Sometimes we need the wise words of others to keep us straightened out. It’s so easy to go down the wrong road and so difficult to follow the “narrow way”. Sometimes we need help following the right path.

What makes the “road that leads to life” so narrow? It’s narrow, because it’s focused. Trust God, love your neighbor, it’s pretty basic. It rules out a lot of other behaviors.

It’s difficult to follow, because all possible behaviors are available to us. The wide road doesn’t require discipline, focus, or accountability. The wide road presents all kinds of traps. The narrow way leads to life, because there’s nothing in it that can ensnare us.

That’s why some people become monks. So they can limit their options. Fewer temptations to lead them down the wrong path. We need to adopt some of those safeguards for ourselves. Limited media consumption, owning fewer possessions. And spending less time with people who are “of the world” — people who aren’t interested in the narrow way.