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!’31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” - Luke 15:28-32
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help me to forget everything I have ever done for you or anyone else. Instead, give me the eyes to stare at all the blessings you give me out of sheer mercy and grace. Free me up from myself so I join you at the party for sinners you have forgiven of grievous errors. I want to welcome home your children with you. If you have someone you want me to go find for you, give me the motivation and the wisdom to go get them for you. In days when I'm weary and selfish and unconcerned for the lost, please come out of the party and call me back in the way you had the father come out to plead with the older brother in your parable. I love being in your family and I pray more people will come to understand that I want them there too.
Amen
Pastor Don Patterson
There's room in God's family for people not like you.
Additional Reading: Colossians 3