So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.

1 Kings 19:19-21

Sometimes it’s tempting to get hung up on being successful at the thing you are doing right now. The term for that is sunk cost fallacy. It refers to the notion that the effort and resources that have gone into something have value, even when the outcome is lacking.

In our walk in this world it is all to easy to pour lots of time and effort into a seemingly worthwhile task only to see it absolutely collapse into failure. It’s even more common to get a mediocre result, even after lots of time and energy and maybe even money spent.

If we take our cues from our Spiritual ancestors, however, the work we set our hands to is important but the work we put our souls into is even more worthwhile. Look for opportunities to embrace the work of God and to prioritize Him over the petty, temporary things that surround us.

Meditate on your calling today. Do you have a plow to abandon in favor of a prophet’s cloak? Do you have any jobs that you need to walk away from so you can take up God’s work?

Ethan Kirl

Originally Published June 3, 2020