Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” — Luke 9:62 (NIV84)
In the last blog, I talked about the “still small voice,” compared to always expecting the big & dramatic, now I want to talk about not going back to the proverbial: BAU = “Business As Usually” mentality. Again, with the small vs. dramatic in mind….
I realize that the above verse is rather intense—a high bar set, for sure, but what I want to focus on is the “looks back” portion of this verse which culminates a dialogue our Lord Jesus is having with those wanting to follow Him but with contingencies…. And our Lord’s answer is basically: “Once you commit to Me, don’t look back at how ‘things’ “used to be,”—deeply desiring and yearning for them, but rather look ahead to the exciting ‘things’ I have planned for you.” Basically….
You remember when Lot’s wife looked back at the city, right (see Genesis 19:26)? You remember when Peter looked back at fishing, right (see John 21:3ff)? Both were looking back at the “good ol’ days” and didn’t remember the Scripture, “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions” (Ecclesiastes 7:10 NIV84).
Comfort? Security? Familiarity? Whatever they were feeling and/or thinking when looking back, walking by faith with the Lord Jesus into the “unknown” future leaves all these behind only to find them in the Lord Jesus Himself…. He is our Comfort. He is our Security! He is our Family….
So, after our month of praying and fasting, what has the Lord prompted us as a church to step out in faith and do? Be it small & quiet or big & dramatic, let us step out and step forward, securely putting our hand to the plow; let us not gaze back, but look unto Jesus and follow Him into the future, where life is not “BAU”; but “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5 NABU95).
Confident of His Moving,
Pastor Mike