I’ve always loved reading the story of the Prodigal Son. There are so many lessons to learn from that power-packed passage of Scripture. Today, let’s look at what we can learn from the father :
1. The father loved his children equally. The one who stayed and did all the right things did not become his “favorite”. The prodigal was just as loved by the father as the one who remained by his side.
Do you struggle with loving your difficult child as much as your easy child? Do your children know you love them equally?
2. The father met his boys where they were. He met the prodigal in the driveway and the oldest on the front porch. Both were in a place of need. Both were struggling with personal issues. Yet the father met them where they were.
Do you meet your children where they are or do you expect them to meet you where you are? Are you willing to embrace them when they come back or do you expect them to keep making amends? Do you talk to them on their level – do you find out where they’re coming from and try to undertand them?
3. The father knew when to let go. When his son wanted to leave and do life on his own, the father knew he had to let him go. We read over that without feeling what the father must have felt, but as a mom, you understand the profound pain that must have caused the father when he knew it was time to just let him go.
How do you deal with it when you know you need to let go so they can learn to make their own mistakes? Do you allow your children to learn the lessons they can only learn when they succeed or fail based on the decisions they’ve made? Do you allow them to win and lose on their own or do you hold their hand to assure every experience is a win?
4. The father never gave up on his prodigal son. The Bible tells us that while the son was far off, the father saw him and ran to him. Always looking on the horizon in hopes of his son’s return, the father never gave up – he never gave in. He just watched and waited with anticipation.
Do you get tired of teaching your children the same thing over and over and want to just give up? Do you grow weary in the wait? Are you feeling like there’s no hope for your prodigal? The father never gave up and never gave in. He never through in the towel.
5. He treated them differently. The father let the prodigal go, but pleaded with the older brother. He understood what they each needed. We often hear we are to treat our children the same. That’s not true. We are to love them the same, but we have to treat them differently because they are each very unique.
Do you treat your children differently or do you feel you’re supposed to treat them the same? Do you understand what they each need to help them learn valuable life lessons that will leave imprints on their hearts?
Take a few minutes and read through the story of the prodigal son, sweet mom, and see if you can learn anything else from the prodigal’s father.
The Prodigal Son
And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.
So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 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 became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’” Luke 11:11-32
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