It's too Hot to Turn Back
All last week I kept hearing about an impending storm that was predicted to bring an abundance of torrential rains with it. Even though I had just cut my grass a few days prior, I felt the need to go ahead and cut it again before the storm came through so I wouldn’t have a small forest in my yard by the time it was dry enough to cut again. Right then, in the middle of the day, was the only time I had to cut it, so I went ahead, got changed, and went out to get started.
It only took a few steps out the door to realize how hot it was. It was a sweltering ninety-one degrees! Who voluntarily cuts their grass when it’s ninety-one degrees outside? But since it needed to be done, I went ahead and did it anyway. There were two things I knew going into this… I knew I needed to be well hydrated and I knew I needed to get the grass cut fast! So, I guzzled down some water and I set a goal for myself to cut the grass 15 minutes quicker than usual – no trimming, no edging, just cut the grass and do it expeditiously. Without me even thinking about it, the thought came to mind, “Only. Move. Forward.”
Only move forward? How can you cut a yard if you only move forward? Aren’t you supposed to go all the way down then turning around and go all the way back? How can you cut a yard fifteen minutes quicker if you’re trying to figure out how to only move forward? Instead of wasting anymore time, I decided I was going to focus on only moving forward. I wasn’t going to stop to pull any weeds and I wasn’t going to go around any ant piles. I was just going to mow straight over them and keep moving forward.
It didn’t take long for me to realize if I was going to do this there were some things I was going to have to adjust from the way I’ve always done them in the past. One of the first things I realized was that in order for me to not go backwards, I sometimes had to go diagonal instead of having a perfectly straight corner. Instead of continuously turning back, it forced me to learn how to pivot.
Since the grass really could have gone several more days before it really needed to be cut, there wasn’t much differentiation between the grass I had cut and the grass I hadn’t cut. It was so subtle that sometimes I couldn’t tell where my path was and I’d get off track. There were also some times when I realized I had missed a spot, but because I committed to only moving forward, I had to leave it behind and keep pressing on. And to my surprise, there were a couple of times in my process of moving forward that I actually had the opportunity to cross paths again with that which I thought I had missed out on.
The further along I got, I felt like I was going in circles. Not only did it feel weird doing it, I knew it must have looked weird to anyone who saw me. I couldn’t help but wonder what my neighbors and those passing by were thinking. And what about my nice, straight lines that I was so used to seeing? I knew those were going to be all messed up if I keep going like I was. Nevertheless, I kept moving forward.
When you’re following instructions given to you by God, there is nothing you need to figure out. You have to let go of whatever preconceived ideas you may have about how you think something should be done. Whenever you’re doing a new thing (or an old thing in a new way), there will almost always be adjustments you’ll need to make. It’s through these uncomfortable adjustments that we grow and learn new things we didn’t even know were possible. Even though things may not look perfect in your eyes, it doesn’t mean you’re not in the perfect will of God.
But don’t be deceived. As you’re focused on moving forward, so is Satan. Because he knows you’re committed to doing things God’s way, he’s going to make his schemes so subtle that sometimes you won’t be able to tell where God’s path for your life is, and it’ll cause you to get off track. But don’t let that hinder you from moving forward. Keep your eyes on Jesus and trust Him to get you back on track.
Don’t worry about what other people think. Don’t worry about what others may say. It doesn’t matter if you have to revisit a place you’ve already been in order to get to the place you’re going. And it doesn’t matter if it feels like you’re going around and around in circles. What you think and what you feel must take a back seat to what God says.
Something I’m starting to hear more and more from believers is, “I feel like I’ve been released from that” (whatever “that” may be for them). Not that God doesn’t release us from things, but it’s just interesting to me that the more and more I hear this statement, the more and more it’s connected to things the person doesn’t want to do. The circumstances have gotten a little too hot for their liking and now they want to spiritualize their refusal to persevere. The beauty about only moving forward in cutting my grass was that knew I was “released” from doing it because IT WAS FINISHED! And when I looked at the clock, it was exactly fifteen minutes less than what it usually takes me.
If we think ninety degrees is hot, can we even imagine what it feels like in hell? Since we’re saved, many of us have a tendency to just sit and enjoy the promise of our climate-controlled existence in eternity and fail to think of our lost sisters and brothers who will never be able to lower the thermostat or hydrate with a refreshing drink.
There’s a storm coming and we must prepare. Follow the instructions God gives you. Press on without looking back. Everything He instructs us to do has Kingdom purpose and eternal value. It’s His desire that no man should perish; so let’s help make His dream come true. Because it’s way too hot in hell to let anyone go there.
Questions to Ask
· What instruction has God given you that you need to move forward in without looking back?
· What adjustments do you need to make in order to do the new things He has for you to do?
· Who in your life could you help save from the eternal heat of hell?
Scripture to Study
· Luke 9:62
· Philippians 3:14
· 2 Peter 3:9
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