Wednesday, 22 July 2020
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection GPS Guide for Wednesday, 22 July 2020
Life’s wide and narrow roads
Daily Scripture:
Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Go in through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road wide, so many people enter through it. 14 But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it.
Reflection Questions:
It can feel risky trying to live by Jesus' principles. They run counter to so much “conventional wisdom,” and often it can be hard to know precisely how to apply those principles to specific situations. But Pastor Hamilton wrote that we must not let fear stop us from making that choice: “To live is to risk. If you always choose the risk-free, completely safe, and convenient path in life, you’ll find the failure you experience is the failure to truly live.”*
Jesus never gave in to the urge to promise an easy road. He said, “Go in through the narrow gate” and “the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it.” Jesus’ path, though not always the most comfortable, is always best in the long run. When have you had to choose between one way that was easy but wrong, and another that was difficult but right? What did you decide?
Some people draw the mistaken conclusion that Jesus’ words about a “difficult road” mean that following him produces a dismal, joyless life. The apostle Paul, in prison after a lifetime traveling the Mediterranean world to preach Jesus, wrote, “Be glad in the Lord always!” and said he (and all Christ-followers) could have “the peace of God that exceeds all understanding” (cf. Philippians 4:4-7). How has choosing the “narrow gate” added freedom and meaning to your life?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, set me free to more and more live in your kingdom. Transform me until I want what you want and fix my eyes daily on you. Amen.
* Hamilton, Adam. Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times (p. 87). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Want more reflection on today's GPS?
Read the GPS Insight by Kari Burgess
Kari is a part of Resurrection's ShareChurch team. She is involved with the marketing, guest registration, and volunteer coordination for the conferences we host, and she considers it a joy to serve, using her gifts to help renew God's church. She enjoys running and hiking and loves being a cheerleader for her girls at all of their sporting, music and school events.
My 15-year-old daughter, Savannah, is learning to drive. We started out in the parking lots at Corporate Woods on the weekends, when they are nearly empty, giving her wide-open spaces to learn and get comfortable behind the wheel. Slowly and over time, she’s taken baby steps to drive on city streets with increasing traffic levels.
Recently, we decided it was time to practice on the highway. Rather than hop on at the busy interchange by our home, we decided to drive south on the city streets, entering the highway farther outside of town where there is less traffic.
As we were driving south, we ended up on a country road with very little shoulder and a pickup truck right on our bumper. (Side note: if you’re in a hurry and come up on someone going a few miles under the speed limit, take a breath and consider it might be a teenage kid learning how to drive. Please, slow down, back off and give them some grace!)
Savannah quickly learned that driving on a narrow road takes razor sharp focus. One slight move of the steering wheel and she could end up over the center line in danger of oncoming traffic or dropping the passenger side tires off the side of the road. She learned how important it is to know your vehicle well and to be able to gauge where you are in your lane. It’s not easy to stay on a narrow road. It takes focus, confidence and practice.
It’s easier to drive on a wide road absent of obstacles and challenges. But when learning to drive, you can’t stay in the parking lots, driving around in circles for too long, or you won’t gain the skills needed for “real life” driving. Eventually, you must venture out onto more dangerous (narrow) roads, maybe in baby steps, to gain confidence and the skills needed to one day drive on your own. And without clear direction, you can easily lose your focus and go down a wrong path.
Likewise, choosing the narrow road Jesus describes in today’s passage in real life takes focus, confidence and practice. But by choosing this road, we find that our ability to navigate life’s challenges, trials and temptations becomes easier over time. Staying focused on God’s will for us and the life Jesus calls us to, helps us “stay in our lane” and keeps us from straying from the path where Jesus is guiding us and ultimately leads us to a joy-filled life. As I think about teaching Savannah to drive on a physical narrow road, I also reflect about guiding her on the narrow road of life. She will surely make mistakes and stray off the road from time to time. My job is to encourage her and give guidance along the way, allowing her to take the wheel more and more often until she’s ready to drive off down the narrow road on her own.
Like this post? Share it!
Like Life’s wide and narrow roads on Facebook share on Twitter
If you have a question or comment about today’s GPS or Insights blog, you can send it to GPS@cor.org. We read them all, but because of the number of responses we receive, cannot guarantee replies.
You might also like:
The “golden rule”
Splinters, logs and exercising judgment
Prayer Tip: 4 Rules to Live By
Choose the right master
The right place for your treasures
Or download this week's printable GPS.
FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM
©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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