The Narrow Way

Jesus said, "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. - Matthew 7: 13 -14

To many, Christianity seems to be too confining. Life is full of choices and human nature says to live life to the fullest. It is a big world out there. How can you know what you are missing unless you sample all of it. Live and let live is the cry of the day. But like the Leprechaun who knows he has found the rainbow with the real pot of gold, so is the Christian who has discovered the real source of joy. The path that we are on may be narrow and confining but it leads to Jesus and he is the source of eternal life. Once I consider that, everything else pales in comparison. There may be wider roads that offer more in this life, but the one I'm on leads to Jesus. Won't you come along? You'll never be sorry you did. 

Following Jesus,

Sullivan Jones 

I Choose to Believe

Recently I was talking with a friend and he was expressing that there are things in the Bible that are hard to comprehend with the human mind. In order to believe that the Bible is the word of God we are asked to believe some things that seem strange to logical thinking. Skeptics have said for years that Jonah could not have really lived inside of a fish. And whoever heard such a tale as two naked people in a garden listening to a talking snake. It almost seems to be science fiction here. Don't get me wrong, I believe every word of the Bible. I am speaking from a standpoint of human logic. 

The book of Hebrews tells us that in order to come to God we must believe that He (God) exists and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek after him. The apostle Peter spoke of the Apostles Paul's writings as "some things hard to be understood" (II Peter 3:16). Yet as Christians we do believe these things and that belief is what has opened the path for us to have a relationship with God.

True, we have often been ridiculed for believing "ridiculous stories" but I say it takes far more faith to believe in evolution than it does to believe in God. In order for evolution to be true there is no end to the "miracles" that would have had to happen at each step in the game; yet evolution is deemed science while the Bible is deemed nonsense. The problem is that our human logic gets in the way of simple, child-like faith. It is far easier (and wiser) to simply trust that God knows what he is doing and let him work out the details. Yes, there are some things I will probably never understand in this life but the good thing is I don't have to. I choose to believe that God made it all and that makes all the difference. 

Sullivan Jones 

Habits

Sometimes we tend to think of ourselves as being spiritual in one part and physical/emotional in another. Actually we are this one big, complex whole. What affects us physically will affect us mentally and spiritually and vice versa. It is important to keep a balance in our lives and see about our overall health. Prayer and Bible study are necessary to spiritual health. Eating correctly and exercise are necessary to physical health. Both of these things affect our emotional health. We must not put all of our emphasis on one area and neglect the rest. The key is discipline, a word we don't often like to think about.

Discipline isn't something that comes naturally to most of us. We usually think of discipline as punishment when in isn't. Discipline is having structure in our lives. When we were children we were told to go to bed at a certain time and get up at a certain time. As adults we go to bed and get up because have to be at work. Some may be able to get up without an alarm but most do not. The important thing is, we have learned to get up and get dressed without some one telling us that we must. This is called discipline.

As important as discipline is in our daily lives, it is even more important in our spiritual lives. Have you ever noticed that as soon as you begin to pray the phone rings? Or you think of a million things that need to be done. You get the picture. The reason is that prayer requires disciplining the natural mind to deny itself so that the spirit can commune with God for a little while.  Just like training ourselves to get up in the morning, we can train ourselves to pray. It may not be easy at first but the results are well worth the effort.

Most often when we begin to diet or exercise we do it only for a little while and then go back to our old habits. The same is true of prayer. We get up earlier and make ourselves pray but it only lasts for a short time. Then we are sleeping to the last minute again. (At least that's been my cycle.) But discipline is good for us and we need it. They say that actions become habits and habits form our destinies. If this is true, then I am determined to create good habits. After all, they just might make the difference of a lifetime.

Committed to Jesus,

Sullivan Jones