I preached from Luke 15, the parable of the prodigal son, but when I got home I started thinking about another way to approach that passage different from the way I felt God leading me to share with the men last night. I began to see a progression in the young son's attitude and actions that led to his own ruin. Let me point out the six ways to ruin your life from the parable of the prodigal or wasteful/reckless son.
1. TAKING WHAT YOU HAVE NOT EARNED.
Luke 15:12 - the younger son said, "give me my share of the estate." It's significant that the younger son demanded this from his father. First because younger sons didn't typically receive a portion of their father's estate, it was reserved for the first-born. And secondly, as the younger son he had not yet contributed to the estate as much blood and sweat as his older brother or father had. This younger son was demanding something that he had not earned. And as we'll see, because he did not earn it, he did not fully appreciate it.
2. DOING SOMETHING SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU CAN.
Verse 13 tells us that, "Not long after" he received a portion of his father's estate he, "Set off for a distant country." There seems to be no good reason for this trip other than the fact that he had some money burning a hole in his pocket. He had the means to travel and do what he wanted, but as long as he was home he would have surely been expected to pull his weight around the farm. Something he was apparently no longer willing to do. Since he already had the money there was no incentive to obey, or to stay. So he left, not because he had to or needed to, but simply because he could.
3. SQUANDERING WHAT YOU HAVE ON WHAT YOU DON'T NEED AND CAN'T KEEP.
Verse 13 goes on to say that this young man, "Squandered" his wealth in, "Wild living." This is surely something that he would not have had a very easy time doing while still at home. His father and mother were probably constantly on him about investing and not wasting his money. Saving for the future and building on what he had so he would have more. Instead of listening to their wise counsel he left home, taking all that he had been given and then blew and had nothing to show for it. At times I cringe and have even pulled out of drive through lanes because it burns me to simply eat $5 knowing I'll be hungry again in a few hours. This boy ran quickly through all his money and then tried to figure out where it went and couldn't point to anything of worth.
4. BEING FORCED TO DO WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO BECAUSE YOU DID WHAT YOU WANTED ALREADY.
Luke 15:15,16 tell us that things got so bad for this young man, out of money, out of friends, out of food, that he had to hire himself out to slop the pigs. This was a horribly degrading job for a Jew, but hunger makes you re-evaluate your standards and force you to do things you never thought you would. Because the young man did everything HE wanted to do when he had money he was now forced to do what he didn't want to do just to survive. I wonder how many times he thought, "If only..." But it was too late. Sometimes getting you way now means having to give up your way later.
5. REALIZING WHAT YOU ALREADY POSSESSED FOR FREE YOU'D GIVE ALL YOUR POSSESSIONS FOR NOW.
Verse 17 starts out, "When he came to his senses." Everybody comes to their senses sooner or later. But it usually comes only after you've been compromised in some way. No one ever thinks they'll end up where they do. That's the problem with sin. Sin always seeks to destroy the sinner. Take him captive. Make her suffer. It's always enticing and promising going in but the result is always the same, steal... kill... destroy. As he considered how well the dirty, nasty pigs were eating (from the same mud and muck they had been defecating in) he realized they were eating better than he was and had an abundance of food compared to him. What he had in his father's house, aside from the rules and the work, he'd now give anything to have again. Too bad he couldn't see that before he ran off.
6. GOING BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM WITH NOTHING TO SHOW FOR WHERE YOU'D BEEN.
This young son went back to his father with nothing, even though he left with everything. He had nothing to show for his time away or for the fortune he took with him. He left with maybe half of all that his father and brother had worked to accumulate and he came back alone. He was only hoping that perhaps his father would have enough pity on him to hire him as a servant. Funny how he was now begging to be a servant under the command and thumb of the man he once thought too strict as a father.
There you have it, six ways to ruin your life. But did you know that there is only ONE way to restore it?
Once the son came home in repentance (it means he changed his mind about the way he was living and "turned around" and went back to his father) the restoration was quick and complete. He now graciously received what he hadn't earned, his father's love. He now willing gave his life to his father as a servant because he could. He gave up the pitiful life he had for a life he desperately wanted but couldn't earn. He would then do what his wanted because of what his father did for him (the signet ring signified this). He discovered that he ALWAYS possessed what all his possessions couldn't buy him, love, acceptance and a home. He came back to where he belonged as though his past didn't exist. The sins from where he had been did not follow him to where he belonged.
Wherever you've wandered, you can never go too far to come back home.
Whatever you've done, you are never beyond the boundary of His forgiveness.
and Whenever you return, you will be accepted and loved as though you never left.
It takes a while to ruin your life, but it only takes Jesus to restore it.
No comments:
Post a Comment