“Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”” - Luke 9:61-62 CSB
This bible verse I came across last night while I was driving home from a photo shoot and listening to my bible reading, One Year Chronological Bible Reading Plan. It pierced my heart and stopped me in my tracks. So much so, I remembered it today, and it has been itching at my heart to study. So here’s praying the Holy Spirit is by my side right now.
I did some research on other’s perspective of the verse, and I seem to be the only one bothered by the thought, “But what about my family?“ Initially, it seems really harsh to me that Jesus wouldn’t let this poor man go say bye to his family. Should he had said, ”I’m going to go say bye to my family - ask them to come, but if not, I will still be right behind you to follow you?” Would that not had put his hand on the plow first? A simple change in sentence order could have possibly made it a less (what seemed to me) harsh response to this guy. I don’t know it really stung me weird.
And this is why I am praying the Holy Spirit to fill my thoughts right now because I never want to stray someone else from thinking Jesus and God are anything BUT LOVE. I mean full on, crazy in love with us all. So I am clearly not able to see past my worldly life. Paul sums it up perfectly in the Book of Philippians.
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 CSB
Thanks Paul, now I feel like a jerk (Lol).
No not really.
This is exactly what these stories are here for, guidance, love, and just simply spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, Our Savior, and our Heavenly Father, God Almighty!
And by the way, I did not come up with that verse all on my own. Never Thirsty helped me out on that one. Giving credit where credit is due.
However, they still didn’t touch on the topic of family. So here is what I gather.
Jesus is Right!
Shocker, I know, right? Like come on Allie, that’s your big reveal?
But seriously, it’s simply put, but true. I don’t need a big reason why, nor do I have to fully think it to be true, the deal is, it is the truth. The living truth. True with a capital “T”. Jesus would never steer us wrong.
This man, our true Savior, saved our lives by dying on the cross for us. He forgave us of all the sins of the world. He did the ultimate sacrifice so that we could finally stop sacrificing! I mean seriously, anyone here wanting to relive Leviticus? Yuck! I don’t think so! If you do, then fine - go read it over and over again and enjoy your sacrificing animals little world. And granted, as my beautiful Pastor showed me, you can’t truly know the true meaning of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, the meaning of His ultimate sacrifice to save us from our sins without Leviticus. So KUDOS Leviticus, but I prefer my God’s forgiveness WITHOUT the sacrifice. The aroma is not pleasing to me, no thank you.
Okay, starting to type like I leave voicemails now, back to subject: Jesus is right, ya’ll. Who can put their hand to the plow and keep looking back? No farmer would ever make a straight line that way. The one and only focus is, Jesus. Living, breathing and knowing those beautiful red lettered words. Those words are important. And was it really so much for Jesus to ask of this man to take ”Follow me” without any hesitation. Especially for such a short period of time. Granted, this young man did not know how long he was going to be gone, but Jesus is worth more than even our good-bye’s to our families.
And you have no idea how hard it is for me, even today, to type those words...
I have grown so much in my faith this year. The bible has changed my life to the point that I am fixated on Jesus. I am truly 1000 percent in love with God and His truth and His Word and His One and Only Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. I have my eyes on Jesus!
But then I blink....
”...but what about my family... my kids... my husband. Heck what about my dogs?”
And then, I am truly at a loss of words. I would love to tell you that I know without a doubt that if Jesus was standing in front of me today, that I would not doubt one bit. I would go and not even look back for my children. But I can’t... Honestly, if anything, I‘d want to stop and take them and my husband with me! Why in the world would I not want to share this amazing gift with them too?
Just like I felt I had to pause when I got so far into the Bible readings. I felt I had this amazing gift to share with Drew and I couldn’t even talk to him about it at first because he didnt truly get it because he had never read His Word fully either. But I couldn’t leave him behind, I needed him to go with me, and eventually go before me and lead our family. (Side note: if you’d had told me I would honestly have felt this way even 2 years ago, I’d look at you like you were on drugs. Not this Miss Independent!)
So I’d love to sit here and tell you that I wouldn’t hesitate. But I can’t. Because I would be more surprised with myself if I didn’t hesitate. I’d want my family to come with me. Now, if they refused, say the kids are grown and make the decision for themselves not to take up their cross and follow him, I think I could leave them behind on that one. Even my husband. It would crush me, but I tried. And I would just pray that God would find them worthy to soften their heart and create a new spirit within them, and they’d catch up with us later, just in time. Because you know, it’s what I‘d hope God would do for me if I was stubborn.
I don’t want to be left behind. I want to be by His side one day. Even through all the scary things that it says will happen at the end. If I must endure it, I want to be next to Jesus most.
I don’t know, lots of rambling here, but I hope if anyone is still reading, that you can answer what you would do a lot easier than I can - maybe I am the only one? But I doubt it.
Could you do it? Could you follow him, not really even being fully sure at the time it was truly him, without saying good-bye to your loved ones? Would you look back? Would you blink? What would make you hesitant?
The world could have everything else, I just pray my family gets to come with me. And even more so, I pray, I wouldn’t blink and just trust that I’d see them very soon. I mean because seriously, that’s all God ever wants from us, our love, our true trust in Him that He will always provide BUT FIRST we must trust in Him.
Well look at that, I believe the Holy Spirit corrected me there. See what just happened here?
I prayed before I typed and I kept my eyes on God even now and the Holy Spirit revealed what I couldn’t see as I was fixated on my worldly life. I remembered God knows best, and if Jesus says to me, “Follow me!” By golly I better not blink because I don’t doubt for a second, He will bring them along too, I just might have to practice a little bit of patience (something I lack so I definitely deserve to be tested on it unfortunately). But if I raise my kids right, and my husband is on the same path as well, there is no doubt in my mind we will all find our way to following Jesus together ... with hopefully the rest of the world.
Tonight’s Prayer
Dear Lord, my Heavenly Father, You are so good! You truly are amazing! Thank You, LORD, so much for guiding my thoughts back to you as I was starting to stray. You never cease to amaze me with what you can do, and how you gifted me with the wisdom to know I must type it out to work it out with you. I love you, and like Paul writes in Philippians 3,
“...Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”
Let me not blink, LORD. Let me keep my hand on the plow with the focus on you. Keep my lines straight and when I do veer off coarse please always find me worthy to correct me, LORD, knowing YOU ARE THE PRIZE, LORD. I love you, and my heart goes out to you. I pray that with my husband we lead our kids in Your name. So when that beautiful day comes there will be no hesitation if I am not with them: I will Follow Him with no doubts, no worries. For I know my husband and kids know you too, and will find their way to you as well. Forgive me for my doubt today, please forgive me for my humanly ways. I pray for the Holy Spirit to always guide me with your wisdom and truth always leading me right back to You and Your Truth, my true prize in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
