IN LUKE CHAPTER 15: 3-7, JESUS TOLD A PARABLE FROM WHICH WE CAN learn to walk in the unusual love: God’s kind of Love; Heavenly Love.
In that parable, a Shepherd left ninety nine sheep in the field and went in search of the ONE missing sheep and when he found it, he didn’t give it the kind of human treatment we’re so conversant with.
What is the human treatment we’re used to seeing? Here:
He could have looked angrily at the poor bleating sheep and first given it a good kick for making him suffer in trekking back in search of it. Or he could have shouted at the lone animal, rebuking it for being lazy and sluggish and not keeping step with the rest of the flock or for going aside to do something else when the ninety nine were faithfully following him. No, the Shepherd didn’t do any of those. Instead, his heart overflowed with joy that his sheep didn’t get killed and eaten by some wild beasts.
He felt greatly relieved and intensely happy that his dear sheep didn’t fall into some pit or trap or get bitten by some deadly reptile. Or even get stolen! His heart overflowed with joy that his sheep was alive, hale and hearty! And what did he do? He treated it as if it was a Hero. He didn’t even allow it walk the distance back to where the ninety nine were waiting. He treated it like a Celebrity. He picked it up from the ground and joyfully carried it on his shoulders all the way home!
We also see the unusual love in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). After squandering his inheritance, he returned home completely empty-handed but most amazingly to a Hero’s welcome!
Now, are you getting the message?
From the moment the Prodigal Son met his Father, the Old Man never made reference to the lost inheritance. Not even once. Instead, his focus was on the fact that his Son returned home ALIVE! His father quickly threw a big welcome party with the fatted calf killed and musicians playing at their best and the entire home filled with singing and rejoicing.
In these two accounts, the Shepherd and the Father of the Prodigal Son are representative of God, portraying his kind of love. This is the kind of love that got us born again and all our old Sins instantly forgiven. It’s the Love that encountered Saul the Persecutor on his way to Damascus and saved him and made the Church’s greatest human enemy an Apostle instead of killing him for spearheading the death of Stephen!This is the kind of love that should be seen in the Marriage of every christian couple today. The Heavenly Love that makes a home an earthly colony of Heaven.
From the stories of the Shepherd and the Father of the Prodigal Son, we can learn the following:
(1) DON’T BE CRITICAL
Walk in the footsteps of the Shepherd who didn’t blame, query or shout at the sheep for staying back when the others were moving. Let’s all learn to be less critical, less judgemental and less self-centered. We never can tell what must have kept the sheep back when the rest were moving. Could be it’s feet got in some entanglement and there was none to loosen it. Let’s learn to give room to the feelings of others and their weaknesses. God’s Word says:
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”(Romans 15:1)
We ought to accept others as they are despite their weaknesses just as Christ does us:
“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7 )
(2) ESTEEM YOUR SPOUSE HIGHER THAN MATERIAL THINGS
Don’t place more value on material things than on the person you married. Learn from the Father of the Prodigal Son. He was COMPLETELY silent about all that his son left home with but squandered. He didn’t say a word about those things. That his Son came back home alive meant so much more to him than the lost inheritance.
Both as Spouses and as Christians, we need to learn this great lesson.
So many times , particularly when something precious has been ruined or lost through the mistake of a Partner, Spouses have come down very hard and mercilessly on the “culprit mate” as if what was lost or spoiled was dearer than their Spouse. This must change TODAY!
(3) ALWAYS DEMONSTRATE A LOVING ATTITUDE AND GRACIOUS RESPONSE
Let’s emulate the Shepherd and the Father of the Prodigal Son in their response and attitude towards their redeemed or recovered loved ones. The Shepherd didn’t just welcome the lost Sheep but carried it on his shoulders celebrating him instead of condemning him. Similarly, the Father of the Prodigal Son changed his dress, put a ring on his finger, killed the fatted calf and got a big feast going on in the family in honour of a Son that most father’s would turn back at the gate and call them a disgrace to the family! He instead celebrated him. We must walk in this heavenly kind of love. This is righteousness. This is what it means to be godly and spiritual.
Walking in this unusual kind of love will keep our union ever fresh and sweet. When we practice this Heavenly kind of Love, the stratagems of the devil to see us fight each other will always fail and our love for one another wax stronger and sweeter! And our homes will become sweet colonies of Heaven on Earth!
🔥🔥🔥 FAITH DECREE:
🔥BE ENDUED WITH THE GRACE TO WALK IN HEAVENLY LOVE!
🍷🍗 TAKE-HOME LESSON: IT’S A NEW MONTH! WALK IN HEAVENLY LOVE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER FROM TODAY ONWARD!
💕❤️ TONIGHT’S ONE FLESH ASSIGNMENT IN THE BEDROOM
Just before going to bed tonight, hold hands and pray for each other as the Holy Spirit enables you.
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