“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it...Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:13-20).

One of the reasons pick-n-mix spirituality has become popular for some in the West is because they perceive a spirituality which costs them little. They believe they can live as they choose and receive the ‘blessings’ of being ‘spiritual.’ But what fruit do we see in their lives?

Most people in the world are going with the flow, following the crowd and offer no resistance to the stream. Disciples of Jesus Christ are not permitted to do this. We have to stand apart, be strong and walk in the opposite direction. We are told that many are on a road which leads to destruction and one by one millions are walking towards an eternal cliff. This road is filled with all kinds of broken pleasures of sin and much temporal amusement; its end is death. We are exhorted to seek out and walk through, “The narrow gate.”

The way into the eternal Kingdom is narrow and difficult, so don’t be surprised when you find your values in conflict with the world. We are not of this world (John 16:33).

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the Word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18-20).

This is an excerpt from the book ‘Jesus Today - Daily Devotional - 100 Days with Jesus Christ’ by Paul Backholer and is used by permission.