21 Days of Filiation: God, Family & ChurchChikamu

THE PRODIGAL SON

Who is the prodigal son in the parable Jesus tells in Luke 15? He is the younger of two brothers. The term prodigal, traditionally used by Christians, means prodigality or the inconsequence in the way of handling money. This is what the son did. In an act of dishonor and rebellion, he prematurely asked for his share of the inheritance and left. Rebellion is the inability to respect those who influence you. Jesus showed by the parable that there is an orphanhood that opposes authority; rebels suffer from the Lucifer syndrome ─ those who close their hearts to the Father. There are so many who live like that! They are sons, but they are rebellious. In the biological sphere, they are distant and do not accept the Father's leadership; in the Spiritual perspective, they reject church leadership and often migrate from spiritual family to spiritual family without deep bonds and roots.

And finally, the rebels, in relation to the Divine paternity, choose to live without the lordship of Christ, even though they identify themselves as sons. They decide for autonomy and to manage their own lives. They waste the effects of the Father's love through Christ. This brings important damage. In the case of the young man in the parable, his life was ruined through his poor choices and turning away from the Father. What about you? Do you suffer from rebellion? This harmful kind of orphanhood will deprive you of the Father's love and favor, even though we know that the Father's love remains the same for each of us, even in days of rebellion. Something powerful to consider is that God is no respecter of persons but of attitudes. So close your heart to rebellion, a very serious kind of orphanhood.

Decide to stay close to the Father and the father figures in your history. This will make you enjoy all that fatherhood provides for you. In particular, are you distant from the Father God? Return and receive new shoes, clothes, and a ring. And may all the consequences of your estrangement be reversed by God's grace. Grace always corrects the course.