STRIVE!!!

 "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. " [Luke 13:24]

As I listened to this scripture reading in church today, my mind begun to wonder deeply,about what it means to strive. I wondered why Jesus chose those words to teach a lesson. Strive, according to the Marriam-Webster dictionary, is "to devote serious effort or energy" (emphasis mine). Again, John Gill's exposition/commentary said :"To 'strive', is to be diligent in the use of means; to search the Scriptures with care; to attend on the preaching of the word with constancy, neglecting no opportunity; to pray earnestly for spiritual light, knowledge, and grace; to contend with every enemy that opposes the salvation of the soul, as sin, Satan, and the world; to bear all reproaches and persecutions, and press through all difficulties, for the prize of the incorruptible crown: the metaphor seems to be taken from the striving, wrestling, and combat in the Olympic games, for a corruptible crown."  This intransitive verb derives its roots from the Anglo-French word- estriver, meaning to quarrel.

I believe that the Lord is calling us to a personalised fight/contention with our selves to enter into this narrow gate. A fight to discipline ourselves with the focus of having a deeper relationship with the Lord. You might be close to Him, but I believe that there is more ground to cover. The imagery of contention, fight, wrestle etc, is very apt because it shows that:

1. To develop a deeper walk with God, does not come easy: We must learn to deny ourselves of certain pleasures, eschew certain familiar behaviour and sometimes step outside our comfort zones. All these, do not come easy. We have to contend; for knowing God is not just attending church or church activities, but overcoming all odds in order to build a strong relationship with Him.
2. It must involve an effort: A serious wrestling match, is a showcase of energy and effort on the part of the contenders. To be able to walk through that door, we must invest energy, effort and time.

Today, the Lord is calling us into a deeper relationship with Him. However, we also need to play our role: we must STRIVE. Lets pray for grace and strength to carry out this command in order to attain the reward: to be in His presence forever.