The Elusive Gift of Joy
The story of the prodigal son is my story. When I read it, I am reminded of the many times I became lost! Like the young man, I have done some foolish things. Like him, I made some unwise decisions. Like him, I went down the wrong path and separated myself from family, church, and my support systems. Like him, I have been distracted by wild living. And just like him, I had to find my way back home. But, let us go back to the beginning of the story because there may be some facts about this young lad that may have eluded you.
The prodigal is the second son in this family. Growing up behind an older brother, who was responsible and mature, was a challenge. In fact, he found it difficult to compete with his older brother. His brother did everything well, and why not? As the oldest, he had only adults as examples. Consequently, the older brother got all the accolades and positive reinforcement. Even more than that, being the first born son, his family embraced him with great affection. Since the prodigal could not compete with his older brother, what did he do? He sought negative attention and became the bad boy of the family. How do we know this fact? Just look at his actions. At the first opportunity, the prodigal son abandoned his family and relocated in a far off land! More than that, he sought a lifestyle that was corrupt and wild! He followed his heart's desire, that was until the money ran out. Once he was broke and friendless, it was only then that he came to his senses. As he pondered his situation, he began to think about the elusive gift of joy.
With his inheritance in hand, he thought he could buy his happiness. He threw off the shackles of responsibility, which freed him to live the life he wanted for himself. Or at least so he thought. So he indulged in the party life, without a care in the world, nor thinking of the consequences of his actions. As long as he had the money to buy his happiness, he lived in his delusion. And his delusion was that he was living the joyful life.
Now, ponder this story for a minute, look around you. How many times do you see the drama played out in your life with family and friends? How many people do you know who seek to find their joy smoking a joint or downing a six pack of beer? What about those who seek to feed their sexual appetites with multiple relationships at the same time? Are they seeking the elusive gift of joy? Is enough ever enough to fill them with that joy? So, what is the answer? What did this young man have to do to change course?
One of the conditions that affects the human spirit and forces us into poor choices is the issue of denial. Denial does not allow us to seek that which is truth. Denial blinds us from the facts. Denial fills our minds with fear of what may be taking places at the moment and forces us to accept other answers or other solutions. We all do it! The big question is, can we break free of denial's grasp on our lives? In the case of the prodigal son, he had to be honest with himself. He needed to look deep within himself and search his soul to rediscover what brought joy in his life.
Once this young man broke through his denial, the elusive gift of joy was right in front of him. He needed to go back home and return to his father's love and embrace. The reality is that home offers us more than a place to rest our heads. Home is a sacred place where we learn about holy values such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22) When we grasp these fruits of God's Spirit, is this not how we really want to live our lives?
