hEAR mE rOCK

Ahh… the prodigal son. He gets greedy.. leaves home.. eats pig slop.. comes back home.. big party.. blah blah blah.

But what about his brother? He stays home, works hard, can’t catch a break… and his little brother who’s been living the high life gets the party?

Maybe you can identify. You do everything right. You follow the rules. You work hard. And yet you end up watching the party for someone else. Unfortunately, I think that’s what has happened to a lot of Christians. Their sense of entitlement kicks in, and instead of celebrating when someone comes in, they want them to work just as hard to earn the acceptance.

Whether we admit it or not, we want people to earn it. Our pride wells up, and we want what we think we’ve earned. And we don’t think people should have blessings they didn’t earn.

The story isn’t just about the unconditional love of a father. It’s God reminding us that there will be opportunities for bitterness. When someone, who in our eyes, hasn’t earned something receives it. We have to remember none of us deserve grace. We don’t deserve to be blessed. We don’t earn it, and we can’t control it.

What we can control is how we respond. So, instead of screaming our injustices, let’s celebrate with our friends who have come home …