A thought by John C. Maxwell from his
book, How High Will You Climb? (p. 26).
HarpersCollins Leadership Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to
Amazon.com to buy the book.)
But I’m a Christian, and I’m sure that makes
me perfect. But of course, that’s not true.
John says, “It is noteworthy that the
seven deadly sins (pride, covetousness, lust, envy, anger, gluttony, and sloth)
are all matters of attitude, inner spirit, and motives. Sadly, many carnal Christians
carry with them inner spirit problems. They are like the elder brother of the
prodigal son, thinking they do everything right. He chose to stay home with the
father. No way was he going to spend his time sowing wild oats. Yet, when the
younger brother came back home, some of the elder brother’s wrong attitudes
began to surface.”
John goes on, “First came a feeling of
self-importance. The elder brother was out in the field doing what he ought to
do, but he got mad when the party began at home. He didn’t get mad because he
didn’t like parties. I know he liked parties because he complained to his
father that he never got to throw one!
“That was followed by a feeling of
self-pity. The elder brother said, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving
you and I have never neglected a command of yours, and yet you have never
given me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends; but when this son of
yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots, you killed the fatted
calf for him’ (Luke 15:29–30).
“Often we overlook the true meaning of
the story of the prodigal son. We forget that we have not one but two
prodigals. The younger brother is guilty of the sins of the flesh, whereas the
elder brother is guilty of the sins of the spirit (attitude). When the parable
closes, it is the elder—the second prodigal—who is outside the father’s house.
“This ‘elder brother’ attitude has
three possible results, none of which is positive.”
John says, “First, it is possible for
us to assume the place and privilege of a son while refusing the obligations of
a brother. The elder brother outwardly was correct, conscientious, industrious,
and dutiful, but his attitude was wrong. Also, note that a wrong relationship
with the brother brought a strained relationship with the father (v. 28).
“Second, it is possible to serve the
Father faithfully yet not be in fellowship with Him. A right relationship will
usually cultivate similar interests and priorities. Yet the elder brother had
no idea why the father would rejoice over his son’s return.
“Third, it is possible to be an heir
of all our Father possesses yet have less joy and liberty than one who
possesses nothing. The servants were happier than the elder son. They ate,
laughed, and danced while he stood on the outside demanding his rights.”
John then says, “A wrong attitude kept
the elder brother away from the heart’s desire of the father, the love of his
brother, and the joy of the servants. Wrong attitudes in our lives will block
the blessings of God and cause us to live below God’s potential for our lives.”
And we want to live up to God’s
potential in our lives, don’t we?
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