Can't Be Good Enough

For years I hated the story of the prodigal son. I did not understand it. I grew up with parents that were both extremely hard workers. Intelligence, work ethic, doing your best, emotional strength, best effort, being good, reaching full potential, and accomplishment were all common words used in my upbringing. Let’s face it, I don’t know where my “permanent record” is, but it was extremely important that sucker was unblemished. I will preface with saying- there is nothing wrong with that and I am thankful for these lessons. However, these messages all equal to an overall theme of, “hard work and excellence equals reward” and “hard work and excellence equals being a good person”. I think most of us would agree that this is true.

However, the prodigal Son is about something quite different. For Jesus, we don’t have to earn Him - he already gave His life for us. We did not earn it and we don’t deserve it.

This story just brings it all home. Everyone focuses on the “bad son” but for most of us on this email, we likely relate more to the good son. The story is equally about both. This story has SO MANY sub stories, but I will try to sum up Luke 15.

A man has 2 sons. One asks for his inheritance from his dad early and goes off and squanders it. He is excommunicated from the family and the community according to Jewish tradition. The oldest son or some would say “good” son works hard for his Dad and sticks right by his side. A famine comes and the younger son loses everything and ends up having to live and eat with pigs. In Jewish culture, pigs are completely unclean. Jews had nothing to do with them so this kid had hit lowest of lows. He makes up a plan to come back to his Dad as a hired worker, thinking maybe his Dad would at least let him be a slave for him. As he approaches his Dad’s house, the Dad sees him and runs to him. He throws him a party and won’t even let the son finish his request. He has full forgiveness and brings the son back into the family. Most of us have heard this.

Jesus does not stop there. How about the other son. Well, he is ticked! He had worked hard, checked all the boxes, did all the work, and his brother who did not EARN anything just walks back in and is accepted, is a part of the inheritance again, and forgiven.?! That doesn’t seem fair.

Most of us fit in the category, comfy job, good life, great family, and considered “good people”. Some are killing yourself to be good. Be the best. Work the hardest. NOTHING WILL EVER FILL THAT GAP. NOTHING WILL BE ENOUGH. We can not check enough boxes, make enough money, have enough education, or accomplish enough. We have placed God in a legalistic box and for that reason we are smiling and “look the part” on the outside but dying on the inside.

We have heard the stories of the prodigal sons in our time that lost EVERYTHING and God came through. Like a drug addict that found God and turned his life around. However, when you are extremely comfortable it is really hard to see the “need” for God. You don’t need Him - you are good. Are you “good enough?” What is good enough?

Fortunately you do not have to worry about it. God does not fit in our legalistic, box checking world. Just like He says in Luke in another parable, if He has 100 sheep and loses one, He will leave all the 99 to get the one.

You can’t work your way to God. You can’t do anything bad enough to work your way from God. Once you are His, have accepted Him as the one and only God, believe Jesus died on the cross as a complete and final sacrifice for all our sins. We are forgiven. It is done. What a relief!

Jesus made it clear. He died for us. It is done. He already did it. We didn’t earn it. We will never be “good” enough. No matter how hard we try, we will mess it up and sin because we are human. Think a bad thought, gossip, lie, be prideful..we are human. God gave us grace. Why? Because He loves you.

Have a great week!

Photo by Nash Young - Follow @NashYoungMedia on instagram