This entry came about because of some very personal things that happened in my life recently that God has used. It all happened around Thanksgiving, and largely because of my sister’s wedding. These two things brought everyone in my family together in a way it really hasn’t been in a while. This was a blessing, but it also caused some pain when it came to an end.
We were left reminded of the days that were behind us. Personally, I was reminded of the years I spent where my relationship with my parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and other relatives pretty much defined my life. All I did was with them for many years of my life, and those relationships brought me great joy. While many of those relationships remain (some of the people from those days have passed on) my life is now totally different. I live with my wife, and three of my siblings are now also out of the house. Things are different now. What we once had isn’t gone, but it is much different than it once was.
This is what can cause pain. Looking back on the happy times we had with loved ones can cause us pain. I know this is a common experience. People lose loved ones to death all the time. Parents have children go to college, or daughters get married. We must deal with someone we were used to always being around suddenly being on their own, and not with us so much. It’s painful, and some people never recover from the pain because they forget a very important principle. This pain is a blessing.
Many never get to know this pain because they never knew the blessing. Some people never get to have children to miss. Some don’t get to know their parents, or wish they never did. Some don’t have good families, and consider the day they get to leave them and never return a blessing. Some are beaten, abused, or killed. Some have children who never get old enough to start their own lives. Some never had a best friend who went in a different direction in life, or a spouse to miss when they had to go away on a business trip.
If you are hurting because of such things remember this. One of the primary signs that this is a fallen world is that these blessings are accompanied by pain. Don’t get wrapped up in the pain, but thank God for the blessing. The pain cannot erase the blessing. It can keep us from moving on in life, or help us make stupid decisions to fill the void. This is less likely if we remember to be thankful to God for the blessings, and to let Him help us with the pain.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Too Good
The final lesson of this parable is often overlooked, but it is arguably the most important lesson of the parable for those that are saved. It is a key lesson on many topics, but especially forgiveness and jealousy. This portion is less about the prodigal son, and more about his older brother. The brother who did not turn from the father. The brother who stayed loyal to him, and honored him. He finds out about the celebration going on over his brother returning, but he refuses to join in. His father came to him in Luke 15:28-32:
“But he (the prodigal son’s brother) was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.”
The ‘good’ son refuses to join the celebration. He is jealous, angry, and bitter. In a sense his anger is out of defense for his father, but he is primarily jealous. What does he get for his jealousy? He misses out on the feast.
In so many ways we can easily act like this brother. Most significantly, we can often refuse to forgive someone who the Lord has offered forgiveness to. We can be upset because we have always been loyal to the Lord, and we have always been good to the Lord, but when this person who took all that the Lord offered to them and used it for evil is forgiven we get upset. Why should they be celebrated over, and not us? This line of thinking can extend to our personal lives. At our jobs a new employee can come in, and get all this recognition. Meanwhile, we’ve been slaving away at this same job for 20 years and have never even been invited to the Christmas party. We want to know not just when we’re gonna get what we deserve, but why do those who do worse than us get celebrated over?
Want to know what we get for having such a high opinion of ourselves? Nothing. We miss out on the feast. While those who are willing to forgive much because they’ve been forgiven much get to enjoy the rewards of it we get nothing for our bitterness. We get to stand outside, and be alone. God can plead with us to change our attitude, but we can even let our bitterness extend to Him when we see those we think aren’t as good as we are get blessed with friends, power, money, and what we view as a great life. We wonder why not us? This is foolish to wonder. It only keeps us out of the feast.
“But he (the prodigal son’s brother) was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.”
The ‘good’ son refuses to join the celebration. He is jealous, angry, and bitter. In a sense his anger is out of defense for his father, but he is primarily jealous. What does he get for his jealousy? He misses out on the feast.
In so many ways we can easily act like this brother. Most significantly, we can often refuse to forgive someone who the Lord has offered forgiveness to. We can be upset because we have always been loyal to the Lord, and we have always been good to the Lord, but when this person who took all that the Lord offered to them and used it for evil is forgiven we get upset. Why should they be celebrated over, and not us? This line of thinking can extend to our personal lives. At our jobs a new employee can come in, and get all this recognition. Meanwhile, we’ve been slaving away at this same job for 20 years and have never even been invited to the Christmas party. We want to know not just when we’re gonna get what we deserve, but why do those who do worse than us get celebrated over?
Want to know what we get for having such a high opinion of ourselves? Nothing. We miss out on the feast. While those who are willing to forgive much because they’ve been forgiven much get to enjoy the rewards of it we get nothing for our bitterness. We get to stand outside, and be alone. God can plead with us to change our attitude, but we can even let our bitterness extend to Him when we see those we think aren’t as good as we are get blessed with friends, power, money, and what we view as a great life. We wonder why not us? This is foolish to wonder. It only keeps us out of the feast.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Overcoming Guilt
It is easy to tell that the son is shocked by the joy his father shows at his return. He knows he doesn’t deserve it, and initially tries to reject it. This is shown in Luke 15:21:
“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
Even though the father has shown the son his love he is still absorbed by the sins he committed. He still considers himself unworthy. We can be the same way with God, and tell Him we do not deserve His forgiveness. Verses 22-24 shows us that the father, and our Father, will have none of that:
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us be merry; for my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
The father is joyful to have his son back, and will pay no attention to his talking about how unworthy he is. This father has offered him ultimate grace, and rejoices that his son that was lost is found. God is the same way.
God knows we have sinned. He knows we are depraved. He doesn’t care. He offers us grace. He forgives, and forgets. If we will just come to Him then He will come to us. He will celebrate because we have come to Him. He will bless us in immeasurable ways we do not deserve, and not hold our previous evil acts against us.
Do not hold onto shame. That feeling of shame is a weapon used by the enemy to bring us back down to his level again. Let go of the shame, of the anger toward yourself, and of the self-loathing. God will have none of it. Accept His grace, and know there is a God in heaven that loves you, and will rejoice because His child has come to Him. Love Him, and know you are loved in return.
One last, unrelated note. Have a Merry Christmas! Whether with familes or apart remember this is a celebration of the great gift we were given in the form of Jesus Christ. That is always a good reason to celebrate. Merry Christmas!
“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
Even though the father has shown the son his love he is still absorbed by the sins he committed. He still considers himself unworthy. We can be the same way with God, and tell Him we do not deserve His forgiveness. Verses 22-24 shows us that the father, and our Father, will have none of that:
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us be merry; for my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
The father is joyful to have his son back, and will pay no attention to his talking about how unworthy he is. This father has offered him ultimate grace, and rejoices that his son that was lost is found. God is the same way.
God knows we have sinned. He knows we are depraved. He doesn’t care. He offers us grace. He forgives, and forgets. If we will just come to Him then He will come to us. He will celebrate because we have come to Him. He will bless us in immeasurable ways we do not deserve, and not hold our previous evil acts against us.
Do not hold onto shame. That feeling of shame is a weapon used by the enemy to bring us back down to his level again. Let go of the shame, of the anger toward yourself, and of the self-loathing. God will have none of it. Accept His grace, and know there is a God in heaven that loves you, and will rejoice because His child has come to Him. Love Him, and know you are loved in return.
One last, unrelated note. Have a Merry Christmas! Whether with familes or apart remember this is a celebration of the great gift we were given in the form of Jesus Christ. That is always a good reason to celebrate. Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
A Great Way Off
The next set of verses teaches us a lot about who God is, and how much He loves us. They display when the prodigal son returned to his father. The son expected to be scorned, for he had truly done evil, and wasted away all his father had given him. He didn’t expect much from his father. He just knew things would be better near him than far away. He did not expect the actual reaction. Jesus tells us what happened in Luke 15:20:
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
The father responds not in anger, but in love. Not with judgment, but with mercy. He had compassion. This is a great reflection of our heavenly Father. When we turn from our evil ways He can see us even when we are still a great way off from coming to him. He will run to us. It was beneath the man in this parable to run to his son. It was socially unacceptable for so many reasons. This son had disgraced him by telling him life would be better if he were dead. Associating with him made the father seem like less of a man. Beyond that, in order to run in the outfit it was traditional for one such as him to wear he would have had to lift up his cloak, and run in a way that was considered very dishonorable. The father didn’t care. He did whatever he had to so that he could go to his son he thought was lost.
God doesn’t care either. He will come to us. It doesn’t matter what society says about how God should be. It doesn’t matter if others tell us they will not forgive us when we’ve done wrong. Our father is above society. He will run to us, and embrace us when we need him. He will see us from a long way off, and have compassion on us that we do not expect or deserve. All we have to do is turn to him. He will come to us when we do.
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
The father responds not in anger, but in love. Not with judgment, but with mercy. He had compassion. This is a great reflection of our heavenly Father. When we turn from our evil ways He can see us even when we are still a great way off from coming to him. He will run to us. It was beneath the man in this parable to run to his son. It was socially unacceptable for so many reasons. This son had disgraced him by telling him life would be better if he were dead. Associating with him made the father seem like less of a man. Beyond that, in order to run in the outfit it was traditional for one such as him to wear he would have had to lift up his cloak, and run in a way that was considered very dishonorable. The father didn’t care. He did whatever he had to so that he could go to his son he thought was lost.
God doesn’t care either. He will come to us. It doesn’t matter what society says about how God should be. It doesn’t matter if others tell us they will not forgive us when we’ve done wrong. Our father is above society. He will run to us, and embrace us when we need him. He will see us from a long way off, and have compassion on us that we do not expect or deserve. All we have to do is turn to him. He will come to us when we do.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Unworthy
Verses 18 and 19 of Luke 15 act as a sort of caution against a certain type of thinking. They are the thoughts that immediately come to the prodigal son after he has come to his senses, and realizes he has greatly dishonored his father. He knows now he needs forgiveness, and his life can be immensely better if he draws near to the father. The next thoughts he has are ones we can often have when we realize our own depravity, and we want to come to the Lord. Verses 18 and 19 say:
“I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
The son is ashamed, and in his shame he does not feel like he really deserves the forgiveness of the father. He doesn’t feel like he is worthy of the position he once held, and he will be satisfied holding some lowly place in his father’s house. We can feel this same way when we turn from our evil ways, and think we don’t deserve the grace we know God can offer us. This way of thinking is a trap set by Satan, and by our own insecurities.
Sometimes we really mess up just like the prodigal son did. Often we realize our need for forgiveness, and our need for God, but we are ashamed to ask for it. We don’t feel like we deserve forgiveness. We don’t deserve to be in God’s presence, and the best thing we can do is spend the rest of our lives hiding from him in the hopes He will spare us His wrath, for His wrath is just what we deserve.
This is true. His wrath is all we deserve, but that is not what God offers us. No matter how we’ve fallen, or how we’ve sinned the Lord wants to forgive us. Jesus died on the cross for that, and that shows just how screwed up God knows we are. He knows of the many evil things we’ve done, and He wants to save us. Don’t let your mistakes consume you, and convince you that you cannot rise to the same position God once had in store for you. Do not think that you cannot be forgiven. Overcome your shame, ask for forgiveness, and go the Lord. He did a lot so you could be forgiven. Don’t allow your sin to destroy you. Don’t let your mistakes consume you. Instead go to God, accept His forgiveness, and accept the great things He has planned for you.
“I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
The son is ashamed, and in his shame he does not feel like he really deserves the forgiveness of the father. He doesn’t feel like he is worthy of the position he once held, and he will be satisfied holding some lowly place in his father’s house. We can feel this same way when we turn from our evil ways, and think we don’t deserve the grace we know God can offer us. This way of thinking is a trap set by Satan, and by our own insecurities.
Sometimes we really mess up just like the prodigal son did. Often we realize our need for forgiveness, and our need for God, but we are ashamed to ask for it. We don’t feel like we deserve forgiveness. We don’t deserve to be in God’s presence, and the best thing we can do is spend the rest of our lives hiding from him in the hopes He will spare us His wrath, for His wrath is just what we deserve.
This is true. His wrath is all we deserve, but that is not what God offers us. No matter how we’ve fallen, or how we’ve sinned the Lord wants to forgive us. Jesus died on the cross for that, and that shows just how screwed up God knows we are. He knows of the many evil things we’ve done, and He wants to save us. Don’t let your mistakes consume you, and convince you that you cannot rise to the same position God once had in store for you. Do not think that you cannot be forgiven. Overcome your shame, ask for forgiveness, and go the Lord. He did a lot so you could be forgiven. Don’t allow your sin to destroy you. Don’t let your mistakes consume you. Instead go to God, accept His forgiveness, and accept the great things He has planned for you.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
But when we come to Ourselves
I love the way the next verse, Luke 15:17, starts. The first six words reflect so much how things can rapidly turn around for us, and how God can instantly rip us from our evil ways. That verse states:
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘how many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”
Those first words of “But when he came to himself” are the key here. It’s the moment he realized that pursuing all these things outside of God were leaving him in want. They were literally and figuratively causing him to perish with hunger. This singular thought is an important thought that can turn someone’s life around. When we finally admit to ourselves that the things we pursue are causing us to perish with hunger, and following God will ensure we have bread enough to spare. Not literal bread, but the bread of life that satisfies our inner desires, and leaves us forever full.
I have had to deal with the same type of turn around as the prodigal son. There were many years of my life where I chose to run from the calling the Lord had for me. I instead wanted to study Asia, go to Asia, live in Asia, and love all things about Asia. Asia not being something evil in itself, but it is not God. It is not as good as God. It was wrong to put it up there as the thing to pursue instead of my Father’s will. Putting Asia in the place of God left me perishing with hunger just like the prodigal son.
Turning from the Father, and considering other pursuits more worthy of our time than the pursuit of the Lord’s will can cause us all to perish with hunger. It is in this hunger where God can speak to us, and remind us that those that serve him are never left empty. It is in that moment where He reaches out to us that we should repent of what we’ve done, and turn to Him. It is in that moment that everything in our lives can change.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘how many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”
Those first words of “But when he came to himself” are the key here. It’s the moment he realized that pursuing all these things outside of God were leaving him in want. They were literally and figuratively causing him to perish with hunger. This singular thought is an important thought that can turn someone’s life around. When we finally admit to ourselves that the things we pursue are causing us to perish with hunger, and following God will ensure we have bread enough to spare. Not literal bread, but the bread of life that satisfies our inner desires, and leaves us forever full.
I have had to deal with the same type of turn around as the prodigal son. There were many years of my life where I chose to run from the calling the Lord had for me. I instead wanted to study Asia, go to Asia, live in Asia, and love all things about Asia. Asia not being something evil in itself, but it is not God. It is not as good as God. It was wrong to put it up there as the thing to pursue instead of my Father’s will. Putting Asia in the place of God left me perishing with hunger just like the prodigal son.
Turning from the Father, and considering other pursuits more worthy of our time than the pursuit of the Lord’s will can cause us all to perish with hunger. It is in this hunger where God can speak to us, and remind us that those that serve him are never left empty. It is in that moment where He reaches out to us that we should repent of what we’ve done, and turn to Him. It is in that moment that everything in our lives can change.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Being Stubborn
Things would have been easier for the prodigal son if he would have accepted his need for the father as soon as he was left in want. Unfortunately, the prodigal son turned out to be a little stubborn. Luke 15:15-16 tells us:
“Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”
Instead of turning back to the father the son continued to rely on other things even though those other things refused to help him. This is very much like us. Sometimes we turn to money for security, but we can never seem to hold onto it. Do we refuse to turn from the pursuit of money as a result? No. We instead look for new ways to acquire what we desire even though there has never been a time that it has satisfied us. Also, when we choose to worship sex, do we turn from it after it has left us wanting? No. We instead keep looking for new people to have sex with, or turn to porn, ourselves, or anything else to fill that void within us. Or we can choose to put other things in the place of God hoping they’ll satisfy us. When money fails we can turn to sex. When sex fails we can turn to friends. When friends fail we can turn to power. When power fails we can turn to ourselves. We can always find something else to pursue when we are left in want.
We can choose to never really admit that we are worshiping the wrong things even if we, like the prodigal son, get so desperate that we find the filth of the swine desirable. We can be stubborn just like him.
Fortunately, things turned around with the very next verse. If we stop being stubborn, and turn from the things not worthy of worship, for it is evil to worship anything that is not God whether it is porn or our children, then things can also turn around for us. That is easier said than done, however, and I realize that. Difficult, however, is not impossible. Soon we will see just how we can break the chains of the things that always leave us in want, and learn how to turn to the one who can always fill us. It starts with the very next verse.
“Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”
Instead of turning back to the father the son continued to rely on other things even though those other things refused to help him. This is very much like us. Sometimes we turn to money for security, but we can never seem to hold onto it. Do we refuse to turn from the pursuit of money as a result? No. We instead look for new ways to acquire what we desire even though there has never been a time that it has satisfied us. Also, when we choose to worship sex, do we turn from it after it has left us wanting? No. We instead keep looking for new people to have sex with, or turn to porn, ourselves, or anything else to fill that void within us. Or we can choose to put other things in the place of God hoping they’ll satisfy us. When money fails we can turn to sex. When sex fails we can turn to friends. When friends fail we can turn to power. When power fails we can turn to ourselves. We can always find something else to pursue when we are left in want.
We can choose to never really admit that we are worshiping the wrong things even if we, like the prodigal son, get so desperate that we find the filth of the swine desirable. We can be stubborn just like him.
Fortunately, things turned around with the very next verse. If we stop being stubborn, and turn from the things not worthy of worship, for it is evil to worship anything that is not God whether it is porn or our children, then things can also turn around for us. That is easier said than done, however, and I realize that. Difficult, however, is not impossible. Soon we will see just how we can break the chains of the things that always leave us in want, and learn how to turn to the one who can always fill us. It starts with the very next verse.
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