TWO ROADS
By DB Poston
Have you ever felt like you were at a crossroads? Perhaps you felt like giving up on a goal or settling for less than the best in a given task. This abbreviated lesson explores the path to success—whether in personal endeavors, team efforts, or spiritual growth and maturity—through the parable of two gates; Jesus challenges us to put our faith in Him and His will for our lives.
Success and Goals
Years ago, I was in sales, and my dad taught me that successful people do what unsuccessful people don’t want to do. He challenged me to do the work others were unwilling to do and promised it would pay off. I took his challenge and learned that if I focused on what I needed to do, not on what I wanted to get, what I wanted would follow. Success, in general, requires clarity, planning, and persistence. To be successful, we need:
Vision: Clear goals provide direction and lay the groundwork for planning.
Strategic Planning: A plan transforms dreams into actionable objectives.
Teamwork: Teams united by purpose and strategy perform better than teams not working together with a unifying motivation.
Hard Work and Resiliency: Perseverance and daily effort are necessary to overcome the inevitable obstacles that arise with every goal.
Secular goals and success in business provide many with gainful employment, which is fine. However, the ultimate success is not defined by material wealth. Rather, knowing for certain one has eternal life and growing spiritually. According to Jesus, following Him and receiving His life is challenging. Listen to His words:
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14
The road to heaven isn’t hard because we must work for it. Eternal life is a gift we receive when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:8-9). It’s hard because the path of faith is the more challenging choice. One explanation is it is easier to appear righteous than to live righteously.
The Easy Road
Most choose the path of least resistance. The easy road is characterized by:
Doubt: It’s easier to doubt than to believe and endure the challenges to succeed. Belief and unbelief are an exercise of the will, even if the choice is passive.
Mediocrity: It is easier to lower our standards or give up when faced with difficulties.
Judge-Mental Attitude: It’s easier to judge inappropriately than in a helpful way.
It’s easier to be critical of those struggling in their walk than to be an encourager.
Complacency: It’s easier to get by and survive than strive for excellence.
Distraction and Discouragement: It’s easier to lose focus due to setbacks or comparisons.
It is easier to give in to temptation than resist it. Although appealing in its allure and simplicity, the easy road leads to stagnation and, ultimately, destruction. This parable is ultimately about heaven and hell, but interestingly, it comes right after Jesus said, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you” (Matthew 7:12). The Golden Rule is not an easy task. It is a hard choice.
The Hard Road
The hard road involves faith, diligence, and overcoming adversity:
Faith and Righteousness: Living by faith requires trusting God and striving for His standard of perfection.
Christian Living: The Christian journey is marked by spiritual battles, resisting temptation, and standing firm in faith.
Motivation and Character: True righteousness comes from pure motives and aligns with God’s will.
Ups and Downs: It’s been said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” The road to life isn’t paved, but it is hard. It has ups and downs, sharp turns, and roadblocks all along the way.
The hard road, though demanding, leads to growth, fruitfulness, and alignment with God’s purposes.
A Lesson for Ministry Teams
Nick Saban encouraged the football teams he coached to commit to doing their best. At spring training, he gave the same lecture every year: "Doing your best and being the best you can be is not human nature. Human nature is just to survive. It’s not to win the championship, it’s not to be special, it's not to have the best business. It’s just to do good enough. That’s a challenge we all have.”
Saban taught his teams not to focus on the scoreboard but on the next play and to do their job to the best of their ability, and the scoreboard would follow their diligent effort.
Like Saban’s winning teams, success comes from discipline, unity, and focus on the process rather than the outcome. They were encouraged to set goals and be challenged to excel but were encouraged to focus on every day and every play's achievements.
Churches and ministry groups should hold themselves to no less of a standard. Not focused on the numbers but instead on the Great Commission task at hand. In ministry, success isn’t measured by size but faithfulness in advancing God’s kingdom. You can have a room full of people who are not making disciples. They may look good on paper but never multiply themselves in others. Never disciple a new teacher, start a new unit, or participate in missions.
Call to Action
I challenge you to choose the hard road and set ambitious goals for personal growth and kingdom work. Prioritize spiritual disciplines like prayer, evangelism, and obedience. Trust God to bring growth and results.
This lesson is both an encouragement and a wake-up call to embrace the hard road as the path to true success, both in life and in your spiritual journey.
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