He
Would Not Go In
“He was angry and
would not go in.” —Luke
Some
theologians divide transgressions into “sins
of the flesh” and “sins of the
spirit.” This means that some sins originate in our physical passions;
others come from our heart or disposition. In the story of the prodigal son,
the elder brother’s attitude gives us an example of the latter.
We’re
inclined to single out the prodigal son as worse than his brother. But it’s worth noting that when the story ends, the prodigal is
restored, forgiven, and full of joy, while the elder brother stands outside and
refuses to go in.
The
stay-at-home son is more than background filler. He makes us think about the
state of our heart, for sour moods create untold misery. Discontent, jealousy, bitterness, resentment,
defensiveness, touchiness, and ingratitude are the dispositions that ruin our
marriages, wither our children, alienate our friends, and embitter every
life—including our own.
It’s
easy to defend our bad moods and to slide into deception and hypocrisy. But we
must guard our hearts against such destructive attitudes. When they arise, we
need to confess them, let them go, and experience God’s forgiveness (1John
1:9).
Don’t let your
bad attitude cause you to lose out while others enter
into God’s joy.
D. De Haan
From “Our Daily Bread,”
copyright 2007 by RBC Ministries,
O Holy Spirit, enter in
And
in our hearts God’s work begin,
Thy
temple deign to make us.
Sun of the
soul, Thou Light Divine,
Around and
in us brightly shine.
To Joy and Gladness
wake us,
That we, in Thee truly living,
To Thee
giving prayer unceasing,
May in love
be still increasing.
Michael Schirmer