Posted on by intentional4christ · 2 Comments

Beyond the prodigal

Unveiling the Hidden Struggles of the Faithful Son in Luke 15– By John Owusu

In the very familiar Parable from Luke 15:11-32 – the Parable of the Prodigal Son- our focus is on the journey of the younger son, whose story of rebellion, repentance, and reconciliation vividly portrays God’s boundless grace. Yet, within this parable lies another, equally profound narrative – that of the elder son, a character who mirrors a different aspect of human nature and spiritual struggle. Let’s turn our attention to this often-overlooked figure and get a better insight into his struggles.

The elder son, steadfast and diligent, remains at home, toiling on his father’s land. His response to his brother’s return, however, unveils a struggle not with prodigality, but with resentment and entitlement. It’s a tale not just of a wayward brother, but of two sons, each lost in their own way, and a father whose love encompasses both. As we explore the elder son’s story, we are invited to reflect on our own spiritual journey. Through his eyes, we may uncover insights about grace, compassion, and the joy found in God’s unfailing presence. Let us open our hearts to these lessons, finding in them a deeper understanding of God’s love and our own path to spiritual growth.  Let’s delve right in.

I. The Elder Son’s Hidden Struggle  

In the shadow of the prodigal son’s dramatic story, the elder son’s internal conflict offers a different, yet equally important, spiritual lesson. Unlike his younger brother, the elder son is not guilty of wild living or squandering his inheritance. Instead, he remains at home, the picture of obedience and diligence. Yet, his reaction to his brother’s return reveals a heart troubled by deeper issues. 

Luke 15:28-30 captures the moment of his turmoil. When the younger son returns, the father throws a lavish celebration. The elder son, upon hearing this, becomes angry and refuses to join the feast. His words to his father are telling: “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.” His sense of injustice is palpable. He feels overlooked, unappreciated, despite his faithful service. 

This is where the elder son’s true struggle lies – in his sense of entitlement and lack of compassion. He cannot fathom why his father would extend such grace to a brother who seemed to have forsaken everything their family stood for. His dedication to duty has blinded him to the essence of his father’s love. In his mind, love and reward are earned, not freely given. 

The elder son’s problem is one many of us can relate to. It’s easy to fall into the trap of equating our worth or spiritual standing with our deeds. We, like the elder son, might struggle to accept that God’s love is not a reward for good behavior, but a gift freely given. His story is a cautionary tale, reminding us that even the most dutiful can miss the heart of God’s grace. 

In our spiritual walk, it’s crucial to recognize this pitfall. The elder son’s attitude reflects a misunderstanding of grace – a fundamental aspect of Christian faith. It shows us that even in our faithfulness, there’s a danger of developing a spirit of entitlement, overshadowing the true nature of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. 

II. Spiritual Lessons from the Elder Son 

The elder son in the parable teaches us crucial spiritual lessons about entitlement, joy, gratitude, and the nature of God’s inclusive love. 

Entitlement vs. Grace: The elder son’s sense of entitlement is a stark contrast to the father’s grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Unlike earthly rewards that are earned, grace is a divine gift, unmerited and freely given. The elder son’s struggle to understand this mirrors our own challenges in comprehending the breadth of God’s grace, which extends beyond human notions of fairness and merit. 

Joy and Gratitude: In focusing on his sense of injustice, the elder son fails to appreciate the blessings around him. James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” His inability to find joy in his continuous access to his father’s wealth and presence is a reminder for us to recognize and cherish the blessings we receive daily. Psalm 16:11 declares, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.” The elder son’s lack of joy reflects a heart disconnected from the true source of fulfillment – the father’s love. 

Inclusiveness and Forgiveness: The father’s inclusive love is a model for Christian living. Galatians 3:28 proclaims, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This inclusiveness extends to the elder son, despite his resentment. Similarly, the importance of forgiveness is underscored in Matthew 6:14-15, where Jesus teaches, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” The elder son’s struggle to forgive mirrors our own challenges in extending grace to others, a crucial aspect of Christian discipleship. 

III. The Father’s Unconditional Love and Grace 

The father in the parable epitomizes God’s unconditional love and grace. His reaction to each son’s actions reveals profound spiritual truths about God’s nature. 

Unconditional Love: The father’s love for both sons is unwavering and not based on their deeds. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” The father’s love, much like God’s, is proactive, reaching out to both the repentant and the resentful son. 

Forgiveness and Reconciliation: The father’s eagerness to forgive the younger son, symbolized by his running to meet him and the celebration that follows, highlights God’s joy in our repentance. Luke 15:22-24 illustrates this beautifully, as the father restores the younger son without hesitation. This unconditional acceptance is a powerful portrayal of divine forgiveness, which is not earned but graciously given. 

Generosity and Celebration: The father’s response – throwing a lavish party for the younger son – is a testament to the joy and generosity inherent in God’s grace. It’s a celebration of reconciliation, not past actions, mirroring the heavenly joy over one sinner who repents. 

Inclusiveness: The father’s grace is inclusive. He goes out to invite the elder son to the feast, demonstrating that his love and grace extend to both sons, regardless of their attitudes or behaviors. This reflects 2 Peter 3:9, where it’s stated, “The Lord is…patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 

IV. Steps Towards True Repentance for the Elder Son 

For the elder son to embrace true repentance, he had to undergo a transformation of his heart and mind in seven key areas and his journey is as relevant for us today as it was for him.

Recognize His Own Faults: The first step was acknowledging his bitterness and self-righteousness, i. e. understanding these feelings as barriers to a relationship with his father and brother. 

Empathize with His Brother: Developing empathy for his brother’s experiences helped him overcome resentment, which allowed him to see value in forgiveness and reconciliation. 

Accept His Father’s Love and Grace: Realizing that his father’s love was unconditional and not based on merit was crucial for his transformation. 

Celebrate His Brother’s Return: Joining in the celebration symbolized his acceptance and joy in his brother’s restoration to the family. 

Rebuild Relationships: Strengthening his relationships with his father and brother emphasized the value of family and connection over duty. 

Express Feelings to His Father: Honest communication about his feelings of being overlooked helped to clear misunderstandings. 

Reflect on His Blessings: Appreciating the constant presence of his father and the blessings he already had was key to his spiritual growth. 

Grasping the depth of our Father’s love for us is essential. At the heart of God’s intentions is the hope for everyone’s salvation and for all to gain an understanding of His Son, His precious gift to humanity, intended to draw all people to Him. Luke 15:11 tells of a father and his two sons. Each son’s choices significantly influenced their relationship with their father, yet the father’s love remained constant and unwavering in the face of their actions. While the missteps of the prodigal son are apparent, it’s just as crucial to consider how easily we might overlook our Father’s grace, mercy, and love. This is especially true when, like the elder son, we mistakenly believe our rewards are earned by merit, not granted through His grace. My prayer is that you will reflect on this and let God speak to your heart. 

Yours Truly

P.S. Thank you John Owusu for this very insightful post. John has been a long time reader of this blog and the owner of Revo Driving School in Alexandria, VA. He loves music and is part of the worship team at Word Performance Church.

Posted on by intentional4christ · 1 Comment

Identity- Our Sense of Self

My drive in life comes from a fear of being mediocre. That is always pushing me. I push past one spell of it and discover myself as a special human being but then I feel I am still mediocre and uninteresting unless i do something else. Because even though I have become somebody, I still have to prove that I am somebody. My struggle has never ended and I guess it will never end.

Madonna

I recently came across this quote from Madonna and how truly apt it is for many of us. Even without all the fame and acclaim like Madonna has, our sense of self, self-worth and desire to be “somebody” are insatiable. Towards the end of last year, I faced a lot of turmoil and upheaval at my place of work which led me to an identity crisis. Everything that I had come to believe about who I was and my motivations in life no longer made any sense. As I have searched for answers in scripture, reassuring words of loved ones, counselling, among others, one question has stood out for me: what have I based my identity on?

We go through life looking for the ultimate verdict that we are important and valuable and we look for that ultimate verdict in situations and people around us. Our identities become rooted in our accomplishments or in our failures. There is an invisible standard set for us either by ourselves or by others and we strive to live up to these standards each day. Our self-esteem is driven by whether or not we are able to meet the standards. So we fluctuate between high and low self-esteem because every minute our lives are on trial- some days we feel we are winning and other days we feel we are losing the trial. We judge ourselves and we allow the judgment of others to condemn or acquit us each day. But the truth is that trying to find self-esteem and build an identity by living up to a set of standards is a trap. I recently read a book by Timothy Keller, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness- The Path to Christian Joy, that shed light on a way to be free from the entrapment of this skewed view of self-identity. Using the example of Paul from 1st Corinthians 3:21- 4:7, Keller states:

When [Paul] says he will not let the Corinthians judge him nor will he judge himself, he is saying that he knows about his sins but does not connect them to himself and his identity. His sins and his identity are not connected. He refused to play that game. He does not see a sin and let it destroy his sense of identity. He will not make a connection. Neither does he see an accomplishment and congratulate himself. He sees all kinds of sin in himself- and all kinds of accomplishments too- but he refuses to connect them with himself or his identity.

All too often, we allow our accomplishments, achievements, shortcomings, or failures to be what defines us. If our accomplishments define us and something threatens that or we receive negative criticisms then we feel undone. If someone has been defined their whole life by a certain profession and then due to unforeseen circumstances like an illness, they can no longer practice in that field, their whole life falls apart. They ask questions like, “who am I if I am not a ________!” Similarly if someone has been defined by their material possessions and wealth and through a bad investment, an economic downturn, or fraud, they lose their wealth, it is game over. Today I offer a reassurance: THE ULTIMATE VERDICT IS IN.

Here is the ultimate verdict- the trial is over. There is no more condemnation for you if you are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). God does not care about who you are (accomplished or not) or what you have done (good or bad). Your performance does not lead to a verdict. The moment you chose to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, His righteousness was imputed to you. You do not have to perform to gain your identity. You have an identity as a child of the King of Kings and based on this identity, what you do will flow out of who you are. As my pastor shared in his sermon last week, Jesus loves you and accepts you for one reason and one reason only: You are His! Just as God once said of Jesus, He says of you: You are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased. You do not have to impress yourself or anyone for that matter. You are already achieved! You are a son or daughter of the Most High King. You are loved beyond measure! You can go about your life doing the things you do, not to build up a resume or to look good. You are a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, a street vendor, a cashier, carpenter, plumber, [insert what you do] not to feel better about yourself or to feel accomplished or to feel like “somebody”. You can strive for a better paid job or for higher education not because you derive your identity from that. You can let go of the anxieties, the disappointments of life, and the guilt because you do not find your identity in your accomplishments or failures. This is the blessedness of being redeemed.

Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.

Psalm 107: 2 NLT/ BSB

Yours Truly

Resources: https://www.backtothebible.ca/product/the-freedom-of-self-forgetfulness/

Posted on by intentional4christ · 2 Comments

Accept or Reject?

Earlier in the month I shared with you that my mandate from the LORD for 2024 was to consciously and intentionally accept Him everyday; and almost everyday of this year so far, I hear or read something that reminds me of this mandate. For example, on January 6th, my daughter’s bible devotion was titled “choose” and the message was very interesting. The scripture was from Judges 21:25

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

Judges 21:25 NLT

The devotional’s author suggested that the cliches “follow your truth” and “you do you” are not new at all! In fact rewind a few thousand years and the Israelites were living the “you do you ” life! Everyone followed their own truth and it was a godless and debased time in the history of the Israelites. Sounds familiar? Let’s fast forward back to 2024.

Yesterday my daily bible readings led me to the book of Isaiah, Chapter 1 to be precise, and here we hear God speaking to the Israelites about their choices. In their actions, words, thoughts, worship, service, they had rejected God everyday and God was telling them He was tired of being rejected! He was lamenting over Israel’s choosing to continue in their own waywardness and rebellion. They had turned their backs on the LORD (vs. 4). And their lives were a sight for sore eyes: they were physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually battered. As scripture described it, their heads were injured and their hearts were sick (vs. 5-6) and their worship which they thought might bring them closer to God rather became detestable to Him. The simple reason was this: they continued to reject God. Just before year 2023 ended, I heard a preacher say this, “If you keep saying “NO” to God and continue to reject Him, one of these days God will accept your NO and visit His judgment on you”. And guess what, that is exactly what God is saying to the Israelites in Isaiah Chapter 1:15. He says:

“When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen…”

Isaiah 1:15 NLT

But all is not lost for rebellious Israel and neither is it for us today. Our Redeeming God offers a solution. “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool…” (Isaiah 1:18 NLT). But there is a caveat: We have to choose to accept Him and everything He offers! Do you feel beaten down and battered by life? Are your prayers appearing to not reach God’s ears? God wants to settle you! But first start with some self-reflection, is there something that you need to settle with God? In what areas of your life are you rejecting Him? One of the ways we reject God is by being so busy with the hustle and bustle of life that we leave little to no room for God’s presence or power in our lives. Isaiah 5:12 captures this so aptly:

They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties- lyre and harp, tambourine and flute- but they never think about the LORD or notice what he is doing.

Isaiah 5:12 NLT

When it comes to accepting God, I have a lot to learn and given my mandate for the year, I am sure I am going to learn a lot about this. If you are further along on the journey of what it means to accept and choose Jesus everyday or if God is teaching you something about this in your daily walk with Him, please feel free to share with me, leave a comment, I am excited to learn from you. This year I plan to be intentional about thinking about God every day and to notice what He is doing in my life, among the people in my sphere of influence, and in the world at large. I want to pay attention to what God is saying and requiring of me. That is one of the ways I want to accept Him each day. How? I will engage with my readings each day and anticipate that God wants to tell me something from His word. I will pose questions to God as I read my bible and actively listen for answers throughout the day. I will not hesitate to pray for the things God lays on my heart or if people request prayer of me and excitedly anticipate God’s move in my life and in those of the people I pray for.

P.S. For those of you who are curious about my daily bible reading plan, I use the Olive Tree Bible app on my phone and this year I am following the 52-week bible plan, “A different Genre Each Day”. If you are looking for a reading partner, feel free to join me on this reading journey.

Posted on by intentional4christ · 1 Comment

Today is the Day!

Sometime in October of 2023, I went over all my goals for the year and realized I had fallen behind on so many of them (one of which was to post to the blog every week). Feeling discouraged, I decided that since too much of the year had passed to accomplish some of those goals, I would just wait till the new year and then start afresh. However, there was a scripture that kept tugging at my heart:

As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” 

Hebrews 3:15 NIV

Today. Not next year, not next month, not next week, today! Many times, we take for granted that tomorrow is not guaranteed us and we put off for tomorrow what we can do today. January is a month where people push for change and it is a good time for change. Afterall, its the start of a new year! Many people just like myself will make new year’s resolutions and set goals for themselves to achieve through out the year and many of us will fall off the wagon of some of our resolutions before the month is out. Here are two thoughts on the matter- the first comes from my daughter’s devotional, and the second is a lesson from 2023:

First, before going through all the effort of trying to fulfill our goals whatever they may be, why not first slow down and submit them to God? Remember “in their hearts humans plan their course but the LORD establishes their steps (Proverbs 16:9 NIV).” God wants us to submit our plans to him- our wonderful ideas for a successful 2024 and ask Him what He wants to work on this January and Febrauary and every month thereafter. In doing this, you will find a satisfying journey with a Friend rather than an exhausting and lonely marathon to accomplishing your goals.

Secondly, if you start to renege on your goals- perhaps you have already missed a few days of your 365-day bible reading plan, or your exercise regime, or you have already fallen back into patterns and behaviours you were hoping to change this year, it is not too late to course correct. It is never ever too late to fix what is broken, to jump back into relationship with God, to take care of your emotional, physical, and spiritual health, to let go of that hurt or guilt, to forgive…today is the day. Although bright hope for eternity is promised us, another day on this side of eternity is not guaranteed to anyone.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4: 13- 14 NIV

So today is the day. Whatever it is that you are putting off, today is the day.

Yours Truly

Posted on by intentional4christ · 2 Comments

Hello 2024

At the end of every year, my husband and I spend time reflecting, praying, and asking God for a word or scripture that will guide our lives for the upcoming year; what we call our mandate for the year. Last year’s mandate was a very interesting one. It came from the book of revelations:

I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God. Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.

Revelations 3:1-3 NIV

With that mandate, I knew going into 2023 that it was destined to be an interesting and challenging year. What I did not know was that 2023 will be one of the longest years I had yet to experience! Although the days, weeks, and months flew by relatively quickly, the losses, disappointments, and failures I experienced in the year made each day feel so long and drawn out. Many times, it felt like what little I had left of my joy, peace,and sanity were being chipped at bit by bit and each of those times, the mandate was clear, “Wake up…strengthen what remains.” As I grasped dearly to promises and encouragements from scripture, songs, sermons, family, and well wishers, I was very cognizant of the first part of the mandate as well: “you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead.” Throughout the challenges of 2023, I kept asking God to show me the areas of my life were my deeds were incomplete and boy did those trials show me! I learnt so much about myself and my relationship with God as everything and I mean everything I have come to know about God was tested. I trust that in this beautiful year 2024, I will have ample opportunity to share more details of the lessons from 2023.

2024 will be another interesting year. There will be more to learn but this time, I am ready. I am prepared to trust God through the process and relinquish the reins to Him. It will be a year where I will need to learn to listen and obey. The leadings and promptings of God will be such rich currency to navigate 2024 as the world plunges into a financial recession. As morality continues to decline both in the church and in the world, walking in step with God will be important as I continue to strengthen what remains. My mandate for this new year is as clear as day: God is asking that each day I conciously and intentionally make a choice to accept Him. What does this mean? I am sure I will find out this year won’t I?

Well, I look forward to each day of 2024 and I receive each day with joy and thanksgiving and with anticipation of what God has in store for me. My guiding prayer for 2024 is found in none other than Psalm 86

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Psalm 86:11 NIV

And I pray this for you as I pray this for myself today and for all 366 days of this year (Yes, its a leap year…exciting!).

Yours truly