So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
1 King 19:21
Have you noticed how hard it is to get people to commit to anything nowadays? Couples do not get married anymore. They live together, so it is easier to go their separate ways if things do not work out. We no longer buy cars. We lease them. No one can buy a house not only because the prices are so high but also because no one stays in one place anymore.
Do not get me started talking about people’s lack of commitment to the church. People do not become members of a church anymore. They instead watch five churches online. It is also tough to find committed volunteers to work at church. I remember when one of my children’s church volunteers called me on Tuesday to let me know that he believed he would be sick on Sunday and wanted off the schedule for the upcoming weekend.
That, my friends, was not the story of Elisha. When the prophet Elijah extended him the invitation to be his servant or, as we call it today, his executive assistant, he wholeheartedly committed to the job. His commitment was so severe that just in case he was tempted to return to his old life, the Bible tells us that he barbecued his oxen using his plow equipment for wood. He made sure nothing was left from his old life if he was ever tempted to quit and go back.
People of God, today I want to humbly remind you that you committed your whole life to Christ when you came to Him. To be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ. We do not follow Him only when it is convenient or popular to do it. Our commitment to Christ is not only for some parts of our lives or some days of the week. Jesus is either Lord of our entire life or not at all.
If Christ does not rule your speech, relationships, finances, past, present, future, etc., He is not your Lord. You may think He is okay with having half your heart, but do not be deceived. Eventually, the day will come when some will hear, “Depart from me. I never knew you.” Let us check our lives today. Maybe it is time for some of us to have a barbecue.
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