“Direction”

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

When you begin walking and your body is pointing in a direction, you can be assured that you are going to eventually reach any thing in that path (if you maintain that direction). Likewise, when starting a trip, you consult a map and head your automobile in the direction of your destination. If you maintain the direction, you will reach it. We can check our progress along the way and see if we are maintain our direction:  1) by  consulting the road signs to see if we are headed north, south, east or west. 2) by  checking the mileage markers and signs to see if we are getting closer to or farther from our goal.

Spiritually, we are headed in one of two directions: toward God or away from him. We are pointed toward one of those goals and if we maintain our direction, we can be assured we will reach it. There are also spiritual signs that we can check to see if we are headed in the right direction. Please note the following questions and answer them honestly:

¨         “Have I been born again?” Jesus said a person must be born of water and the spirit to enter heaven (John 3:5).

¨         “Do I practice any of the things specifically listed among  the ‘works of the flesh?’” Galatians 5:19-21 contains many things practiced by worldly people. Some of them have even been “taboo” by a large portion of the world. However, they are now accepted.

¨         “Do I practice any of the things associated with the “works of the flesh?”  There are “things like these” (Galatians 5:21, NASB) that can lead one in this same direction. Surely “nightclubbing” and similar  practices would be among these.

¨         “Who are my friends and in which direction are they headed?”  Sometimes people cannot full appreciate their condition, but they can see the   condition   of    others.  Please   note  the   utter  truthfulness   of  1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: evil company corrupts good morals” (NASB).

Prayerfully consider the questions above as well as this one: “Do you like where you are headed?” If not, change your direction (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38  2 Corinthians 7:10).   —Lance Cordle