Your Perception is Is Destroying Your Blessings

I can't even tell you how many times I have read the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11–32.

But praise God for creating the Bible, the living Word, because we can read it 100 times and still get a different message each time.

This is what happened to me last week when I read this passage in preparation for a small group meeting for church.

I have to share the message God put on my heart because our perception can distort our awareness and cause us to miss out on the blessings we had access to from God as believers in Christ, the entire time.

God had me look at this parable from the standpoint of the older son, who stayed with the Father (God) after the younger son asked for his inheritance, left for a far-off land, and lost it all.

A severe famine struck the land, and the younger son was reduced to feeding pigs.

The younger son came groveling back to the Father, begging to be a servant in his house, because he was no longer fit to be his son after what he did.

The Father would hear none of it and ordered his servants to put fine clothes on his son and to prepare a feast because his son had returned home.

“… ‘for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began” (Luke 15:24 NLT)

The older brother was not very happy with this, to say the least.

“… All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time, you never gave me even a young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!” (Luke 15:29–30)

This is one way to look at it…

Instead of being thankful and happy that his brother came back safely or at all, he chose to fixate on the fact that he squandered all his money.

Instead of thinking about all the one-on-one time he could have spent with his Father (God) growing closer to Him, learning from Him, and deepening their relationship, he chose to slave away and work, thinking that his "good works" made him more righteous.

Instead of asking for what he wanted, like the younger brother did, he chose to resent the fact that his father never gave him something he never even said he wanted, like a young goat to eat with his friends.

I don't know about you, but I can relate to the older brother. There have unfortunately been times when I have seen someone else getting blessings that I wanted, but never asked God for.

There have been times when I wanted my "good works" to be seen by God and others, hoping they would bring me more favor or more self-righteousness.

There have been times when I pointed out the speck in someone else's eye instead of acknowledging the plank in my own.

God showed me that the reason the older brother exploded and was angry at the Father is because he allowed bitterness and resentment to build up for so long, without speaking to his Father (God) about what was bothering him.

His perception was distorted, and he saw his Father as neglecting him and praising his brother for his bad choices, rather than realizing that his brother was spiritually lost and is now back home safely with his Father, where he belongs.

“We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!” (Luke 15:32)

The brother also didn't realize that everything the Father owned was already his. He was waiting to receive something as small as a goat to share with friends, but his Father was ready and willing to give him anything he would have asked for… but he never asked.

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.’” (Luke 15:31)

Without having a conversation with your Father, how would you know what rightfully belongs to you and what doesn't?

By not deepening our relationship with our heavenly Father, we allow bitterness and resentment to creep into our minds and spirits, clouding our judgment. This taints our hearts and minds and changes our perspective on our father, who he is, the good he means to do for us, and the blessings he has for us.

He showed me that if I would open my mind and my heart up to him, he would show me the plan he has for my life, he would show me how much greater his plan is than mine, and he would show me the blessings he has already given me and the blessings that are still on their way.

So, what are you focusing on? God bestowing blessings on others, or the blessings God has already given you, and the abundance he has waiting for you that he would happily give to you if you would only ask him to show you.

Full YT Video: God's Blessings... Are You Standing in Your Own Way?