Everyday we see things that are marketed to make our life simpler, easier and hassle free. We are lulled into a state of complacency. We get to a point where we are comfortable, then put forth little effort to make our situations any better. Yet once troubles appear in our path, instead of pushing through, we just switch to an easier path.
I recently saw a commercial for Metro by T-Mobile, that had two bears trying to catch salmon in a river. The commercial itself was about switching your cellular service. But what stood out to me was while the other bears were trying to catch the salmon, the one bear says he's going to hit the sushi restaurant. So in essence instead of working toward catching the fish which takes time and could be difficult, he decided to just take the easier path and go to the sushi restaurant. So the commercial got me thinking about the treacherous journey a salmon must make.
You see, salmon were designed by God to return to the place of their birth. They will travel many miles upstream against the natural flow of things to get there. But instead of reaching their true destination many of them end up in a can on a supermarket shelf. So your calling as a believer is very much like that of a salmon. You are meant to go against the natural flow of the flesh, the world, of hate, of sin, discouragement, and darkness. You have the power to swim upstream. Your life has the potential to be a miracle.
It won't be an easy path; but that's why Christ said in Matthew 7:13-14-“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. It's a path that few will take. It's a path that is filled with hardships and sufferings. But it's a path that leads to the ultimate reward. The reward of returning to the place we were created, in the arms of our Father.
But the enemy will do everything he can to have you end up in a can. He wants your potential; the miracle in your life, the blessings, the ministry, the joy, and the victory that God has for you. If the potential in life is on a shelf somewhere in a can, God’s Word is still good, and His power is awesome. Spiritually you’ve got the power of God’s Spirit to go against the flow and reach your full
potential!
God's message for the path in your life can even be seen in secular music. There is a highway to hell, but only a stairway to heaven. So get set on the unworn path. It may look hard. It may be filled with temporary sufferings; but it's filled with eternal joy. So get going uphill, upstream, against the flow and out of that can.
