Having Put Your Hand to the Plow...

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Plowing the earth is a difficult task. Sure, today's technology has increased the ease with which we are able to make furrows and plant crops. This was not always the case, though. The plow was a sharp instrument that would be thrust into the ground and pulled or pushed through the soil, preparing it for planting. Looking forward to the unplowed ground, it seems difficult and unforgiving. The expression about 'putting your hand to the plow' means proverbially to take on new business. We're setting out to break new dirt. When we look back, we are probably going to see what, now, seems easy.

The Savior warned that those who, having decided to put their hand to the plow and then looked back we unfit for the kingdom. Although this seems pretty harsh, if our sights are set on those 'easy times' of the past, we are not keeping our eyes on the task at hand. We won't accomplish what we've set out to do and we may even turn back to our old lives rather than embrace our new lives.

Are we looking back at our old ways? Do we regret that day we repented and look back with fondness on those old times? Perhaps, we might be on the cusp of not being ‘fit for the kingdom of God.’