Farmers’ fields filled with straight rows have always been intriguing, so I asked a farmer-friend how he kept the mounds of dirt straight. His answer was simple; he found a focal point in the distance and kept his eyes on it as he plowed. His straight rows showed there was no looking back once the work started.
Jesus called a man to follow Him; he wanted to, but not until after his
father’s death and burial. He showed his partial surrender to Jesus’ call by
requesting first to take care of his duties as the son. Jesus replied, “No
man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom
of God” (Luke 9:62). Jesus’ reply seems harsh, expecting the son to leave
his loved ones to follow Him, but by looking back, not entrusting his family to
the Lord, the son created a crooked row. Wanting to follow Christ is correct, but
desire alone (partial surrender) will not assure your place in God’s work or family. If He calls
you to a task and you want to follow but first . . ., you have placed Him
second, implying He made a mistake in that calling.
When you use excuses before following Jesus is the same as looking
back, plowing with your family or something else as the focal point, placing
God behind you, and producing crooked rows. The remedy? Trust your life and
family with God and His timing. As you fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith, put your hands to the plow and dig into the work that
lies ahead. The result? Straight rows.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.