Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14 “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.”
Devotion: Without fail, around February, the student ministry team tackles the subject of relationships. For our high school students, that often includes a message on physical boundaries and God’s design for sex within marriage. It is often not a fun message to give, as many students don’t want to hear it. It’s uncomfortable for them to hear about, and it is countercultural. Things have constantly gotten more progressive with hookup culture and calling students to live a life that looks different than their peers is difficult. Choosing to set firm physical boundaries will likely make them a bit of an outcast in their friend groups. Sometimes is just seems easier to give into the social pressure of it and deal with the consequences of it later.
But we are told that the gate that leads to life is narrow. We don’t want to be on the broad road that leads to destruction. But that is the easy one to find. If we go with the flow of our world, it is the one we will end up on. People who don’t know Jesus as their Savior aren’t going to live in the way that He calls us to. It is why we look so radical when we pursue a Christ-like life. When we love radically, we value different things, we place a high value on truth, and we extend grace when others wouldn’t. We don’t want to just go through the motions of this life, but we want life to the fullest. We are promised this through Jesus, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
So, while the pursuit of a holy and righteous life is often difficult, making us look much different than the world, we look more and more like Jesus. That is life to the fullest. Choosing the narrow gate instead of the wide one will bring us into a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father time and time again.
Reflect:
- Are there any areas of your life where you can choose the narrow road instead of the wide road right now?
- Pray for our student ministry team (Carter, Jessi, and Sarah) as they are in their relationship series.