Accepted

Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

I was listening to an amazing teaching this morning and the speaker made mention of the above story, specifically the son’s approach to the father. We are all very well familiar with the story, however, the insight he gave to it rocked my very core.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness” is a verse often quoted by many a Christian, however, the son in the parable of the two sons takes this statement to another level. Notice something about his approach to the father, ‘make me like one of your hired servants.’ He didn’t ask for comfort, riches, or even happiness, he simply asked for acceptance, the acceptance of his own father, to be but a servant like all the other slaves in his fathers household, specifically, a hired servant, the least of these in his father’s household, that was the position this son desired.

As a result, the image of his father as master and judge, quickly faded as he found himself not only being accepted, but being clothed, cleaned and celebrated, all because his approach to the father was different. He didn’t go to him for comfort, but he got it. He didn’t go for riches, but he got them. He didn’t go for status, but he got it too. The one thing he went for was acceptance, and from this, sprung every other thing he could have ever wanted.

That should be our approach to our Father. Lord we don’t need anything BUT Your acceptance, to be allowed to sit at Your table. May our hearts be bent this way, may we stop our self-seeking nature dead in its tracks and seek Him for Himself.

“Aim for heaven, get earth thrown in. Aim for earth, get neither” – Tim Keller

“And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me. My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace, Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God. Am I measuring my life by this standard or by something less? - Chambers