LOVE CAN BE SO BLIND

(Lk 15:20)

Many a parent, upon seeing their prodigal’s return, have been so elated with joy that they forego commonsense but who could really blame them … their loved one has returned. Forgotten are the vast differences in mindset and character, the very things that caused the rift between them in the first place. Love is blind! There’s no denying that the prodigal reached the end of himself and in that state determined to amend his ways and return home. But has he dealt with his driving wanderlust … has he really changed?

Perhaps the father is premature in reinstating his son to a position of influence and authority without a demonstration of mature commitment to the family and business over at lease a two-year period? How would it be when after three to six months, the prodigal is confronted with his old demons and succumbs to their influence and begins to scheme again to manipulate his father? What if the pull of riotess living is too strong in him to resist, as we know … where the treasure is there the heart is also?

It’s after the midnight hour that aloneness strikes … tearing away at what little resolve to suck-it-up and make good the changes you might have had. After all, why can’t you sleep … isn’t it due to the restlessness in your heart, … the unresolved issues in your head, going round and around? Unless the prodigal is riveted by the memory of his previous humiliation and deprivation at the hands of bad decisions and company, he’ll be swept up in it all again and plummet to even greater depths of isolation … only failure to self brings!

How many other issues are involved in the restlessness of the prodigal? Self- expression and realization are vital in one’s maintaining the sanity process when dealing with the mundane … “You have to work to live routine”. Thus was birthed the statement … “If you hate your work, you’ll hate your life!” The prodigal is not alone here, so many people wander aimlessly dead through work-to-exist routines. There’s no correlation between what they do and self esteem, no vision of participation in purpose greater than themselves. Take housework for instance, in itself will never allow you to see what you’ve accomplished, unless you’re aware of the intrinsic, irrefutable value it is to one’s health and the atmosphere in a home, how be it ever so small. If it’s clean and neat with an inspiring picture on the wall it becomes home sweet home!

The greatest decision the prodigal, like all of us generally, will have to make is to take the responsibility for the gift we have and apply the discipline required to have it produce. We can all skip around the issues of life almost indefinitely looking for the elusive something that will give the pure satisfaction … the real imagined reason for living. In qualifying a desire you wish to achieve, the test will always be … are you going all out to obtain it, can you maintain personal discipline to stay focused till completion? To finish what you start requires more than desire it demands steadfast endurance. So don’t start what you know deep down in your heart you won’t finish and in so doing save yourself the dismal drowning experience of devalued self- esteem.

The prodigal has a gift … LEADERSHIP … believe it or not, leadership is a gift. What a shame too few who have it are so broken or totally distracted in the pursuit of selfish pleasures to administrate it accurately and find the answers to their inner cravings they wrestle with almost every waking hour. WHY CAN’T I FIT? … YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LEAD AND SET NEW TRENDS, STANDARDS AND PATHWAYS FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW!

Leadership is inspirational, creative, motivational, assertive, intuitive and founded in realism but whilst ever the prodigal avoids the acceptance, thus the responsibility for leadership, he will continue aimlessly wandering in his mind and life. A sheep in the midst of wolves or worse a wolf in the midst of sheep. Listen an eagle can’t be a chicken. A swan isn’t a duck. Both the chicken and the duck make for good eating but the eagle is magnificent for inspiration, the swan’s stunning beauty makes you stop in awe. You know it’s funny, neither the eagle, the chicken, swan or duck needs to have certification, degree or an attainment diploma to qualify who they are or what their gifts are to this world. They just are who they are with the gift they exude and what a blessing they are to their world regardless of what anybody else thinks. The gift always makes room for the individual. Believe it and act on the knowledge that you’re one of a kind, invaluable to your family and society in general. Be the best you, you can possibly be and the world will definitely be a better place because you’re in it!

Let’s pray.

Father, deliver me from the inability to perceive and value my specific gifts and talents that have come from you. Grant me the courage to give you charge over my gifts, to liberate and launch your purpose for my life. I further need your wisdom and understanding to accurately live my life to the full and thus be a blessing to others. And lastly father, I’ve personally been shattered in so many areas that I struggle to believe that I have a gift or that I am a gift from you to my world’s sphere, please deliver and heal me now in Jesus’ name. Thank you Father. Amen