No Going Back

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” -Luke 9:62

Some of you (especially youth of the congregation) might have started to catch on that I’m a bit of a geek, all things considered. I confess that I was the kid who opted to stay inside more often than I probably should have to play board, card, and video games. And once my three brothers came along, the electronic battles hardly ever ceased…

I remember one of the first games I was ever exposed to was Super Mario Bros. for the original Nintendo system. I received this game in the early 90’s when my Dad was attending Seminary school in St. Louis and I watched in awe as he whizzed through the levels.

I remember my first try at the game. The soon-to-be Rev. Harold Bender made it seem so easy. To a budding six year old gamer, it was not. Frustrated, I would try levels over again and again – stomping goombas and returning fire with green shells.

The one thing that made me so mad about the game is you couldn’t go back! No matter how bad you wanted to chase after a green mushroom for an extra life or check a tube for a secret passage – once it was left of your screen, it was left in the dust…

Little did I know that in Mario and his quest to rescue Princess Peach, I was learning a hard life lesson – the things that pass us by cannot be recaptured. When a moment is gone, there is no do-over or mulligan. Life goes on, and so must we. You can’t dwell on the past; you can remember it, learn from it, and keep moving to the right.

Jesus spoke the above verse to certain people who came to follow Him as a disciple. They wanted to move on down the road with Jesus, but they also wanted the ability to go back.

I’ll follow, but let me set my own schedule…I want to join, but first let me tidy things up at home.

It was hard for them to hear, and it should be for us as well – following Jesus means we don’t look back. To be a disciple is to die to yourself, pick up your cross, and chase after Jesus.

Paul writes in Philippians 3: “one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Dear friends – I don’t want our life in Christ to pass us by as an afterthought. Not for you, and not for me. I don’t want it to drift to the left and out of view in any given moment. Sadly I am so prone to do just that. To miss a good conversation or prayer with a friend that might let God show up in someone’s life and soften their heart. It can be frustrating to think of all the opportunities I may have missed thus far.

But I know what needs to be done now. It’s time to press on. Christ in me and Christ before me. Every moment a chance to be a part of what God is up to as He establishes His Kingdom around us. There’s no going back to the left…but there’s a lot that lies ahead to the right. And our end goal is so much greater than, “our princess is in another castle!” 🙂

Enjoying the Journey,

Pastor Doug