As a younger child I have fond memories of bush walking (hiking) with my family in the national park around our property. Sometimes when I walked behind Dad I would watch intently to see where he stepped, then with my short little legs I would try to jump to where he last stepped, and then watch his next step and jump to where his foot had just been, and so forth.

This reminds me of a powerful spiritual lesson. First let's read some verses from Matthew 7.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

Each of the two paths here described have a gate. The one gate is very narrow; the other is wide and broad.

Think about it.. Why do you think the narrow way leads to life? While the broad way leads to death?

Have you ever hiked on a very very narrow track up a mountain before? Sometimes you might have shivers running up and down your spine as you are walking on that tiny path and as you look down, perhaps into a wide valley below. You know that to be weighed down with a multitude of baggage on that narrow path would be dangerous. You must have your hands free for balance and stabilisation.

Now imagine you are traveling with your family on a new year's holiday to go camping. You have the car full of people and bags. You're pulling a large trailer full of the tents, chairs, food, computer and all the other camping comforts. You start off on the smooth wide highway, cruising at 110kms until you get to your destination.

Now consider the differences between a broad highway and a narrow path.

Let's say you want to go on that hike up the mountain. What must you be willing to do? You must be willing to give up the comforts of life. You must be willing to sacrifice whatever it takes so you can make it to the top. On the other hand does it require much of a sacrifice to go camping in the car with all your comforts? It doesn't really does it?

So my friend, we have the difference between the narrow way of life and the broad way of destruction. Why is the way narrow? Because it requires a sacrifice. Why do few find the narrow way? Because few are willing to sacrifice. Jesus Says:

"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:33

The way of life is the way of those who are fully surrendered to Christ. It requires our own desires and will to be given over to the guiding and directing of our heavenly friend.

If you think the way too narrow, that to sacrifice all is too much, I challenge you to consider the one who blazed the narrow path before us, the one who gave up all of heaven, the companionship and adoration of the angelic hosts to walk as a man among men. Jesus sacrificed all He had, because He wanted to give us a life that is as enduring as eternity. In return He asks us to give the little we have back to Him. Is it too much? Our few possessions and our short life compared to what He had?

So dear reader, I challenge you to deepen the footsteps of Jesus who has walked the narrow path of self-denial before us.

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" - 1. Peter 2:21

"Before us is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ --obedient to all the principles of the law of God. But of ourselves we are utterly powerless to attain to this condition. All that is good in man comes to him through Christ. The holiness that God's Word declares we must have before we can be saved is the result of the working of divine grace as we bow in submission to the discipline and restraining influence of the Spirit of truth."
- by Ellen G. White, In Heavenly Places, p. 129