Very narrow path
THERE is always a highway, its broad and everyone chooses the freeway, it’s faster and straight as we assume it is. A very narrow path ,however, is often associated with mountains, valleys and we always assume it might take longer to get to our destinations. What is interesting is, even if someone can ask us to take the narrow path, because it’s safer and is protected, only a few people would even consider it. People want to be where everybody else is. We can actually take this to varied dimensions of understanding, and by that I mean, it’s still choosing a narrow path to listen to one voice while everyone else is listening to voices in the atmosphere.
Its tough right now, you would have to be blind not to see how challenging life has become in whichever level in the societal scale you choose to fit yourself in, there are challenges at every level. At the most sincere level, we can choose to pretend that everything will be better, but who are we kidding, we do not know when that will happen.
Everyone is carrying their own bag of difficulty at this this point. That as it may, what is important is to choose our responses wisely to this tight spot. If we choose to let our frustrations flare up, we will not be able to control the implications. At this point, most people are flaring up, taking it out on everybody they encounter.
Almost everyone is frustrated at something or someone, or a certain institution. And that’s literally choosing the highway. As we choose this highway, it really will be difficult to explain our actions to the next generation even to the Lord. It matters a lot how we respond to circumstances especially in the presence of those who are learning from us.
I always think that as sociologists put it, every individual is influenced greatly by the institutions in their society. Their decision making processes are but a product of societal influences. However, a deep consideration would probably make a reflection and announce that man is not a machine.
Every person has a unique destiny, and it is impossible to compare one person’s destiny with another’s.
SITUATION
Further, each situation in which an individual finds himself is unique and calls for a new and different response. In some cases, man must act, while in others, he must contemplate his life or accept his fate and suffering. Even though it is assured that in every situation, there is ‘only one right answer’ to any given problem. It is true, though, that while man is certainly capable of doing evil, no individual human must be evil. Every human has the capacity to change his behaviour and attitude in every possible situation. Choosing a narrow path is a reflection of human kindness to choose good over prevailing winds of deception, and wickedness.
Choosing the right thing in a mist of society that is slowly becoming a survival of the fittest is a very narrow path.
MOUNTAIN 1 Kings 19
Elijah in had an encounter with the Lord, it is written he was told “go out , and stand on the mountain before the Lord” and behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord , but the Lord was not in the wind , and the after the wind an earthquake , but the Lord was not in the earthquake ; an after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; after the fire , a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘‘What are you doing here Elijah?”
The story of Elijah is always intriguing in the sense that, while most of us are focusing on the still small voice, we miss that fact that the Lord himself had already passed. Everything else came after he had passed, the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire, were a consequence of his passing by.
He was not in all those things, because he had already passed but not gone. He spoke after the natural disasters were gone, because he was not going to be heard during these natural tragedies.
How many times do we often go through internal and external turmoil’s but during those times we do not hear the voice of the Lord. I ask myself today, what happens when the Lord visits your situation, whatever situation it is?
When the Lord comes to your rescue, there will be in your physical life, strong winds, an earthquake resembling scenarios, and after that fire resembling afflictions in the waking life this may seem like he has abandoned you.
Yet he is standing right there with you, but his voice will only be heard after the fire in a still small voice. In stillness others will say. For the Lord cannot compete with other voices. At this point, choosing to still trust is a narrow path, but its safe and protected. While everyone is reacting to stuff, be out there listening and obeying God.