“Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62
Back in the day, when I was a missionary living in Haiti, and would come back to somewhere in the US every 60 days to comply with my visa requirement and speak at a church, school, small group or service organization, and they would see the photos of these smiling Haitian kids and there were always people that wanted to come to Haiti and work with me. Literally, hundreds of people have told me that, though they want to be used by God, they want to be used on their terms and time schedules as they were very busy; they had their own agendas. They have their plans and dreams and ambitions following their dreams in this fallen world, and they really don’t have much time to give to God.
If you’re serious about being used by God, say, “Lord, what do I need to let go of here in my present life style? What do I need to cut out? What barriers are holding me back, keeping me from running the race you have planned for me?” One of the biggest barriers we face daily in this fallen world is distractions. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Ouch! You want to work for Jesus, get rid of this world’s distractions. Here is a short list of a few of the many things that might be distracting you from your life mission.
The expectations of other people close to you. You’ve got to decide who you’re going to please first in life. You can only have one “number one.” Your seasonal hobbies. There’s nothing wrong with having hobbies. But if they distract you from the most important things God has planned for you, then you need to let them go. And then there’s your past. Maybe you haven’t let go of your past, and you’re holding on to guilt, resentment, or grief. Here’s the problem with that: When you’re stuck in the past, you can’t get on with the present; and you certainly can’t get on with God’s future for you. Your past is past. So let it go.
Our lives are often a choice between “Am I going to do something good, that makes ME happy?” or “Am I going to do what’s best?” If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy. He’ll get you so busy that you don’t have time for the important things; ministry, mission, and time alone with God. You can’t do all the distractions that this world tells you that ‘you need to do’. So do what matters most! Simplify your life and eliminate those endless worldy distractions so God can use you.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay