Eyes Straight - Plow Straight
I was listening to a podcast by farmer, who is a Christian, speak about his faith, his land and his life. He brought up a point that really struck a chord with me, and the Holy Spirit really started to speak to me about that very thing in my own life. This study is what has stemmed from that inner discussion with the Lord.
One time while Jesus and his disciples were walking from village to village, others had travelled with them. Several of them stated that they would follow him (Jesus), then added a "but...." after Jesus spoke into their circumstances.
This account can be found in Luke 9:57-62.
However, the final verse is quite pertinent to our lives, and how we intend to be an active part of the Kingdom of God. It says....Luke 9:62 "But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Here, Jesus is not afraid to call someone out, or inform them that their perspective of life is wrong and not oriented towards the Kingdom of God. This verse can be broken down into three elements, and each has profound meaning for us in the times we live in.
A) Hand to the Plow: The first part of this verse refers to a farmer plowing the field ready for planting seeds/seedlings for later harvest. It points to a person who had determined to go out and get things ready for the future harvest. It also shows that the person was ready to do hard work for the farm (the Kingdom of God). Many of us want to get directly involved in ministry and do significant things for the Kingdom of God. Our intentions are to be there, to do the hard yards, and by the grace of God - see our work be fruitful and souls come to the Lord. However, our intentions and our actions don't always align with the will of God for our lives, nor do they align with the work that is actually needed within the Kingdom of God.
B) Looking Back: The second element is all about our perspective, and the things that influence our actions, thoughts and emotions - it is based on our connection to the past. Past events and our reactions to them help define us - for better or for worse. Here's the thing....looking back, whether it is at our achievements, or our greatest failures...is actually not beneficial to our lives or our ability to make a meaningful impact on this world for the Kingdom of God.
When we look back, we reconnect the threads of our lives that we should have let go, years earlier. If we focus on our past achievements we are more likely to fall into the trap of pride and self-centredness - the whole "Look at me...look at how good I am!!!" thing may float with the 'Influencer' crowd...but it doesn't float with God. The door also swings the other way...when you focus too much on your past failures, then you can slide into depression, and anxiety. Both of these situations diminish a person's effectiveness for the Kingdom of God. In fact, both tend to take a person away from the plow, and causes them to end up on the sidelines.
The Bible is replete with examples of how looking back can have significant impacts on our lives. Perhaps the most well known is that of Lot's wife. As found in Genesis 19:17, 26 - "When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!...But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt." Lot's wife turned back at the life, the family, the friends, the wealth and the status she was having to leave behind - and the consequence was that she lost her life. Moreover, her actions meant that her daughters no longer had a mother (which has consequences later on in the story), and her husband no longer had a wife. Her knowledge and skills were lost to the family forever. If we get stuck in the past, and our current lives start to pass us by, or cause to get stuck - then our families lose us for a time, and that will have significant impacts on our families, and our impact for the Kingdom of God.
In Philippians 3:13, Paul talks about his own life, and his own struggle, where it says - "No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead" - If anyone had a claim to say that their past had an impact on their current and future state, then Paul was it. I mean think about it, his job was to go around hunting down Christians and organising their execution and torture, and he loved it. Then his interaction with Jesus changed the trajectory of his life - much like our interaction with Jesus has changed our lives. But for Paul to be effective in his ministry and actions for the Kingdom of God, he needed to set his past aside, and move into the grace and mercy that Jesus poured out upon him. We are no different. If we are to be effective in our lives, and for the Kingdom of God, then we must let go of our past - both our achievements and our failures - for our sake and for the sake of those whose lives we touch.
The other reason to let the past go is that the people who may have harmed you, or not recognised your achievements - well to be honest they have taken up squatting in your head, and are now deeply embedded into everything you do - and the crazy part is that you may not even have contact with them anymore. You need to forgive and set yourself free from entanglement with those people - spiritually, emotionally and physically.
C) No-one...fit for the Kingdom of God: God has standards. In fact he has pretty high standards, and he wants us to try to reach them, all the while understanding that because we are sinful creatures, we will fall short of them. That is the blessing of Jesus Christ. We can fall short, but our faith in Jesus Christ brings us closer to God and his will for our lives. But it takes a choice on our part to seek God's will for our lives, and to aim as high as we can. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - it is a warning for everyone, but even more-so for believers.
There is only one way to enter the Kingdom of God, one way to come into the fulness of our salvation, and one way to be the people that God intends us to be - that is to move FORWARD in the blessed assurance of the dead and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There can be no turning back, no looking back...only the deliberate taking of step after step towards the end of our journey, and the purposeful actioning of God's will for our lives, for the glory of his kingdom.
So keep your eyes straight and plow straight!!!
May God bring you to a place of discernment and wisdom regarding your past, so that you may let it go - completely. May you lean into the grace and mercy that Jesus blesses you with. You are forgiven...you are more than your past. May you choose to step into the will of God, and be fruitful for his kingdom. May you be strengthened to stay the course and to plow ahead, firmly looking forward. God be with you always!!!
Written 28th August 2022…