"And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate. "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.'"
Luke 15:11-32 ESV
No matter where you might be on your journey of finding your way back to God, we all have stuff in our lives that we are still holding on to. For some, it’s a secret activity or habit that nobody else knows about, a secret you are desperate to hide. For others, it’s pretty obvious that they are still chasing after something and it keeps eluding them.
What is it for you? What do you need to let go of? God rarely puts something new in your life until you let go of the things that are old and broken. That’s why the next step beyond waking up in the morning to regret is finally waking to the help that is readily available. This event moves you a giant step closer to God because we realize we can’t do it alone. But what happens next?
We make a call that is long overdue. We have that conversation we have been avoiding. We walk into a support group. We find ourselves sliding into the back row at a church. We fall on our knees where we are, in the middle of our mess and cry out loud, “God, if you’re real and your there. . . !”
Turning away from the destructive choices you've made and seeking help is a part of repentance. To repent is to go home, returning to where you came from and where you belong. Going home is about being forgiven and receiving the assurance of life everlasting, but it’s also about finding new meaning and direction for life that you can’t find anywhere or in anything else. It’s about having a close personal relationship with God. It’s about redirecting your life and returning to where you’ve come from and where you belong. When you repent, God fundamentally changes you. You are a different person. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit comes to live inside you, and that results in a recognizable and ongoing transformation leading towards sanctification.
But keep in mind that repentance doesn’t mean feeling bad. As a matter of fact, the Bible says true repentance leads to “times of refreshing” from the Lord. Repentance is about starting over and admitting, “I need help.” This call to repent, to turn away from our sin and return home to God, is for everyone, everywhere.
This could be the day you go home. The day you get up from where you are and go home to where you truly belong. It does not matter what poor decisions you have made in the past. God is saying to you, “Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter. Just come home.”
If a miserable, sorry man such as myself can come back to the place where I walked away from all that is good and all that is God and be accepted into His arms as a son, restored in spirit, then so can you. Don't miss the chance that you have. You and I are guaranteed only one thing in this life and that it is too short and can be over in a second. Take a chance.
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