One of the verses in the Bible that has always intrigued me is Luke 15:17. Bible students among us will know that it forms part of the parable of the Prodigal son which Jesus told. This parable forms part of the single answer trilogy of parables that Jesus gave which Jesus gave in response to a charge by the Pharisees and scribes that he was eating with sinners.
The details of the parable are not the central point of this piece. What is important is the key turning point in the life of one of the three main characters in the story, the Prodigal son. We read that having squandered all that he had, the young man came to the moment that marked the beginning of a re-defined destiny for him. The relevant segment reads: “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (Luke 15:17). That was the turning point that led to his turnaround. The Bible word for this point and place of change is repentance. It simply means a change of mind, which is then followed by a change of action as well as direction.
This is the starting point of a change of mind. It is the place of recognition or realisation. Often when we are involved in an activity or heading in a particular direction, and everything is seemingly going swimmingly well, the well-known refrain ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’, remains the cardinal principle that informs our action. However, change only comes when we recognise we are going in the wrong direction, with serious consequences up ahead, if we fail to take corrective measures. In Psalm 119:59-60, the psalmist makes this statement:’…I pondered the direction of my life and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry without delay to obey your commands…’
That statement sums up what happened to the Prodigal son. What is evident is that he had come to a point and a place when the proverbial light bulbs came on in his head. He came to himself. He had come to the moment of personal insight. He realised had lived the life of a wastrel, run out of money and was barely surviving; sharing breakfast, lunch and dinner with pigs. He had come to the point of recognition. Sometimes the point of recognition is a process, a conscious process. At other times it is something that had been taking place. And then there is a moment of truth when, as it were, the light bulbs are switched on in our heads. Some call this the ‘ah-ha’ moment.
If recognition is to be meaningful, it must be followed by an act of will. When that happens, repentance has taken place. Repentance involves returning or finding fresh direction; the right direction. Then, and only then are we back on track to realise the ultimate purpose of our lives.
The question is what direction is your life heading? Is it going closer to God or away from Him? If it is away from Him, my prayer is that you will come to that place of recognition that leads to a change of mind and direction; the place of repentance.
The Bible message is that we all need to repent; ‘for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory’; ‘there is none righteous, no not one’. Our self will, pride, rebellion and sinful nature mean that we are walking away from God; going in the opposite direction to where He wants us to go. We need to repent; to know a change of mind, heart and direction. God’s call is that we should return to Him (Malachi 3:7; Zechariah 1:3). If we repent and confess Jesus as Saviour and Lord, He will forgive and receive us back. You can follow the example of the prodigal son and do exactly what he did. It begins with repentance – a change of mind and direction.
If you have read this article and you are not a Christian, I would like to invite you to receive Christ as Saviour and Lord in your life by praying this prayer:
‘God in heaven, I acknowledge that I am sinner and deserve to be punished for all the wrongs I have done. I am truly sorry. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to this world. I believe He lived, died and rose again for my sins. I repent of all past sins and ask you to forgive me because Jesus. I confess and ask Jesus to come into my life and be my Saviour and Lord. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me to obey you and lead me to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you God for giving me eternal life through your Son Jesus. Amen!’
If understood and sincerely prayed that prayer, then please contact us. One of our team of counsellors would be glad to contact, pray with and offer you further guidance on how you can continue with your new found faith in Jesus. God bless you.
PS: If you have been inspired, provoked or learnt something from this article, why not do any or all of the following: (i) leave some feedback or a comment, either positive or developmental; (ii) recommend it to a friend; (iii) share it with a friend. This will encourage and help me to serve you better, so together we can make a difference in our world.
Copyright Emmanuel Mbakwe 2012©