Scriptural Foundation:
Luke 9:57-62 New Living Translation (NLT)
As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Reflection:
To be a disciple it is going to cost you something. One can’t expect to receive God’s best for their lives yet make little or no changes in behavior or thought patterns. When you follow God there will always be obligations to family and friends that if it is in direct conflict with what the Lord is doing in your life, you are going to have to choose between following what the Lord says and disappointing/upsetting some people, or asking the Lord of all things to wait until you are ready. It sounds like an easy decision, but many believers choose to put the Lord on hold, then have the audacity to be upset when God seems to be taking a long time fulfilling their next request.
We have divine appointments that are peppered throughout our lives to help fulfill our assignment on this earth. Can I provide the visional that the Lord gave me? Do you remember the game Chutes and Ladders? It is a race to the finish line that comprises of short cuts and pit falls. A player can either land on a ladder that helps them skip a bunch of spaces or land on a chute that causes the person to fall backward several spaces. The same is true in life, there are divine appointments in your life that you choose to make them a ladder getting you closer to your destiny or a chute that will have you repeat the same situation again.
Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
- Think back at defining moments in your life both good and bad
- List the good under ladders and the negative under chutes.
- Focusing on the “chutes” in your life, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you when you get to those same “trap door” situations. By actively choosing to act or react differently you will change that chute into a ladder.