Have you ever considered that we can deprive ourselves of true life and joy, despite our efforts to do everything we think is right?
We know the parable of the prodigal son, recorded in Luke, chapter 15. We usually focus on the differences between the older son and the younger. However, today I would like to draw attention to what unites them.
Tell me, why did the younger son leave the father’s house? Because he believed that all the bright moments of life and all the most interesting things could only be found in the world. Perhaps he came to this conclusion because he saw the example of his older brother, who always worked hard and never had any holidays or breaks (Luke 15: 29).
Therefore, the younger son decided that real life and all the most exciting events were passing him by. And who needs a dull and joyless life? So he asked his father for his share of the inheritance, and after that, he went to where, in his opinion, life was more fun and interesting. In the end, these “joys of life” led him to a miserable existence, and he found himself among pigs.
What did the older son have in common with the younger? The older son also believed that life in the father’s house brought no joy. But, unlike his younger brother, he didn’t have the courage to leave. The older son continued to live with the father, but he was irritated and constantly complained about having to work so much. Like the younger son, he didn’t understand that life in the father’s house could be joyful and fulfilling.
The parable ends with the father throwing a great feast for the younger prodigal son, to which he also invited the older son. But the older son’s excessive strict religiosity and his focus on obedience prevented him from enjoying the feast. Instead, he was filled with religious indignation and frustration toward the father, for whom he had worked so faithfully all these years (Luke 15: 28).
The point of this parable is that neither of the sons truly knew their father’s heart. They both believed that Christianity was a dull observance of rules and hard labor. They didn’t understand that the essence of Christianity is to enjoy the love of the Father, who “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6: 17).
Reflect on your own life. What does Christianity mean to you? Perhaps you approach your spiritual life like the older son. In that case, you probably strictly follow all the rules, but you feel bored, and it brings you no joy.
Or maybe you approach life like the younger son. In that case, you likely have created your own ideals and values that contradict God’s Word. So when you want to relax or have fun, you do what the world offers you.
How can you change your life? How can you avoid depriving yourself of the true life and joy that only God can give? We must truly get to know the heart of God the Father. Then we will understand how much He loves us and gives us everything so that we can enjoy and rejoice in His house.
#FromHeartToHeart Stan & Lana
Jesus Unltd #EverythingIsPossible
