"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." Luke 15:20
There is a fairly famous and somewhat controversial worship song by John Mark McMillan called "How He Loves." The controversy behind the song resides in the fact that John Mark McMillan used the lyrics "sloppy wet kiss" and many people felt that this wasn't reverent enough. Whether you agree with his lyrics or prefer David Crowder's "unforeseen kiss", it doesn't really matter. The heart of the song stays the same. God has so much love for each of us, and He went to incredible lengths to show it.
My favorite line from the song actually comes directly after the "sloppy wet kiss" line. It says, "I don't have time to maintain these regrets, when I think about the way that He loves us."
There comes a time when we just have to understand and accept that the love of the Father is so great that we can't continue to carry the regrets and mistakes of yesterday with us anymore.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. If you are unfamiliar with this story, I will give a brief explanation. Jesus is telling a story to let the Pharisees and scribes know exactly why He hung around with sinners and allowed them to interact with Him so frequently. He tells the story of a father who has two sons, and the younger son tells his father that he wants his inheritance before the father dies. This boy feels like he needs to get out and experience the world and see what it has to offer him apart from his father's house.
His father agrees to this and splits the inheritance between the two boys, and a few days later, this younger son leaves the house and moves off to a "far away country." He then begins to spend all of the money that his father gave him and he winds up going broke squandering his finances on reckless and prodigal living. It so happens that the land that he is in experiences a great famine, so he winds up hiring himself out to a pig farmer and would have eaten pig slop if anyone would have given him any.
Jesus says that eventually the boys comes to his senses and realizes that even servants have enough food to eat and are well taken care of at his father's house, so he comes up with an idea that he will go home and ask his father to make him a slave. "I have sinned against heaven, and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son, make me a slave." Luke 15:19
This is where we pick the story up. He goes home and his father sees him a long way off and runs to him and has compassion on him. The son tries to explain to his father that he isn't worthy to be a son, but his father doesn't even pay attention to him. His father calls for the best robe, his signet ring, and sandals for his feet. He then orders that they take the fattened calf and kill it and celebrate because "this son of mine was dead and is now alive, he was lost and is found!" vs 24
Do you have regrets? Do you have shame and embarrassment because of things you've done in your past? Have you been carrying around the past like a suitcase everywhere you go?
This son came home dirty, broken, embarrassed, and seeking slavery. His father put the best robe on him, gave him a ring, which, acted as the family credit card, and put sandals on his feet, which, showed that he was a son. Slaves didn't wear shoes. Sons wore shoes. His father ran to him. In Jesus day, a dignified man would never run anywhere.
You know what the father never mentions to the son? He never brings up the fact that he left. He never brings up the fact that he requested his inheritance. He never mentions the fact that he squandered the money on prostitutes. (The older brother somehow knew about this and was quick to inform the father about it.) The only thing that the father is worried about is the fact that his boy is home!
When his son tries to tell him that he isn't worthy to be called a son, it's almost as if the father, by disregarding the statement, is saying, "Son. We don't have time for that. I need to love on you right now."
Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The fact that the word 'now' is in this verse is so good. You can't say the word now without it being now. People get so caught up in the failures and the problems of the past, that they fail to see that Jesus' forgiveness and His sacrifice was once for all. His sacrifice and His resurrection covered all sin! It covered your past sins, it covered your present sins, and it covered your future sins! His grace is so great! It's better than they every told us.
So, I ask, what are you still holding on to? What past experience or pain are you still holding on to that you think disqualifies you from the love of the Father? There's no time to maintain those regrets when you actually encounter His love.
On Sunday my pastor said something that really resonated with me. "You can't go back and change the past, but, you can start now and change your future." You can never go back and undo the wrongs that you've done. You can never go back and alter how you've behaved. You can however start today and make tomorrow better than yesterday.
The Father's heart is always for you. His love is great for you, and He stands waiting, watching, and scanning the horizon to see His sons and daughters come home. When you're a long way off, He will run to you, have compassion on you, and hug and kiss you. Drop your regrets and allow Him to love you like His child.
It's never too late to start over. You're Father in heaven loves you with a perfect love, and perfect love casts out all fear. The best is yet to come.
Be ridiculously blessed!
