Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. – Matthew 7:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 21, 2014): Matthew 7

I recently read an article on leadership issues that maintained that our politicians are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. Before we get too excited, the charges are not that politicians are failing to make the obvious corrections to our economies or healthcare that are required, and it has nothing to do with sending soldiers into harm’s way in foreign lands. In fact, it has nothing to do with our politician’s reticence to do exactly what it is that we want them to do. The problem is exactly the reverse. The article asserts that “making unpopular decisions to lead effectively is something that has become all too rare in our country, especially within our political institutions.” The article then continued to try to remake the political landscape. Politicians should “lead by focusing on what is right for our country rather than what we want. After all, we elected them to make tough decisions, not guarantee their own re-election” [Lt. Col. Todd Henshaw (Ret.)]

I wish that I could argue that Henshaw was wrong, but he isn’t. The truth is that the people we elect are not there to do our bidding – they are there to make the hard decisions that we need made. The last thing that I want are politicians in office who are more concerned about their popularity then they are about doing the right thing. We have elected them to make the right decisions that we are often incapable of making or unwilling to make. And that is exactly what we have elected them to do.

Often these words of Jesus are applied to our salvation, toward the issue of where it is that we will spend eternity, but they could just as easily be applied to the entirety of our lives. Right decisions are usually not the easy ones - they are the hard ones – and therefore few people are willing to make them. If making the easy decisions had the ability to make us successful, then we would all be successful. But making right decisions is hard. And so we often simply don’t make them. In the words of Jesus, the right decision means entering through the narrow gate.

Success follows the narrow gates of our lives. Entering through the narrow gate will lead us to success, regardless of whether we are talking about our eternal salvation, or just being successful in the business, relationship or any other endeavors of our life. Few are really successful in life because few have the discipline to enter through the narrow gates of their lives. But it is there that success lies.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 8