Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:61-62

What would you do if you were offered the opportunity of a lifetime? Think about the one thing that you would love to do above anything else would you immediately take advantage of the opportunity? Or would you go consult your family and friends to see what they would say first?  This is exactly what happened to the man in today’s Scripture. Jesus personally offered him the greatest opportunity of his life, yet he told Jesus to wait while he went back to say good-bye to his family. He was given the chance to walk with Jesus and learn from his words, yet he hesitated. He started thinking about other things in his life, and was left in limbo. 

The Bible says that our life here on earth is just a vapor compared to the big picture of eternity. Nothing on this earth will last—not our family, not our relationships, not our possessions. But there is one thing that we can do on earth that will affect our eternal life. And that is to make the decision to wholeheartedly follow Christ.  You have been offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t linger in indecisiveness. Instead, commit to passionately follow Jesus.

Lord, thank you for the invitation to follow you. Sometimes, the things of this world distract me from passionately committing to you. It’s easier to straddle the fence than it is to take a stand. But today I come off of the fence and I choose to follow you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.