PRODIGALITY During the days of Jesus’ ministry on earth he told many parables. He told the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the lost coin, the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the talents, etc. You can go on and on. These parables contained relevant spiritual truths and lessons for healthy practical and spiritual living in Christ. Permit me to share with you, out of the many parables Jesus told, the parable of the prodigal son. This is a parable that is often misunderstood by many people. Many think that the story of the prodigal son seeks to center on teaching about arrogant and stubborn children who heed to no advice and their end. Though these are other lessons that could be learnt from the parable I believe the core message that Christ sort to put across to the church is being missed. There are many in the church today who are prodigal but do not know it. The meaning of the word PRODIGAL is to be WASTEFUL. Prodigality is simply the art of being wasteful. The opposite of prodigality (wasting away) is frugality (wise use). Hence the parable of the prodigal son is a story that seeks to talk about wasteful sons. There are many wasteful people in the church today. I say without an iota of doubt that there are many prodigal sons who dress and come to sit in church on Sunday yet do not have the faintest idea they are prodigal. Would you not call yourself prodigal if you fail to use the gifting, talents and anointing God has placed in you? You see, anything that is giving to you to use that is not used is wasted. You don’t only waste something when you do not use it wisely. You also waste things when you do not use them at all. So are you not wasting the gifting that God has placed in you by not using them? Are you not prodigal? Are you not prodigal if you use the gifting and anointing of God upon your life to acquire fame and fortune instead of using it for the work of ministry? You must remember that the reason why the prodigal son was given his inheritance was to use it to probably start a business and earn a proper living for himself. That was why he was giving his inheritance. That is what his father expected him to do with his inheritance. He rather spent it on what he was not supposed to. He used it for every other purpose other than the right purpose. He wasted his inheritance. Likewise anybody who uses the gifts of God upon his/her life for any other purpose other than that which God ordained for has wasted it. When you use it to gain fame and riches other than serving the body of Christ you have wasted it. Such a person is an exact clone of the prodigal son. So you see, there are many prodigal sons in the church today. They just don’t know it. The prodigal son wanted his inheritance before time. He wanted it while his father was still alive. He wanted what was duly going to be his at the wrong time. This is one of the indications of a soon to be prodigal son. They want to step into areas God will duly usher them into at the right time earlier than God’s appointed time. They start things God wants them to start at the time God had not ordered them to. You will only end up making so many mistakes and in the end realize you have to end it and start all over again at the right time. By this time you would have wasted money, time and resources. You would have at this point become the twin brother of the prodigal son in Jesus’ story. At this juncture you will look just like him. You took what would rightly be given to you earlier than the appointed time, wasted it and had to start all over again. Dear reader, be patient. Know the times and seasons of God for your life. You will most likely make the best and wisest use of your life and gifting in that era than in any other. Avoid the menace of prodigality. Jude Derry (KNUST)
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 09:36:32 +0000
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