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Assets or Upsets
My husband spent 20 years in the military before retiring in 1986. Our son followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the Military and of course our daughter married a soldier. This actually leads me into my passage for today which is Luke 15:11-16. Luke 15:11 is a parable about the Prodigal Son. My particular passage Luke 15:11-16 focuses on the division of the of the assets between the two sons and how the two sons differed in the use of those assets. The elder son followed in his father’s footsteps and stayed home while the younger son moved away and spent all of his assets and ended up with nothing. So how does this apply to us as Christians. The elder son is like the Christ Centered Christians and the younger is more like non-Christians. We are all given gifts by God and some of us stay close to God (Christ Centered) and use our assets for Christ while others squander away our assets and end up with nothing. Like the prodigal son we come crawling back to God beaten and broken and begging for even a crumb from God’s table. We each have to ask ourselves are we like the younger son or are we like the elder son? Are we each staying close to God and using our assets wisely or are we squandering them away and will come crawling back to God begging him to take us back. Of course, like the younger son God will welcome us back with open arms.
I remember well the time that I was in a distant country. Not just slacking on my spiritual discipline, but whole heartedly running toward wild living. I remember the chaos and confusion that was eating away at me, the feeling of being lost and lonely. I remember being the prodigal son. I’m sure we all do.
I love this passage, because it reminds me of how great God’s grace is.
What made the younger son leave?
I have four children and love each one of them, no matter what they do, no matter how close or how far away they are, physically or spiritually. Each one of them is different and they have grown in different ways. I just love it when they are all around our table and we discuss life.
One thing we had to learn as parents is that you get to a point in raising your children and then they will decide how they want to live whether you like it or not, period. I sadly enjoy, if that is the right phrasing, the statement “Well my child will never do that!” I’ve heard in regarding my own kids. The fact is, maybe not, but something else, because we all have a sin nature. We all sin, we all “fall short of the glory of God.” We all turn away. The prodigal son returned to his father. So keep the lines of communication open and make sure your kid knows you love them unconditionally.
The younger son left because he had “the itch.” He didn’t understand what he had and he tried to fill up a hole inside him with “wild living.” I get the picture. The point is, the kid returned when he had his fill of himself.
But also consider what God can do with adventurous, fearless kids who a willing to step out into the unknown, once they return and get centered on God.
I have the prodigal. He has an IQ that is off the charts. All intellectual people are in awe of him. He knows more scripture than most people. Will he return to the father? Without a doubt! Because, God promises that when he is old he will return. I claim this daily. I don’t know when he will return. I just know he will and I know that God will use his testimony in a mighty way. It is not easy having a prodigal son. I love him very much. What encourages my heart is that God loves him more.
I love knowing that God will always take us back, no matter how much we squander away our assets. What’s important for me to remember though is that leaving and returning brings me no closer to God than if I never leave in the first place. And leaving only puts doubt in my mind that I’m worthy to return.
What if this is not just about children?
When I look at myself through this passage (remembering that the bible is a story about me), I can see when I have not used what God has given me to the best of my ability. He gave me great parents, have I told them that I love them enough, is there enough? He has given me a son that is the light of my life. Have I done justice to him. Have I given him everything that I can to make him the best person that he can be. Have I shown him God’s love in every way that I can? I am a good writer. When I was struggling thorugh communicating with God, it took forever for me to realize that I am a writer and through journaling, I have found the best conversations with God. I have to ask myself all the time though, am I using what God has given me for good or evil. Sometimes it is just that simple. We can boast or we can use and give glory to God.
Selfishness. The answer to the first two questions. We often leave God’s loving arms because we want what we want. So, to return to his loving arms of grace and mercy, we need to put to death the selfishness that keeps us from him.
The best thing I have ever read on this story is by one of my favorite authors Henri Nouwen. I would encourage you to pick it up and read it.
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming is a spiritual adventure story. A chance encounter with a poster depicting a detail of Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son set in motion a chain of events that enabled Nouwen to redefine and claim his vocation late in his life. In this book, which interweaves elements of art history, memoir, Midrash, and self-help, Nouwen brings the parable to life with empathic analyses of each character. Nouwen’s absorption in the story (and the painting) is so complete that the father’s challenge to love the son, and the son’s challenge to receive that love, become Nouwen’s own. And Nouwen’s writing is so clear and his tone is so appealingly frank and humble that readers–no matter how far from home–will find hope for themselves in the prodigal peace Nouwen ultimately achieves. –Michael Joseph Gross
I woke up this morning and was pondering how my light shined this past weekend as I was working & serving. I thought what good am I if I am not showing Jesus to those who are lost. I thought about my facebook profile and how I have distinguished myself as “Called to Love” verses “Christian” or “Jesus follower”. Which brought me to my next thought of the morning….
Am I following Christ (going where He want’s me to go) or am I bringing Christ along with me….
I think there’s something to this weighing on my heart. Sometimes I just go along with my life and talk to Jesus while I’m busy doing the things I had planned for the day.
But when did I last wake up and say “God where are You going to take me.” What’s Your plans for me today.
Nicole, good thought. It may be a harder for someone to return after they’ve forsaken Jesus awhile. I hadn’t looked at it that way before.
I like the way Bill worded that the prodigal son “returned when he had his fill of himself.” And Benjamin is right on about selfishness being the underlying reason why we leave God.
One key to staying close to God and not squandering His gifts is understanding that our way, our plans, our desires, our thinking, and everything about ourselves is simple not good compared to being with God. Not only is it not good, but when we get our fill of ourselves, we find that we are more empty than when we began. We’re unprepared for tragedy and our relationships are shallow and unreliable. Just like the younger son could find no one among his party pals to give him food when he was in real need. Then he started feeding pigs, something that I’m sure every Jewish boy would have said growing up, “I would never do that.” I wonder how many other lines he crossed before he began yerning to eat pig slop. Paul writes that we should examine ourselves with sober judgement. When I’m honest with myself I know that following my own selfish nature will make me capable of crossing every single line of despicable behavior that I don’t want to cross. That thought keeps me returning to God and I pray one day will keep me Christ-centered.
Thanks Loary…so true. Love what you and the others have written today. What Suzanne just wrote really resonated with me: “When I’m honest with myself I know that following my own selfish nature will make me capable of crossing every single line of despicable behavior that I don’t want to cross. That thought keeps me returning to God and I pray one day will keep me Christ-centered.” Like a frog in a frying pan when the heat is slowly turned up…it’s so easy to fool myself while focusing on myself – one day I’ll wake up fried frog legs. I too pray that thought continues to bring me back to my Heavenly Father.
The following is a review of a book written by Billy Graham’s late wife, Ruth Bell Graham about prodigals entitled “Prodigals and Those Who Love Them”. I highly recommend the book, and the reviewer says it better than I could: “Ruth Bell Graham writes about famous historical men who lived rebellious lives before submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. She gives parents hope as she unravels these men’s crooked paths and shows how in the end they were used mightily of God. In between these chapters she interjects her own words, poems, and prayers of encouragement taken from her many years of journalling during her own sons’ rebellious times. She unveils the pain of a mother’s heart and at the same time gives great hope for all readers to trust God to do amazing things with their own children. Ruth Bell Graham stresses the need to turn our “borrowed” children over to God and let Him do His work—and often that work is in our own lives first.” I was going to try and summarize it, but this review did a better job. Recognizing, like one of the comments above states, that “God loves them more than we do” is a major step in acceptance of His help, because it follows from that an even more important fact, that He has the power to change them, and we don’t. Putting them on the altar and leaving them there is a huge step. It is amazing to realize that she was speaking of Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse!!