"But Jesus said to him, 'No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom.''' (Luke 9:62 NKJV).

In today's verse, Jesus makes a staggering statement (in my view).  He told His followers if they turned back—even to say good-bye to their families, they wouldn't be fit for God's kingdom. The phrase be fit means to be complete, restored, and useful. These people would be of no affect in the kingdom—if they took their hands from the plow even for a few days.

What does this mean to us? We must keep our eyes ahead…if we are to "be fit" for the kingdom. When we take our eyes off what God has called us to do, we become unable to fulfill His plan for us.

In the natural this makes perfect sense! If a farmer takes his hand from the plow, how will his field be prepared? How will the ground be ready for seed? How will his crop come up? Obviously it won't. The same is true for us. If we relax our grip, we are in danger of losing our crop.

Let's apply this to homeschooling: We go to a conference and get excited. We buy new books, hear awesome speakers, and see all the other "normal" homeschoolers out there. Then, a few days later, we hear what our neighbor's kids are doing, or a niece or nephew, and we begin to doubt. We entertain thoughts of maybe my kids would be better off in school—and all too quickly, we have taken our hand off the plow.

There are many things that can pull us away from the plow. Things that turn our heads and begin to lure us into thinking another path would certainly be better. Our kids would learn more in public school; they would have more friends; they would become more disciplined, responsible—you fill in the blank here because we all go through this. 

Yet, God has called you to educate your children at home. He has a plan for each scenario, and a purpose for every season. His faithfulness is the net that will catch you.  If you continue looking forward to Him, you won't stumble or fall. As you diligently discipline and train your children to love God and serve others, your plow will begin to move. As the furrows are created and the seeds are sown, the only thing left is to reap the harvest.

Prayer:  “Lord, I humbly ask for You to give me the strength to keep my hand on the plow.  Forgive me if I've become slack in my resolve or compared my children to others.  Renew my vision, give me clear direction, and prepare me for the coming year—in Jesus' name, amen.”

Scriptures to Study:  Luke 9; Galatians 6:9; Matthew 13.

A homeschooler for over 15 years, Sue Brage is known as "The Homeschool Encourager." She speaks and writes to hundreds of homeschoolers and currently writes a weekly email devotional called Weekly Word.  She is also a full-time writer for an international ministry in the Denver area. To receive your free e- devotional, or for more information about her ministry, please visit her website, www.homeschool-encourager.com.

*All Scripture quoted from the Amplified Bible unless otherwise noted.
*All material copyrighted by Weekly Word/Sue Brage 2004.