Questions I Asked Myself As I Was Spending Time In The Word

The picture Jesus is using
In His day, plowing required steady, forward focus. If a farmer looked back while guiding the plow, the rows would become crooked and the work would be ineffective. Jesus uses that everyday image to make a spiritual point.

What Jesus meant

1. Undivided commitment
Following Jesus isn’t meant to be half-hearted. He’s addressing someone who wanted to follow Him but first go back and take care of other matters. Jesus is saying: You can’t move forward with Me while your heart is still tied to what you’re leaving behind.

2. No divided loyalties
“Looking back” isn’t about physically turning your head—it represents longing for the old life, clinging to past priorities, or hesitating when obedience becomes costly.

3. Forward focus in the Kingdom
The Kingdom of God requires a forward-moving life—trusting God with what’s behind you and staying focused on where He is leading.

4. A warning, not rejection
Jesus isn’t saying people who struggle are disqualified. He’s making clear that discipleship is serious—it calls for a settled decision, not indecision.

I have concluded that this is much less about how to get saved as it is about the cost of belonging to God's family. Children of God are to be focused on the work of the Kingdom. 

“Not fit for the Kingdom”
That phrase can sound harsh, but it doesn’t mean “you can never be saved.”

It means:

• Not useful

• Not ready

• Not aligned for Kingdom work

Like a farmer who won’t focus—he’s not “fit” to plow effectively.

If we love God for all the love He has shown us, we want to do things well. We can't if we're not focused and putting His work first in our lives.

However, one must ask themselves:   If I continually “look back”—clinging to the old life, unwilling to move forward—then ithis should raise a serious question:     Has there been a real surrender at all?

Prayer
Lord, I come before You with a humble heart, seeking to understand what it means to follow You fully. Jesus, You have called me to keep my eyes forward, not longing for the past, but trusting You in every step. Help me release any old attachments or fears that hold me back. Teach me to be steadfast, fully committed to Your Kingdom. And Lord, give me the courage to let go of anything that distracts me from You. I trust You, and I surrender this day to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.