I am notorious for taking whichever way is quickest. If there are two lines to turn in traffic, I will always take the shortest. My husband will not. He will always take the one that leads to his destination. If we have to turn right after our left turn, he will stay in the right lane, even if the left is shorter. It may be longer. He may have to sit through another round of lights, but it’s the one that will get him where he needs to go without weaving and struggling and fighting traffic. Not me. I’m the weaver. I want the shortcuts. I want to go fast. I am, I guess you could say, impatient.
As I was sitting the passenger seat not long ago, watching as my husband chose his lane (and not the one I would have chosen), I realized that I am exactly how most people are. Most people are impatient. Most people want the way that will be faster or easier or a shortcut. That’s why people weave in and out of traffic instead of just choosing a lane and staying put. We get irritated when people go slow, or when they cut us off, or when they do something we don’t want to do (like getting in a longer line of traffic!). We are impatient, and we want to do what we want to do, and not wait on anyone else or allow anyone else to get in our way.
Isn’t this exactly why people choose the broad way that leads to destruction? No one sets out thinking, “you know what would be great? Going to eternal fire and brimstone and suffering.” Instead, people want their way. People want to go fast, get the best spot, have an easy, fast, inconvenience-free journey. People don’t want hinderances — being told they can’t do this or shouldn’t do that or should do these things that aren’t necessarily convenient. People don’t want to be told to give up their own agendas and schedules for an entire day of the week so they can go worship. People don’t like being told they should quench their thirst for fornication and lust; instead, they want to drink it all in. Do whatever feels good.
It takes patience to be a Christian. It isn’t always convenient. Actually, if it’s convenient at all, it likely isn’t Christianity. Because being a Christian means telling self no and telling God yes. It means denying self and pursuing holiness. It means not taking shortcuts, but walking a strait path of sanctification and suffering. Walking through the valley of heartache and persecution and mistreatments of all sorts in order to claim the name of Christ. It means telling my evil desires that they have no place in my heart. It means constantly battling against self. It means not taking the easy way, but instead, pursuing patience in an effort to be pleasing to God.
I don’t like to do things the slow and steady way. I don’t like to sit through a light unnecessarily, even if that means I have to cut someone off in the process. But that’s not the right way to think. The right way to think is to do things right, regardless of if it takes longer or requires more. The right way isn’t always the easy way, but easy doesn’t mean right. Easy rarely means right.
Jesus promises that at the end of the narrow, strait way, there is peace and joy and a glorious meeting of our Savior and our Father face to face. He also promises that if we take the broad way – the impatient way – the way that fulfills our own desires instead of fulfilling our righteous calling – then we are guaranteed eternal punishment. It’s easier to go that way. It’s easier not to tell yourself no. It’s easier to take the short route, the fast way. But its end is death. Make no mistake about that.
Whatever temptations you have in this life — whatever things you might want to think or do that are apart from God’s will for you — I am begging you to not give into. You are heading down a dangerous path. It may seem like the right choice for you now. It may be the most fun. It may be the easiest. But it is.not.worth.it.
The Christian walk isn’t easy. Denying self isn’t easy. But our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to this earth and showed us the way. He calls us to that holy way. Follow Him. Don’t follow you.
