The Sandbag Times Issue No: 20

HAVE FAITH
clothes and fed the best food after shaming the family and frivolously
spending the money on wild living, hardly seems fair does it? He had
already had his fair share and now was getting above and beyond that.
The older brother couldn’t understand why the younger son was being
lavished with things when he had been such a disgrace to his father
and the family. How could his father forgive him? Well he wasn’t
going to.
Now the prodigal son lived what he deemed the ‘high life’, but the
money & the fun (as he saw it) ran out. We all have a yearning inside,
it’s like a void in our lives that we try to fill. Some
try to fill it with material things, some with
lifestyle, some with achievements whether
academic or career related. Others fill the void
with alcohol, drugs, sex, partying. But at the end of
it we, like the prodigal son, get to a point where we
realise this does not satisfy that yearning. There is
a need for something more than this.
I learned a long time ago that this void can only be
filled by a relationship with God. This void exists
because as I have said before we were created from
the start to have a spiritual bond/relationship with
God and that void, is a God shaped hole; a hole that
only God can fill. I can hear the groans from here.
It sounds so clichéd but I guess all I can do is speak
from experience. I have had an interesting life, and
like the prodigal son have tried to gain satisfaction
from wild living, relationships with others, achievements,
recognition, acceptance from others, material things and nothing
made me truly happy except my relationship with the Lord.
Now I still fall into that same trap time and again especially when
things get difficult. I gave up smoking for 6 years and as soon as I
moved back to Worcester and the stress built to a high level I started
again. Stupid thing is that during that 6 years I did not crave a
cigarette, I did not want a cigarette and I certainly didn’t miss them.
So why? Because it had been my default for so many years. I know
that I will give up again, and so I am not putting any undue stress on
myself. God has helped me kick the habit once I know I can rely on
Him to help me again.
What Jesus was trying to tell us through this parable was that no
matter how far we stray from the right path, no matter how many
bad choices we make,
when we stop and
realize that we’re on
the wrong path, when
we turn away from
those bad choices and
come to Him for help,
he will welcome us
with open arms. No
questions asked, just
forgiveness and love.
How many people do
you know could do
this? It is difficult to
forgive. You feel hard
done by, just like the
older brother. You want them to pay for their mistakes. After all you
did the right thing all this time so why should they benefit when you
have worked hard to do right and don’t see the same benefits. This is
not actually true. The father explained to the eldest son that he had
enjoyed living under his father’s roof, with his father’s provision all
the time, whereas even though the younger son went out and partied
and lived irresponsibly, he ended up finding himself working in a pig
sty, which may I say is a very smelly disgusting place, and also for the
Jews was degrading (as pigs were deemed unclean animals in their
religion). It had taken this journey to help the son to realize how
much his father had and could provide, it humbled
him. So really the older son through his ‘it’s not fair’
attitude and taking things for granted learned less
than the younger son.
We all make mistakes, the key is to learn from them
and grow. Whether we feel we do good all the time
or if we feel like the ‘black sheep’ we are all liable to
make mistakes. The younger son’s mistakes were
obvious: shaming his family, disrespect,
drunkenness, irresponsibility, using prostitutes. The
older brothers weren’t so obvious but they were still
just as bad: self-righteousness, unforgiving, lacking
in humility, pride, bitterness. Sins come in many
forms, but many of us only focus on the obvious
ones like adultery, murder, theft.
God showed me through this passage that I had no
right to judge my sister and her choices, when I made bad choices
myself and the first being a bad attitude and unforgiveness. I went
straight home and called my sister. I apologised for my part in our
falling out and she again (and not for the first time) apoloigised for
hers. Thankfully our relationship was mended over time and we now
have a stronger better relationship than we’ve ever had, because we
can be completely honest with each other and neither of us judges the
other, we just offer support and love.
I am thankful that I went
thought this wobble because I
learned a very valuable lesson.
Another thing I learned is that
even though we find
forgiveness difficult ‘the
father’ doesn’t. I am so glad
that God accepts me even
when I get things wrong which
I do, often!! And when I go to
Him to say sorry, He is there
with open arms. I know that He
is the only one that will always
do this, no matter what. So yes
I do ‘Thank God’ everyday.
I want to reassure you that however alone you are feeling
right now, you are NOT alone in your battle. Please message
me if you have any questions or if you would like us to pray
for you or for someone you know.
Please contact me at havefaith@sandbagtimes.com
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