The road to Zōē...

" Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, - I took the one less traveled by." -R.Frost.

Jesus is in relentless pursuit of us. He woos and woos and draws us in. He is quite the romancer.

But.

There comes a point that following Christ will demand hard decisions. Life-altering choices.

There comes a point that following Christ requires us to turn away from the things our flesh holds very dear. Sin that is very comfortable.

I so remember.

I remember coming to the split in the road. Two roads diverged. One road was familiar. I had walked it for years and years. The well-worn road of stereotypical college life. If you were to throw alcohol, image, money, lust, a little eating disorder and a lot of neediness into a jar, shake it up and spill it out, you would have been looking at my heart. I was an affirmation seeking mess. Doesn't sound like much to hold on to, but it was all I knew. It was comfortable to me. And my identity was wrapped up with it all.

But in the midst, the Lord started to woo me. He started placing people into my life that loved Him. That loved me. He started opening my eyes to the possibility of a life I could lead. But how? I was so messed up. My locker was stacked with piles and piles of sin, shame, filth, and deceit. If God were to open up my heart, He would drown underneath the weight of it all. I had too much to sort out. I was too far gone. Or so I thought.

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." Matthew 7:13,14

I stood at that fork in the road. And without going into all of the details right now (I will sometime) I chose the road less taken. The narrow gate. And I was miserable. Life, as I knew it, went on without me. All of my "friends" went on without me. They barely even looked back. Some friends.

But I had learned that God promised me that this "narrow road" led to life. So, one reluctant step at a time, I put one foot in front of the other. Shedding layer after layer as I went. Shedding friendships. Shedding worthless relationships. Shedding drunkenness. Shedding everything I knew, until, eventually I walked that narrow road, stark naked before the Lord. Exposed. All of who I really was, uncovered and open before Him. He should have struck me dead right there.

But instead, He gave me life.

Two roads diverged.

One leading to destruction - apōleia meaning ruin, waste, the loss of well-being, of not being. Spiritual and eternal damnation.

One leading to life - zōē meaning life real and genuine. Active and vigorous, devoted to God. Blessed. Lasting forever. Life as God has it.

By grace, I chose the latter.

"...I shall be telling 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."

Robert Frost

If you are at this fork in the road, I urge you to choose life. Even if it is with reluctant trust, choose the narrow gate. This is one decision in life we do not want to chose unwisely. It will make all the difference.

Be Blessed.

Becky

If you would like to talk with me more about this, contact me becky.crenshaw@uscm.org.