Luke 15: "28 The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
So far we have discussed the Prodigal Son, and the Father...now lets talk about the only one who missed the party...The older brother.
The fatal flaw for the older brother was a self-centerdness, which produced self pity. It is ironic that the one who presumably obeyed the father out of love and respect, could not find the love or respect necessary to follow the fathers heart. Apparently his service was not a product of love, but instead he had been "slaving" for years in order to get what he felt he deserved.
What about you? What does the Father owe you? Are you lovingly serving God, or have you been "slaving" out of some Pharisaical sense of duty, and a desire to get what you consider yours? If so then like this young man, you may be lost in the shadow of the fathers house.
Selfishness and self pity are two of the most dangerous and destructive forces on earth. They destroy everything they touch...and once you allow them into your life they will take control. They produce powerful deceptions that overwhelm facts, and common sense.
You won't find self pity in nature. It is exclusively a human emotion, and we have produced a generation which specializes in entitlement, and feeling sorry for themselves. This must change. Open your eyes and realize how undeservedly blessed you are. Examine your heart. If you find any hint of self -centerdness or self-pity rip it out before it becomes entrenched.
If you allow it to remain in your life, you are guaranteed to miss the party.
"A man wrapped up in himself is the smallest of packages."
Benjamin Franklin
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