Slaughter the Oxen!

I just finished reading Roy Williams’ weekly Monday Morning
Memo and was particularly moved by the story he told from I Kings 19.

Elisha was just minding his own business—plowing in his
field with twelve yoke of oxen. His life was about to change dramatically. His
Big Bang was about to happen. God always saw Elisha as much more than a farmer
and it was time for Elisha to get on with the destiny that God had stored up in
his heart.

Elijah approached Elisha in the field and placed his cloak
around Elisha’s shoulders…symbolically passing the mantle of leadership to the
younger man.

As Roy states in his weekly letter…Elisha was committed! He sacrificed the twelve oxen
and cooked them over a roaring fire (made with wood from his own plow!) and fed
the meat to his coworkers. He prepared himself to follow Elijah. I’m sure
Elisha didn’t know exactly where he was headed or what he’d be doing but he did
know one thing…he wasn’t going to farm anymore!

One fateful day in Nazareth,
Jesus laid down his woodworking tools, swept out his shop, took off his apron,
dusted off his hands and walked out of that little carpentry shop…never to
return.

Cortez landed his ships on the eastern coast of Mexico with the intent of marching his men to Mexico City and take control
of the country. To demonstrate his iron-will commitment to his men, he burned
his ships as his army watched from the shore. Turning back was not an option.

I’ll ask you the same question Roy asks, “Is there
anything to which you are truly and deeply committed? Is there anything for
which you would kill your ox and burn your plow?” Are you doing that one thing
that you were born to do? Are you ready to take off your apron and walk out of
that shop and into your destiny?

It’s time to start a fire and
prepare to burn the ships…we’re not getting any younger.