We had a great day of worship yesterday. We had a guest speaker who challenged us to be revival-minded. Last night he shared several great thoughts. One of which has stuck with me the most.
He mentioned the prodigal son and his perspective on life and on his father. At the beginning of Jesus' parable we see the younger son with a selfish attitude demanding his father to GIVE him his inheritance. What a blow to the father. Basically the son says, Dad, I wish you were dead but since that hasn't happened yet and probably won't happen before I'm old myself, give me what's coming to me now. I don't want to wait. What nerve, we may think. Can anyone be so self absorbed?
Out of the father's love for his son, he grants his demand. He was under no obligation or law to do so. Before long the son leaves home. Which is another blow to the father. Not only does the son wish the father dead, he can't stand living at home any longer either. The son can't seem to get out of town quickly enough. There may have been a trail of dust behind him as he left.
The Bible tells us the son went to a distant country. He didn't just leave town, he got as far as possible away from his family. Started over, new home, new money, new life. He partied hard and blew through his inheritance like nobody's business.
But soon the money ran out and he lost everything apparently. On top of that the food in the area also ran out as there was a famine in the land. Homeless, penniless, hopeless, the son desperately looked for employment anywhere, everywhere. He finally got a job at a hog farm. Not the most prestigious of jobs especially for a Jewish boy. And as he drooled over the slop wishing he could jump the fence and fight those pigs for some food to fill his empty stomach, Jesus painted a beautiful word picture saying, when he came to his senses...an ah-ha moment. My father's servants have it better than I do. Maybe I can go back home and beg him to take me back as one of his hired hands.
As he heads home, he begins practicing his apology. We've all been there. Playing the track over and over again in our mind of what we'll say, especially when he have to apologize to our parents. As he walks he says, Dad I've sinned against heaven and against you and no longer am worthy to be called your son, make me like one of your hired servants. (Luke 15:18-19)
Did you catch the change in his attitude? Before he left he was all give me, give me, give me. As he returns, the son says make me a servant.
Which am I most like in my prayer life? Is it all God, give me this, I want that, bless me and bless me now? Or am I make me Your servant humble and willing to do whatever You ask? My life is in Your hands.
I know how I want to be. I want to be more MAKE ME and less GIVE ME.
The cool thing about this story is the what happens next. As the son gets closer to home, the father sees him coming and runs to him. As the son begins his well-rehearsed confession...Father, I have sinned against heaven and you and am no longer worthy to be called your son...the father interrupts him.
Son, you may feel unworthy but let's get you a robe, some shoes and a ring. All of which were already his. He had simply left them behind. Allow some creative license of me here please...Son, you may have wished me dead and wanted to get as far away from me as you could so you could forget me but, I want you to know you never, ever stopped being my son. I didn't stop loving you when you left and you've got to know that I love you just as much, if not more, now that you're home. Home where you belong.
