The Tough Road Through a Narrow Gate

I grew up in the wide open spaces of Texas. It was easy to get from place to place because the roads were clearly defined and destinations clearly seen and known. Then I moved to Morocco. I can remember walking through the narrow passageways of any Medina (Old City) of a major city in Morocco. Particularly in Fes, it was a bit creepy and can be dangerous. It's tough to see your way through to any particular destination as you're continually rubbing shoulders with the masses going both ways, weaving in and out of the crowd, all the while dodging transit donkeys and darting children. It's a tough way to travel through very narrow places. Life can be likewise.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
Matthew 7:13-14

Following Jesus is tough. There's no way around that. No doubt it is entirely worth the struggle, but regardless of any situation in life, it's just hard to remain faithful to what Jesus has called us.

While living in Morocco, I found myself desperate for the intervention of God in my life, that He would sustain me in such an entirely different spiritual environment. It was difficult, as a follower of Jesus, to be very outward with my faith, for it was a dangerous thing to do. All I could do is walk the path that He had set out for me. But it was a hard path. I often became weary and fell to my knees in hopes that my God would persevere me. And He did, of course.

Now, I will never claim that at any time while in Morocco, I faced any degree of religious persecution. My Moroccan friends are incredible people, and I love them dearly. I miss them very much. But, in my experience, living in a spiritually difficult place produces within us a degree of reliance and dependence on God that nothing else would require. One of my most favorite quotes is from John Piper: "One of God's gifts to us in suffering is that we are granted to see and experience depths of His Word that a life of ease and comfort would never yield." I find that to be very true, especially in those dear saints that have actually been persecuted and martyred for following Jesus.

Currently, I live in a completely different environment: the "religiously free" United States. And the Suburbs, no less. Never did I imagine living in the suburbs of Portland.But never did I imagine living in Africa, either. Don't get me wrong, I praise God for leading me here so that I may get to know my family and learn how to be a husband and teach in Oregon public schools. It's just so much different, both geographically and spiritually. I find the following excerpt from the Puritan Thomas Shepard's work a very accurate portrayal of America's religious freedom, which these days is some places almost turning into religious counterfeit or religious exclusion entirely. Shepard was one of the pilgrims that left England due to the persecutions of the Church of England in order to live in religious liberty in New England more than one hundred years before the Declaration of Independence.

The Danger of Carnal Security
(an excerpt from “The Devoted Life: An Invitation to the Puritan Classics,” describing Thomas Shepard’s The Parable of the Ten Virgins)

In spite of vast differences between the [wise and foolish] virgins, the parable warns that “the spirit of sloth and security” will overcome both wise and foolish virgins in the last days. “As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept” (Matthew 25:5). Shepard explained that their sleep signifies a carnal security that posed a great threat to the health and vitality of the “virgin churches” of New England. Their lack of persecution and abundance of “spiritual gifts and graces” had produced an unexpected result. Rather than usher in the godly society of “visible saints” as Shepard had hoped, their religious freedom had led to spiritual indifference and decadence. Those who had escaped the persecutions in England had now succumbed to a “carnal security” that dulled their conscience toward sin and their passions for Christ’s return. The “virgin churches” of Massachusetts faced a great temptation to slumber and sleep because “their beds [were] made soft” and “the storms” of persecution were “past.” Shepard pointed to the divisions among them and their wars with the Pequot Indians (1636-1637) as works of God’s providence to awaken them out of their spiritual indifference. He warned them especially against settling for a “peace with their sin,” a “peace that…gives up the fight against sin and Satan.” Rather, they must rest in the Lord, “a rest which faith gives” only after it has conquered sin. For peace with Christ is not experienced through “sloth” but by waging war “against every temptation.” The peace of faith often “finds and feels its rest most in the midst of trouble” because it is “in times of persecution” and hardship that “grace is most exercised” through prayer and watchfulness. The danger of “carnal security” is its presumption of grace that refuses to be disturbed by secret sins and selfish motives…. Shepard insisted that God’s saving grace results in not merely the passive imputation of righteousness but also an active righteous disposition that should be exercised by all truly regenerated saints.

In my observation of our culture these days, in many ways, I think America is past its prime, beyond its Golden Age. But let's face it: despite this war against terrorism or any other challenge, we are far from being persecuted. Especially in the churches of America. And within those churches, especially those huge suburban megachurches. So even more dangerous is Shepard's assessment of religious freedom. I listened to a sermon entitled, Death by Suburbia, which further emphasized the dangers of such a lifestyle.

It's truly a mystery what happens when the people of God are passionate risk-takers that are unafraid of being uncomfortable. Historically, after followers of Jesus were martyred, the church tended to explode. Rather than the believers shrinking back in fear, their God granted them even greater boldness. As Shepard said, maybe America needs these divisions and a battle similar to that with the Pequot Indians in order to awaken our desperation and dependence on Him alone rather than our material wealth and comforts.

But whether I live in the dangerous suburbs or the dangerous foreign country, the spiritual war rages on. The battles look drastically different depending on the spiritual setting. But regardless, the gate is narrow and the path is hard. Sometimes, it will seem as if Satan is squeezing the spiritual life out of me, like a boa constrictor, but Jesus is always there to persevere me, preserve me, and protect me. Never will I be alone on this journey, for He will never leave or forsake me. And in the end, there will be much rejoicing after these afflictions have passed -- both in the 'burbs and in Africa. In the meantime, I don't foresee it getting any easier, but I do see it getting better as the Lord refines me through the difficulties that this road will surely provide.