I have just recently started looking at the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 from a different perspective than I’ve previously held. When I read this story now I read it as an expression of God’s great ‘chiropractic’ desire for us. In this story we see the heart of the Father (God) for all of His children (that’s us!) to live in proper alignment. The Father, with great love and longing, desires to see restoration to three areas that are out of alignment in His family and causing pain and discomfort. He wants to see them living in alignment with; 1) Himself – this is the most important area of alignment, that we all have a healthy and growing relationship with God where we understand our Father desires to bless us not withhold from us, 2) their Brothers – to have an open and unhindered relationship free from offense, bitterness, judgment and hurt with one another and, 3) the House (local church) – to leave the place of spectator outside the House looking on with judgment and criticism and come into the House as a full participant in the celebration and mission of the House.
In a fairy tale we know the standard ending, ‘…and they all lived happily ever after’ but this story doesn’t have the same happy ending. It seems to be much more like real life than a fairy tale. While we are left rejoicing that the younger brother has come into the place of alignment, we are also left wondering if the older brother will continue on out of alignment or whether he too will come into alignment. It is as if the story was left unfinished on purpose, to present us – the reader – with the choice we have been reading about. Will we live in alignment?
Sadly, there are many people today who choose to live out of alignment in one or more of these three areas. They do not have a right relationship with God, their brothers, and their local church (the House). For some of these individuals this lack of alignment has progressed to the point of producing pain and discomfort, while others are simply not experiencing the health and harmony that they could be. What makes this whole issue even more serious is that there are individuals who either; don’t know they are to live in alignment in these three areas or, debate whether they are to live in this 3-part picture of alignment.
In a day and age of ‘my own way on my own terms’ we are set up for a dramatic culture clash between the system of the world and the system of God’s Kingdom that each of us must settle. Will we choose to follow the pattern of God’s Word and live in alignment in all three of the above mentioned areas or, will we follow the pattern of this world that lives out of step and out of alignment with God’s purposes?
It is my prayer that everyone in our family would live in alignment and experience the joy and life that is found in living in 3-part harmony.
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