Navigating the Narrow Path

In our journey through life, we're faced with countless decisions every day. Research suggests the average person makes around 35,000 choices daily. While many of these decisions may seem inconsequential, there's one choice that stands above all others in its significance: the decision to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

However, accepting Christ is just the beginning of our spiritual journey. God's desire is for us to mature in our faith, growing closer to Him day by day. This spiritual growth doesn't happen automatically—it requires intentional effort on our part. So how do we build a life with Jesus?

Prayer: The Foundation of Our Relationship

One of the fundamental ways we build our life with Jesus is through prayer. Prayer is how we communicate our needs and desires to God. Some might wonder, "If God is all-knowing, why should I ask?" The answer lies in the relationship God wants to cultivate with us. He desires our engagement, our trust, and our dependence on Him.

Moreover, prayer is one of the primary ways God works through us. While we may not fully understand the mechanics, we've all experienced times when our prayers have been answered, and what we prayed for came to pass.

Jesus teaches us to "ask, seek, and knock" in our prayer life. These actions are meant to be continuous, not one-time events. When we ask, we're told we will receive. But this doesn't mean God is a cosmic vending machine, granting our every whim. Our asking should align with God's will, as revealed in His Word.

Seeking goes beyond asking. It's about pursuing God's heart and desire in every situation. It involves a desire to know God rather than just wanting things from Him. And knocking speaks to persistence in prayer. We're encouraged to keep praying until we receive an answer, whether it takes days, weeks, months, or even years.

The Golden Rule: Love in Action

Another crucial aspect of building our life with Jesus is living out the Golden Rule: "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them." This principle goes beyond merely avoiding harm to others. It calls us to actively seek ways to help and be kind to others, just as we would want them to do for us. This kind of love can only come from a heart transformed by Christ.

The Narrow Gate and the Wide Road

As we build our life with Jesus, we must understand that we're called to walk a narrow path. Jesus speaks of two ways to travel in life: the narrow gate leading to a narrow road and the wide gate leading to a broad road.

The narrow road, while challenging, leads to life. It requires us to deny ourselves daily, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus. We may face persecution from those on the wide road and encounter spiritual attacks. Yet, despite its difficulties, this path leads to eternal life and joy in God's presence.

The wide road, on the other hand, is easy and popular. It allows for self-indulgence and requires no self-denial. However, it ultimately leads to destruction. Many travel this road, believing they're free to define truth as they see fit. But true freedom and life are found only in Christ.

Building on the Rock of Truth

In a world where truth is often considered relative, we're called to build our lives on the unchanging truth of God's Word. Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life," and His teachings provide a solid foundation for our lives.

We must be wary of false teachings, not just from within the church, but also from the world around us. The world's beliefs often contradict God's Word, and their arguments can be compelling. However, we're called to live by God's truth, not by our feelings or the world's ever-changing standards.

Jesus illustrates this principle with the parable of two builders. The wise builder constructs his house on a rock, while the foolish builder builds on sand. When storms come—as they inevitably will in life—only the house built on the rock stands firm. This rock represents Jesus and His teachings.

Building our life with Jesus means not just hearing His words but putting them into practice. It's about allowing God's truth to shape our thoughts, decisions, and actions. When we do this, we build a life that can withstand the storms and challenges we face.

A Call to Action

As we reflect on these teachings, we're faced with a crucial question: Are we truly building our life with Jesus? Are we on the narrow road that leads to life, or the wide road that leads to destruction? If we find ourselves on the wide road, today is the day to make a change.

Building a life with Jesus starts with accepting the truth of who He is – God's Son who took on human form, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross to pay for our sins. By accepting this truth and placing our faith in Him, we enter the narrow gate and begin our journey on the narrow road.

For those already on this path, the challenge is to continue building our life with Jesus daily. This means prioritizing prayer, living out the Golden Rule, and grounding our lives in God's truth. It means seeking God's heart in every situation and persistently knocking on heaven's door in prayer.

As we do this, we build a life that can withstand any storm. We cultivate a deep, meaningful relationship with our Creator. And we position ourselves to experience the abundant life Jesus promised—a life marked by purpose, joy, and eternal significance.

So today, let's commit (or recommit) to building our lives with Jesus. Let's choose the narrow road, embrace God's truth, and live out His love. In doing so, we'll discover a life more fulfilling and impactful than we could ever imagine.