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.

Devotion based on 1 Kings 19:21

A woman once showed her Christian pastor a handbook from her former religion. That religion emphasized her good works rather than God’s gift of salvation. It’s like she was under a yoke of slavery. When she came to know Jesus and his full and free forgiveness, she was relieved; a weight was lifted off her shoulders. After looking at the book briefly, the pastor handed it back to her, but she refused, “I don’t need that anymore.”

When Elisha was called to serve God as a prophet, one who would share God’s word, he left his old profession behind. There was no turning back. He made sure of that by barbecuing his oxen over the coals of his wooden plow. It’s like he said, “I don’t need that anymore!” He was committing himself to a new mission.

When you are brought to faith in Jesus, you are called away from empty and ordinary things of this life—things that don’t bring lasting meaning—and are given a wonderful new perspective and purpose. First, the new perspective is that you now see you are saved by Jesus and his work, not yours. This lifts a burden of guilt that was crushing you to spiritual and eternal death. This good news gives a new purpose and mission.

For you, that likely doesn’t mean abandoning your profession or leaving your home behind like Elisha. It involves committing to a life that honors Jesus and trusts in Jesus. It means abandoning old attitudes, leaving behind those old self-serving goals, and being a servant of Christ. It means doing the things you ordinarily would do, but now with a new sense of mission—to serve and live for the God who served and saved you. When old habits or old attitudes try to call us back, we can say, “I don’t need that anymore! All I need is mine in Christ!”

Prayer:

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.