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. Luke 15:18-19
We all know the story of the prodigal son, at one point in time, a lot of us have seen that story acted out in lives around us, most times we have even lived out that story in our very lives.
It starts slowly, very slowly, usually prompted by a sense of injustice caused by something God didn't do for us. We fail to see most times that God doesn't fail us, he never ever does, but people do all the time, from ages past, till date and even in times yet to come. We stop doing things we used to do, and start doing things we never used to do. We think we have it under control, but slowly it slips out of our control. I will bring to mind a scripture we hold dearly to heart
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
I like to call it a little slip, a little stumble; that is how it starts. A little drink here, a little smoke there, just a little flirting there, just change the records this once, take this little token just this once. A year later you are wondering; How did I get this far? How did it get this bad? You close your eyes to things you shouldn't and open your eyes to things you shouldn't. And the rot begins, from the inside out. At first you do things in secret, hiding so the people you know won't see you, as time goes by, you stop being bothered and live out the rot in full view for anyone to see (does that remind you of someone?)
At several points I have wondered why people don't repent, I wonder why after Lucifer was cast out from heaven, why he didn't repent. I have wondered why Adam and Eve did not ask God for forgiveness. We say and a lot of times believe, that pride goes before a fall. Yet we harbor pride within us, and when we fall, rather than remove the pride, we add stubbornness to it. holding firmly, obstinately and sometimes foolishly to our faults, scared to admit that we were ever wrong. The sad thing is that it happens, you look at lives and wonder, how did it go so wrong? I have wondered why we have rehabs for alcoholics, drug addicts and all sorts of problems but none for prodigal Christians. Yes that is what the Church is supposed to be, but with everyone declaring for religion these days rather than Christianity, I wonder how that is supposed to work (but that is for another day).
I have lived that life, took me six months; six months of not spending time in fellowship with neither God or man, six months of my life spiraling out of control. Six months where the knock on the door of my heart that meant my Father had come calling, the knock that gave warnings, that knock that brought joy started prompting dread, took me into hiding, buried me under the covers rather than taking me to my knees. In the six months, my stubbornness and pride took me past that prodigal point, all through prodigal country, to all time lows even for me. I was dead inside a walking corpse, numb to emotions, just going through the motions. My life took me right to the Prodigal border. I stood and I looked beyond and all I saw was darkness, a darkness that even in my darkened state, frightened me enough to wake me up. I looked beyond the Prodigal border and I chose Life. Like the prodigal son I said I will arise and not just go back to my Father, but I have run back to him and I refuse to look back anymore. I chose Life, which would you choose?
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Cor 10:12
One thing I ask for, one thing I require, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen.
