Grace for a prodigal

As Dr. Luke records the parable of the prodigal son, he tells us that the son took his share of the family inheritance, “set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”  I have friends who have experienced this.  They may not have gone away to a foreign land, but they definitely were in a different spiritual country.  None of them are proud of those times.  All of them wish it was different.  They each wish their testimony didn’t include some of what they became involved in.
But, like the story in Luke 15, these friends “came to their senses” and returned to the Lord.  In some cases they had never been part of God’s family, but He reached out to them and brought them into His “home.”  Many times there is a sense of gratitude on the part of these folks that I admire.
I am not at all sorry for the fact that God never permitted my life to include some of the situations others have been in.  I am grateful to God that He spared me that pain.  I suspect there are some who are reading this that feel the same way.  But I'm concerned that many times we are also prodigals and don't realize it.  
The older son stayed home and did what Daddy asked.  He followed the rules and stuck with the plan.  As a result, his life didn’t go through all of the the turmoil and heartache of his younger sibling.  But when the rebellious son returned home with a broken spirit, recognizing the emptiness of his lifestyle, the pain he had caused and the wrong choices he had made, he got a party.  And this was no ordinary party, mind you.  It was a celebration!  It rivaled any feast that would be thrown in that day.  The fattened calf was butchered.  The wine was poured.  The music and dancing were going strong. 
The older son was mad and wouldn’t go in to participate.  His selfish attitude came through loud and clear.  “You never even gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends!”
What is the point of the story?  Jesus told it at the time that the Pharisees were muttering about His involvement with “sinners and tax collectors.”  They were offended and bothered by his acceptance of “those” people.  He told it to them to remind them that they had God’s law.  They were given the revelation of the true God.  But they were so busy obeying what they thought God wanted them to DO, that they missed the real point.
The real point is that we must come to God with humble, thankful hearts, not prideful attitudes puffed up about the level of our obedience.  Anything we receive from God is grace.  The only thing we truly deserve is separation from Him for eternity.  We miss the blessings all around us when we become focused on our “rights” and our “reputation.”  After all; we’ve done everything we were “supposed to.”  God constantly reminded His children in the Old Testament that the most important thing they were to be concerned about was their heart.  Doing the "right thing" with the wrong heart is part of the problem with legalism.
Whatever kind of prodigal you are, God wants you to come to Him with a grateful heart for His blessings: forgiveness, adoption as His child, a spiritual account that only shows righteousness.  God’s favor is on you.  He loves you.  Rather than focus on what others get to enjoy in their relationship with their Heavenly Father, take some time to bask in the relationship He shares with you.
What are some of your experiences with the grace of God?  How has He shown you his unconditional love and compassion?

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