We’ve all been there — waiting in line at the airport while the boarding process drags on longer than it takes your sugar-fueled toddler to finally fall asleep. You might start thinking, Maybe I could just slip into the Group 2 line, even though your ticket clearly says Group 8.

But if you’re flying out of Albuquerque, Tucson, or Washington, D.C., you might want to think twice. American Airlines is testing new technology to alert ticket agents when “gate lice” try to jump ahead before their designated time. A buzzer will sound, and you’ll be sent back to your group faster than your family devours the Thanksgiving turkey you spent half the day roasting.

It’s an understandable impulse — no one wants to miss out on carry-on bin space or be the last to board as other passengers shoot you the stink eye for slowing things down. This “fear of missing out” (FOMO) drives us to push ahead, not just at the gate, but often in life.

Jesus, however, speaks about another kind of gate in Matthew 7:13–14. He invites us to enter by the narrow gate — the path that isn’t popular, requiring patience and humility. Marked by waiting and trust, this narrow way leads to eternal life, but the broad gate, though easy and accessible, leads to destruction. The word here means total ruin and disrepair — utter wastefulness — and implies the loss of something that could have been useful and lovely. It is a sad, sobering end for those who skip through the wide gate, putting pleasure, power, or the pursuit of wealth before God.

The Bible offers powerful examples of those who trusted God’s timing despite FOMO. David waited years to become king, enduring hardship as God prepared him. Joseph spent time as a slave and prisoner before stepping into leadership. Even Jesus waited thirty years before starting His ministry.

Choosing the narrow gate isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t promise titillation or an easy life, which is why so few choose it. Just as airlines send back “gate lice” for the thrill of the quick, easy route, those who rush ahead in life may find themselves last in the kingdom to come. Yet the narrow way offers rewards that the road of destruction cannot provide: a pure heart, a clean conscience, personal transformation, a purposeful plan for your life, and an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus. Ultimately, the narrow gate leads to the life we were truly meant to live.

Choose it.

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