What’s Distracting You from Your Mission
"As they were going along the road, someone said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'" - Luke 9:57
There’s something revealing about a person’s first reaction to Jesus. In Luke 9, three different people encounter Him. Each one claims to want to follow, but none of them actually do. Something else always gets in the way.
The first is quick to speak. He says he’ll go anywhere Jesus leads. But Jesus pushes back. He reminds him that this road comes without comfort, without a place to call home, without the safety of normal life. Following Him means giving up what most people build their lives around. The second man is invited directly. Jesus says, Follow Me. But instead of moving, the man says, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. Jesus does not accept the delay. The third man offers a similar excuse. I will follow, but let me first say goodbye to those at home. Jesus makes it clear. If you are looking back, you’re not ready to plow forward.
These aren’t stories about bad people. They’re warnings for all of us. Good things, like family and responsibility and comfort, can quietly become reasons to ignore Jesus. The phrase let me first reveals the real problem. Jesus was not first. Something else held more weight.
If your mission feels foggy, if your obedience feels delayed, look for the distractions. Is it comfort? Is it reputation? Is it the fear of missing out on something else? Jesus is not being harsh in these moments. He is being honest. He knows what keeps people from following. He knows how often we make Him one of many priorities. But He will not take second place.
If your hand is on the plow, keep your eyes forward. He is worth more than anything you are tempted to look back for.
There’s something revealing about a person’s first reaction to Jesus. In Luke 9, three different people encounter Him. Each one claims to want to follow, but none of them actually do. Something else always gets in the way.
The first is quick to speak. He says he’ll go anywhere Jesus leads. But Jesus pushes back. He reminds him that this road comes without comfort, without a place to call home, without the safety of normal life. Following Him means giving up what most people build their lives around. The second man is invited directly. Jesus says, Follow Me. But instead of moving, the man says, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. Jesus does not accept the delay. The third man offers a similar excuse. I will follow, but let me first say goodbye to those at home. Jesus makes it clear. If you are looking back, you’re not ready to plow forward.
These aren’t stories about bad people. They’re warnings for all of us. Good things, like family and responsibility and comfort, can quietly become reasons to ignore Jesus. The phrase let me first reveals the real problem. Jesus was not first. Something else held more weight.
If your mission feels foggy, if your obedience feels delayed, look for the distractions. Is it comfort? Is it reputation? Is it the fear of missing out on something else? Jesus is not being harsh in these moments. He is being honest. He knows what keeps people from following. He knows how often we make Him one of many priorities. But He will not take second place.
If your hand is on the plow, keep your eyes forward. He is worth more than anything you are tempted to look back for.
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