You Can't Have It Both Ways

by Darla Noble

But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:62

When I was a kid I used to think the verse of Matthew 8:22 was harsh.

Here a person was telling Jesus he wanted to follow Him, but he wanted to bury his father. And Jesus essentially says, “Let them do it themselves.” Or, “Let someone else worry about it.”

At least that what I thought Jesus was saying. But that’s really not it. Jesus isn’t being insensitive or hard-hearted. He also isn’t encouraging a person to disrespect his parents. What Jesus is saying here is that we can’t have it both ways. We can’t pick and choose which of Christ’s commands we obey and which ones we don’t. It’s an all or nothing lifestyle. Being a Christian isn’t just something you do–it’s who you become.

When Jesus said looking back makes us unfit for God’s Kingdom, what He is saying is that we have to choose. Or as my Grandpa would say, we have to be on one side of the fence or the other. So let me ask you this: Are you looking back? Or are you looking forward to all the wonderful blessings God wants to give you? 


Pray

> God,

Keep my eyes focused on You and what lies ahead.
Protect me from the temptation to look back.
In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.