Jesus is committed to your life. He lived a life of humanity although he is deity so that you could have eternal life. He suffered so you could live a life of eternal purpose. Are you following Jesus’ example of commitment? Are you as committed to him as he is to you?
As they were going along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you any place you go.” Jesus said to them, “The foxes have holes to live in, and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head.” (Luke 9:57-58)
Jesus wants you to count the cost of following him. Are you willing to give up your agenda, perceived rights, and desires to yield to and follow him? Commitment to Jesus means you want to become more like him every day. It means yielding to him to fulfill his purpose in his way, because he ultimately knows the path to your fulfilled purpose on earth.
Jesus said to another man, “Follow me!”
But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
But Jesus said to him, “Let the people who are dead bury their own dead. You must go and tell about the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:59-60)
God’s calling and timing are perfect. We rationalize putting off his will, and in the process, we miss out on opportunities. Others in our lives aren’t unimportant; Jesus doesn’t intend for us to ignore our responsibilities. He simply wants us to understand that when he is the center, most important priority, he will make sure everything else within his will gets done.
Another man said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.”
Jesus said, “Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:61-62)
When a farmer plows his field, he must pick out objects in the distance to focus upon in order to move forward in a straight line. Averting focus will create swerves in the rows and inefficient use of the valuable farm land that will bring him harvest. When we follow Jesus, looking back at our old ways of life will throw us off the course Jesus planned for us.
Commitment requires focus. Focus on Jesus.
Great post. My father-in-law put me on a tractor one time to corrugate a field. I did a pathetic job; it was full of swerves. I was trying to stay focused at the end of the field but it was hard. Those who have corrugated for years make it look easy. Following Jesus, like corrugating, take practice and effort; those who have been walking with the Lord for many years can make it look so easy. I love your illustration, just keep focusing on Christ, there is always another row to hoe.
Thanks for sharing.
JD