Life, too, is a series of roundabouts--decisions that need to be made, often under undo pressure. An incorrect choice will lead us the wrong way and sometimes to a difficult journey finding our way back to where we really need to go. Matthew 7:13-14 tells us to "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 and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Some reading I have been doing will lend some helpful "street signs" to keep us headed in the right direction; the one that leads to the narrow road.
I recently finished reading a book written by a friend and entitled Cuyahoga's Child: Growing Up in the Valley of the Crooked River (available on Amazon). My initial interest was to "observe the Knowles family through the years and learn some of the "secret ingredients" to a family that appears so close, loving, and committed to their faith. Through Jeff's reminiscing, I was also drawn to relive some of my own childhood adventures. And although I was never a fan of history (perhaps due to the fact that most of my history teachers were more interested in coaching than their subject area), I also enjoyed a history lesson on the Cuyahoga Valley, the Western Reserve, canal life, and the roots of several religious denominations....namely the "Mormons", "Shakers", and "Disciples of Christ".
One sentence of truth, however, stood out far above all others in the book. It reads, "After decades of reading and hearing the words of some of the greatest men and women the world has produced, I am increasingly convinced that all of life's meaningful activity is centered around people's search for God and, conversely, that all of life's folly is to be found along the paths leading away from him." What a nugget of truth!
This idea is reinforced in a study my small group recently started entitled "Colossians: Against the Tide", based on the sermon series by Steve May (ChristianBiblestudies.com). In it, success is defined as "living a life that makes a difference, that has a positive impact on those around you and continues to benefit others even generations after you're gone." Now that's a tall order! And it certainly looks a whole lot more like "centering around" a "search for God" than the "paths leading away from him." With God at the center, all other priorities such as a family, career, finances, education, activities, and even entertainment can fall into place, but do not occupy the center.
As Steve May puts it, "success is not about living an easy life; it's about living a great life." In fact he uses words such as serving, struggling, and even suffering to describe the sacrifices we must make to live "a life that will have an eternal impact." We may suffer ridicule, criticism, and even persecution as we live out our faith. We live beyond ourselves as we serve others. Finally we need to "remain in the struggle" whether it's a difficult marriage, a prodigal son or daughter, an overbearing supervisor, a church split, an addiction, or a mental or physical illness. May clarifies, "You can coast through your job, your marriage, your commitment to your children, and never allow yourself to be inconvenienced. But if you wan to succeed, it will require much more."
We all find ourselves wanting to give up, take the easy road, or go along with the crowd from time to time. However, it is at these times that we need to retrace our way back to the roundabout that centers on our search for God and stay focused on Him. Steve Green's song "Find Us Faithful" reminds us that "We're pilgrims on the journey/Of the narrow road" and "surrounded by a cloud of witnesses". His admonition in the song is to consider the "footprints that we leave" so that "all who come behind us find us faithful". To do this we must remain in the struggle, sacrificially serve others, and even suffer at times.