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
Two creatures are pictured on the coat of arms for the nation of Australia: an emu and a kangaroo. A young Australian boy was once curious about the significance of the two animals. So he began doing some research, and found that both the emu and the kangaroo can move only forward, never backward.
This was the characteristic of the two animals that inspired Australia to include them on their coat of arms. And the same characteristic of moving forward, not backward, is also one that God desires of the people who follow Him.
In life, it can be tempting to go backward. Many people become lazy and complacent in their current circumstances and will do anything to stay in them, even when life is moving forward. But in today’s passage, Jesus is clear that a life lived for Him will be lived looking forward, doing His Kingdom work and with our hand to the plow and our eyes ahead!
So what’s ahead for us who are in Christ? The Kingdom of God. We have an imperishable reward that awaits us… a reward that can be our focus every hour of every day. So don’t look back. Be about God’s daily work and fix your eyes on the eternal reward. Move forward with Jesus!
Prayer Challenge
Pray and ask God to keep you moving forward when you’re tempted to be complacent in life.
Questions for Thought
What about moving forward with Jesus excites you?
How would a life lived with a forward-looking Kingdom focus look different than a life lived looking backward?