“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 the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14
We’ve got a huge Macadamia tree that bulks up with nuts every summer. When the nuts arrive, so do the squirrels.
I used to ignore them. I figure they have a right to a few nuts and no harm done. I figure their mommy raised them to be polite little vermin and they’ll just eat what’s fair.
But they strip mine the tree! So I put a cage in the tree, and so far we’ve caught four of the furry rodents.
You probably think that squirrels are nice little critters, but I’m here to tell you that they’re really bushy-tailed, tree-climbing pit-bulls. Those fuzz-balls have tried to tackle me when I’m in the tree collecting nuts, they’ve cussed me out in squirrel language that I can’t repeat here, and have even tried to urinate on me. (My wife, Leila used to think they were okay until one tried this maneuver on her. She changed her mind.)
We stuck those squirrels in the car and drove them off to Lacy Park. So next time a disgruntled squirrel mugs you in Lacy Park, blame me.
How did we catch all those squirrels? Instant gratification! Those squirrels got caught because that cage was baited with unshelled peanuts. The squirrels were eating yummy, expensive macadamia nuts, all free, but they’re hard as rock! You ever try to crack a macadamia nut? We had to get a special nut-cracker from Maui to open those nuts!
So the squirrel weighed his options. Spend ten minutes gnawing open one mac nut, or go for the easy peanuts. He went for the peanuts. If he’d stuck with the mac nuts, what would he have lost? Nothin’. In fact, it would’ve built his little squirrely character.
When he went for the peanuts, what did it cost him? His career, his house, his neighborhood, his friends, his freedom!
All ‘cause he went for instant gratification! Remember this: whether you’re a squirrel or a human: no matter what the circumstances, usually the quick and easy way is the wrong way, and the time-consuming and hard way is the right way.
I’ve listened to a single friend tell me that she was going to marry a guy, knowing it was wrong, believing even that God didn’t want her to marry him, yet she couldn’t imagine life without him. Maybe it’ll work out. Most times, it doesn’t.
More times than I care to remember, I have sat and listened to people tell me about one heartbreaking decision after another in which they were willing to take the quick and easy way out of a situation, and turn a blind eye to the potential consequences down the road.
What we don’t seem to grasp is that sin is easier up front, but it gets harder down the road, while living righteously is harder up front, but much easier down the road.
For those able and willing to look far enough down the road, good decisions are often easy to make. For those unwilling to look down the road, good decisions don’t pay off quickly enough, and the only attractive way out is to satisfy their immediate desires. It’s a “Buy-now! Pay later!” mentality. And you will pay later! Big time!
Funny how the narrow gate that looks like a cage leads to ultimate freedom, and the wide gate and broad road leads ulitmately to a cage. Better to listen to Jesus.
Blessings,
Pastor Mike