[378 words]
A young psychology student went into the army. Drawing KP duty, he decided to test a long-held theory of his concerning the power of the positive. He was given the job of passing out apricots at the end of the chow line. Now if you have ever tasted army apricots, you will understand why very few soldiers eat them. They taste like they have been packed in diesel fuel.
He asked the first few men that came by, “You don’t want any apricots, do you?” Ninety percent said, “No.” He then tried the positive approach with this question, “You do want some of these delicious apricots, don’t you?” About half answered, “Uh, yeah, I’ll take some.” Finally, he tried a third test based on the fundamental “either/or” selling technique. He asked, “One dish of apricots or two?” In spite of the fact that soldiers don’t like army apricots, forty percent took two
dishes, and fifly percent took one!
Jesus doesn’t use “selling” techniques in His offers to mankind; however, He does present choices. He said in Matthew 7:13-14, “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.” When asked if there are few who will be saved, He replied saying, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).
The choice is ours. Will we strive to enter by the narrow gate or will we go in the way of destruction? Thus, in the words of Joshua, “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). And in the words of Elijah, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).
Findlay church of Christ
Sparta, TN