Boy, You Blew It!
Have you ever messed up?
Xavier, we all do. What kind of question is that?
I know. But have you ever royally blown it? Have you ever blown it so badly that you thought there was no method to return from it? Luke 15 gives the reader an account of someone who messed up and thought that there was no way back from it.
Xavier, we all do. What kind of question is that?
I know. But have you ever royally blown it? Have you ever blown it so badly that you thought there was no method to return from it? Luke 15 gives the reader an account of someone who messed up and thought that there was no way back from it.
But what if there was a way back?
What if there was way to turn back to God when you have gone astray?
Luke 15 shows us what that looks like:
“And he said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” – Luke 15:11-31
First, finding your way back to God when you have blown it looks like recognizing your error.
“11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”
By most standards, the son’s request was disrespectful. Typically, the inheritance came to the son after the passing of the father. In essence, the son was saying, “I wish you were dead!” and while we may turn our noses up and remark at how disrespectful that is, how disrespectful have been to God? Making outlandish requests? Cursing God when you did not get your way? Or cursing Him when you did not understand why He did something? Blowing Him off after you got what you wanted? Running far away from Him to live how you please without having to face Him?
“11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”
By most standards, the son’s request was disrespectful. Typically, the inheritance came to the son after the passing of the father. In essence, the son was saying, “I wish you were dead!” and while we may turn our noses up and remark at how disrespectful that is, how disrespectful have been to God? Making outlandish requests? Cursing God when you did not get your way? Or cursing Him when you did not understand why He did something? Blowing Him off after you got what you wanted? Running far away from Him to live how you please without having to face Him?
Xavier, I get it.
But do we? We have a predisposition to blowing of church, leadership, mentors, godly friends and influences. We are predisposed to wasting our gifts and talents by living contrary to how God intended. The truth is, that many of us look exactly like the prodigal son. And in order to turn back to God, we have to recognize where our errors are.
Second, you must recognize that there are repercussions for our actions.
“14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.”
The truth is that the fun runs out. In the end you exhaust what you have, the people you have, and the opportunities in front of you. You end up feeling empty, lacking, and unfilled. In this, you end you having to settle for what you can get versus what you could have had in the Lord. The son went from living in the comfort of his father to being a swine herder, surviving on pig’s slop, and ending up cold and alone.
You have the freedom to live how you want. However, what will you lose to dwell in darkness? Your purity? Good family and friends? The blessings of the Lord? His hand on your life your peace?
You and I have a responsibility to understand that when we blow it, we must see our error and realize that there are repercussions for our actions.
Third, you must recognize your options.
“14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.”
Fix it or leave it.
The prodigal son had enough. The scriptures say, “When he came to himself” aka when he woke up! He recognized that he could continue to eat pigs slop or live in the warmth and nourishment with is father. Ultimately, the son felt the weight of his actions and the gravity of his circumstances. These circumstances drove him to go home:
18 “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee”
You can still come home! Would you believe that there is an option for you to leave the darkness? Would you believe that there is still an option for you to return to the light? There is room for you to make things right with God. The enemy wants you to believe you have no options. The enemy is a liar.
Fourth, you must recognize the Father’s grace.
20 “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
It is interesting to note that the father was already looking for the son. By the time the son made it to be in eyeshot of the house, the father saw him first! The son was then met with compassion. The passage states that the father’s first response was to have compassion on his son. From there, the father ran to his son, hugged him, and kissed him. It is safe to say that the father missed his son!
A beautiful facet of this passage is that the son had an elaborate plan to plead is case to his father. However, the son was already forgiven! Throw him a party! Slay the fatted calf! Give him a robe and ring!
My son is alive.
Between our misconceptions of the father and an enemy that you and your relationship with God destroyed, we miss the notion that God wants us back.
God wants you back.
This means that you do not have to fear returning to God. The Father wants to embrace you, reinstate you, and celebrate you.
Last, you must that actions have consequences.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
As the father is navigating the hurt feelings of his other son, he reveals to him that everything that is left belongs to him. The premise? Is that the son still blew his inheritance. It was all gone. There would be nothing for him when it was all said and done. It was much better to be with the father. Sin and going astray has consequence. You may have to work through pains or deal with scars. However, God still loves you. God still wants to redeem you and your errors. No one is too far for God to reach. The son no longer had an inheritance, but he still had the Father—the best place for Him to be.
What will you do? Will you allow the stain of sin, and an ego push you away from reconciliation with the Father? Will you allow guilt and shame to rob you of being home where you belong? You still must rely on His grace and mercy to navigate what comes after the decisions you have made. Being back with the father is the best place for you to be.
So, yeah, you blew it.
But God is the redeeming Kind.