You Are Worthy“And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Bring out the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet” (Luke 15:21-22) Do you constantly feel like you have to prove yourself? At work, at the gym, among friends, even at home you’re always trying to win the approval of others. Working to convince those near you that you deserve the promotion, the friendship, the favor and even the love they give you. Fortunately there is an escape from all of this madness. It’s called grace, yes, the sweet sound of amazing grace that will save a wretch like you. Grace is unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor and loving acceptance. And there’s only one place where you can get it, in the loving heart of God Almighty Himself. There’s no better illustration of God’s grace in action than in the story of the prodigal son. Few of us can really feel the impact of that story like those Jewish listeners Jesus told it to. By their standards the prodigal son had committed some of the most despicable acts possible. He’d not only taken advantage of his father and wasted his inheritance in sinful living, he’d left the nation of Israel and made covenant with a gentile pig farmer! That was as low a lowdown dirty shame as you could get. If the story were made into a movie, it would have been Unforgiven. That young man’s rebellion was so serious his father’s only recourse was to disown him, to strip him of his inheritance. But that’s not what this father did! He welcomed his repentant son home with open arms. He offered him grace, unmerited favor, that was based on the father’s love rather than the son’s dismal performance. So the next time you catch yourself struggling to make up to God for something you’ve done wrong, working to win His approval, let the story of the prodigal son set you free. In spite of your sins and imperfections, God your Father has received you with open arms. He’s put a best robe of righteousness on you, His signet ring of authority on your finger, and even the sandals of sonship on your feet so you can walk on with Him, still bring home the bacon and leave it all, including Miss Piggy, behind! Do you feel unworthy of all this goodness? You don’t have to be a Los Angeles Lakers player like James to be Worthy. Unlike Wayne and Garth in Wayne’s World, God hasn’t based His relationship with you on your worthiness. He’s based it on His endless love [chesed] for you that is far stronger than Brooke Shields. You don’t have to struggle to prove yourself to God like proving OJ did it. As far as God is concerned, you’re proven and you’re a success. You are worthy! You are worthy! Copyright © 2002 Eddy Ministries. All rights reserved. Subscribe/Unsubscribe:
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