Daily Devotion for July 18, 2006

Lessons of Loyalty from the Prodigal Son

 

“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Luke 15:31-32

 

Loyalty is hard to find in today’s world of self-promotion and free enterprise. Dreams of money and fame persuade people into abandoning the simple life for something bigger and better. The parable of the prodigal son demonstrates how disloyalty not only tears people apart, but it also has a way of bringing people closer together.

 

 Like many people, the youngest son was unsatisfied with his simple and boring way of life on the farm. He thought that fame and prestige would come once he left the farm and had some money. In his quest for self-discovery, the younger son asked his father for his share of the inheritance to explore new opportunities and adventures. This put his father in a terrible position. Should he allow his son to make a horrible mistake or should he force his son to stay on the farm against his will? I can relate to the turmoil this father had to have felt. I have watched friends, family members, and even my students make some extremely poor decisions that have caused each of them a great deal of heartache and pain. Sure, I tried my best to talk my loved ones into making the “wiser” decision based on my thoughts and opinions, but often true wisdom is only gained through personal experience.

 

 The father granted his younger son’s wish. He gave his son the money needed to leave the farm and embark on his own adventures. The son felt a rush of freedom hit him faster than he was capable of handling. Day after day the son squandered his inheritance money on fancy items that he thought would make him happy. When those items failed, the son bought more items. Soon a vicious cycle began and finally ended when the son ran out of money. To add insult to injury, famine was widespread in his new “home” and he began to starve. It was at this rock bottom moment that God humbly brought the younger son to his senses.

 

 Gone was the arrogant, self-centered pride and born was a humble man, who both experienced and understood God’s grace as he repents in verse 21, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” His older brother angrily agreed, but their father felt otherwise. The father called for his older son to celebrate and accept the rebirth of his younger brother. Like most of us, the older brother allowed his anger to turn into a bitter taste that is apparent on his self-righteous tongue in verse 29: “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet, you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.” It is okay to be upset with people who let us down, but we must not let our disappointment turn into self-righteousness. Telling people, “I told you so” or manipulating the situation is wrong to say the very least. We must remember that God’s grace and forgiveness is extended to everyone, including a disloyal scoundrel like the prodigal son. All we have to do is repent and ask for God’s forgiveness.

 

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your continued support and never-ending loyalty. I know that you’re always there by my side supporting me even when I don’t deserve it. I thank you for opening my blind, self-righteous eyes and helping me become more compassionate and loving towards others I used to judge blindly as wrong. I pray for continued strength, courage, and wisdom against the anger and self-righteousness that consumed my soul for many years. It is in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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