Good morning, and welcome to Grace For Another Morning.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:61–62Lord, I Will Follow You—But First…
Good morning.
There are four words in this passage that can expose more about our priorities than we may want to admit:
“But let me first…”
The man speaking to Jesus was not refusing to follow Him. In fact, he said plainly, “Lord, I will follow thee.”
Then came the condition.
But first.
That sounds uncomfortably familiar.
Lord, I will spend more time with You—but first I need to get through this busy season.
Lord, I will serve You—but first I need to get everything else in order.
Lord, I will obey what You have been pressing upon my heart—but first I need to make sure it will work out the way I want.
Lord, I will follow You—but first…
Sometimes what comes after those words is not sinful at all.
Family matters. Work matters. Responsibilities matter. Providing for those we love matters. Jesus was not teaching us to become careless about the people and responsibilities God has placed in our lives.
He was confronting divided allegiance.
A person guiding a plough cannot make a straight furrow while continually turning around to stare behind him. Eventually the plough wanders.
Jesus used that picture to say something difficult: following Him cannot be something we intend to do after everything else has been settled.
There will always be something else.
Another responsibility.
Another project.
Another concern.
Another reason why tomorrow might seem more convenient than today.
The danger is not always that we stop believing in Christ.
Sometimes the danger is that we keep asking Christ to wait.
And slowly, almost without noticing it, “but first” becomes the pattern of our spiritual lives.
Grace for Today
Complete this sentence honestly before God:
“Lord, I will follow You—but first __________.”
What keeps filling that blank?
You may already know the answer.
Instead of trying to solve everything at once, take one step of obedience today.
Spend the time with God you have been postponing.
Make the decision you already know is right.
Release the excuse you have been carrying.
Put your hand to the plough.
And keep your eyes forward.
A Prayer for Today
Prayer
Lord, there have been times when I have said I would follow You while still asking You to wait.
Show me anything I continually place ahead of You.
Help me to fulfill my responsibilities without allowing them to become excuses for delayed obedience.
Give me the courage to take the next faithful step You have placed before me.
Keep my hand to the plough and my eyes upon You.
Amen.
You do not have to know every mile of the road ahead.
You only need to be willing to follow Christ into the next step.
A single step of faith today is better than another day spent looking back.