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Narrow is the Way + The Search for MEaning
Narrow is the Way
There is absolutely no mention of heaven or hell in this next Christ Consciousness section of the Sermon on the Mount, but preachers loooooove to make it all about that.
“Look at the world marching to eternal destruction!! You are the few who have found the narrow way! Get out your wallet as we pray!”
I'm just messing with us Christians on that, so let’s get to the context of the text…
This passage is about life. It’s about the present. It's about the way we navigate. It’s about living in our BEing.
Matthew 7: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Wide and Broad - this gate and path is...
Easy to see and easy to take
Obvious and attractive
Popular
It leads to…
Destruction is from the Greek word /apṓleia ("perdition") and does not imply "annihilation," but instead "loss of well-being" rather than being.
The path doesn’t lead to eternal hell. It leads to a loss of well-being. We lose our BEing bearings. Most of us would agree that living this way is a type of hell.
The most common words used on the broad path are, “I don’t know who I am anymore. I need to find myself.”
However, there is another way… small is the gate, and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Narrow is from the Greek thlíbō (the root of 2347 /thlípsis) and implies rubbing together, constricting (compressing), and being restricted to a "narrow" place.
The broad way compresses our soul from both sides and leaves a very narrow path back to BEing.
This narrow path leads to Life the 1010 life this letter is based on. It is the full experience of who we have been created and designed to be. We awaken in Christ as a Well-BEing.
Few find this path, though, because the broad path is so wide and obvious. We have to ask, seek, and knock, as discussed last week, to locate the narrows.
Here’s a process to help you find your way…
What destruction is in your life right now? Where are you missing a sense of well-BEing?
What broad path are you on that’s creating that?
Look for the small gate. A small piece of yourself. Maybe your inner child is calling you. What part of your BEing needs to be made well?
Follow that to the narrow path.
In this week’s video teaching about these verses, we go deeper. Also, I share a super shallow example at the end.
The Search for MEaning
Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose? Who am I?
Those are the types of questions we love to ask and, for some reason, have trouble answering.
Some people go and look for the answers. They leave everything behind and head somewhere else to “find myself.”
It seems important for us to find ourselves because we feel that is the secret to living a MEaningful life.
Maybe.
In this week’s positive philosophy video, we cover four ways to find ourselves and live with MEaning…
01 Given - we got a special assignment.
02 Granted - we asked for a life of MEaning.
03 Grabbed - we made an impact decision and went for it.
04 Grown - we see our life as evolving in our contribution.
1 QUESTion
Get out your journal and spend time with… What is the most destructive path in my life right now, and how do I compress it?
Blessings!
Paul
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The 1010 Life Letter is a weekly life and spiritual growth update based on the spirit of John 10:10 "…I have come that you may have life and have it to the full!”
As a student of scripture and spirituality for almost half a century I share what I am discovering about living with joy and peace. The purpose is to translate ancient texts into context and integrate to experience a 1010 life.