Mission Venture Ministries

How did the prodigal son’s account begin? Jesus tells us that: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them” (Luke 15:11-12). Possibly the youngest son wanted to leave the restrictions behind that come with life under the directions of a father. Or maybe he wanted money to pursue life’s pleasures with friends. Whatever the case, the prodigal son’s desire gave him the courage to prematurely ask for his inheritance and then to leave home and the things he had been taught under the guidance of his father. 

We see a similar example in a person who knows about God and turns away from Him to follow their carnal desires. First, they begin with a craving for something other than what they have. Then, the longer they allow the idea to linger, the stronger they desire to have it, and eventually they find ways to justify what they want as their flawed reasoning moves toward their self-centered goals. Like the wayward son, many may enjoy the pleasures of the world for a time, but ultimately, they will find themselves lacking certain essentials like unconditional love, security, and a meaningful purpose for living. 

When a person insists on going their own way, God will let them, much like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Our heavenly Father will not force us to remain with Him since He has given us free will. 

Sadly, human beings find themselves outside of God’s will on a regular basis and when that happens they are unable to see their course of action the way God sees it. The Father can see every detail of what we are doing and the choices we are making, but we can often only see what is in front of us at that moment. Frequently, it looks too good to pass up, and so, we begin to rationalize how we can obtain it. 

So, what happens when we move outside of God’s plan? 

Our fellowship with the Father is significantly affected. The prodigal son was no longer in close contact with his father; their relationship was not as important to him as it once had been. If we walk away from the Lord our resources, time and talent are wasted because they are not under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. 

The wayward son squandered his money on frivolous things and ended up worse off than the laborers at his father’s house. In the same way, God gives us spiritual gifts, resources, and guidance to build His kingdom, but if we pursue our own plan we waste what He has given us and our deepest needs go unmet. Chasing after dreams that don’t align with God’s will lead to discontent; since only in Christ can we find true fulfillment. 

Poor choices have consequences, but they need not dictate our future. Our heavenly Father never gives up on His children and will welcome us with great joy and love when we turn back to Him. 

This story that Jesus tells us is so that we understand the reality of our situation. We are up against an active enemy, a world that doesn’t value God, and our own tendency to prefer pleasure over obedience. If we want to avoid self-deception, we must make Scripture the basis for our thoughts and choices in life. Romans 12:2 tells us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 

The enemy’s ways are so subtle that we can be led into evil, step by step, without ever realizing what is happening. A vigilant spiritual life is critically important in protecting us against Satan’s attacks. The moment that we let our focus turn away from Jesus, is the moment that we start depending upon ourselves. Before we know it, we are snared by the ways of the world or entangled by wrong choices. And when we are outside of God’s will things begin to deteriorate like it did with the prodigal son who ended up having to feed pigs and eat with them. 

God is a forgiving Father and He wants us to have the mind of Christ, however, in order to have the mind of Christ, one must first have saving faith in Christ (John 1:12; 1 John 5:12). After salvation, the believer lives a life under God’s influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens the believer, infusing him with wisdom, which equates to having the mind of Christ. The believer then bears a responsibility to yield to the Spirit’s leading (Ephesians 4:30) and to allow the Spirit to transform and renew his mind (Romans 12:1-2). 

Having the mind of Christ means we identify with Christ’s purpose “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). It means we share Jesus’ perspective of humility and obedience (Philippians 2:5-8), compassion (Matthew 9:36), and dependence on God thru prayer (Luke 5:16). 

If you find yourself in a situation where you are uncertain of what to do, like the prodigal son, the only answer is to spend time getting to know Christ. Saturate yourself in His word and listen only to the godly counsel of people He sends to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you more like Jesus. When you do that, the path becomes clear and you will know His will and His ways. 

So, always remember to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6), since, the one who trust in the Lord has hope and does not need to fear difficulty or calamity. They know who is in control of their life and that Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. And that, He cares for those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7). 

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