Walking out of our pasts with God isn’t a one and done experience. Some of us have had a lifetime of “not good enough” and failed relationships only pointing to our own short comings. We live in a world of comparison traps, competition and never ending focus on self-improvements. (Is it a wonder why we never feel enough?) We have lived less than desirable lives; we’ve made destructive decisions in the name of a quick fix or a selfish moment. No wonder we fall back. Of course we stumble. Idealistically, I think we believe that the idea of “being set free” (that’s Christian speak for getting out from under the grip of regret, shame, and guilt of our pasts), was a one time deal and then the rest of our lives would fall into place. We could let go of the past, move on and feel good about ourselves. That belief couldn’t have been further from the truth!
In Matthew, Jesus is unveiling His sermon on the mount teaching to His disciples. In it, He starts talking about narrow and wide gates. Previously, some have interpreted this to be about how to get to heaven. However, what Jesus is really talking about is living out our christian walk. He says:
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 is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Jesus has just laid out this entire sermon for the disciples on how they are to live as God truly intended His people to live. He had depicted all these scenarios about not lusting, not judging, not worrying, about resolving disputes, praying for our enemies, and not doing things for the accolades of men. After all this, he talks abou tthis narrow path and how few find it. His point is, the key to truly walking out our christian faith takes intentionality. We won't just fall into it. That the path to living a life that is fully living in Christ, means we can't settle into being bystanders. We have to be active participants, laying our lives in front of Jesus daily, not only desiring the moer for our lives, but taking steps to implement new life changes to get there.
Becoming the “new in Christ” is complete the moment we surrender, however, actually living it out takes a continual renewal of our thoughts, our actions and our hearts. Consider it the rinse and repeat. The hardest part may be realizing that sometimes we will want to believe the past. It's comfortable, it's habitual, and it's less scary than facing the vulnerability of potentially trying and falling once again, and let’s be honest, moving forward takes work. I don’t know about you all, but sometimes I just DON’T WANNA! (That was said out loud in my best 3 year old voice.). But the default zone is the wide gate and the broad road that leads to destruction. It lulls you by distraction, then defeats you in complacency.
Where do we start? With Jesus' words. With His definition of a thriving life. With the attitude of commitment to living as a new creation. You have to train your mind. You have to tell it when you fall you haven’t failed. Weakness and struggle is only an opportunity to lean on God and feel secure in Him, when you don’t feel it in yourself. God’s truth of who you are is the only truth of who you are. Tell yourself over and over and over until you are blue in the face: I AM made new. I AM made for more. I CAN be who God says I am. I AM who God says I am. Look to His word for the truth. Then don’t sit down.
