We must know the heart from which the blessings flow.

Luke 15:11-20

The Parable of the Lost Son

11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father.

Another common title for the parable is “The Prodigal Son”. There are lessons about God's Fathering Heart that endlessly spill of the pages while reading this passage. One familiar lesson for me is that of desiring my inheritance before I am prepared to steward it well. The idea of a child asking for something that is normally transferred at the time of death is horrendous. Another way of saying I want my inheritance prematurely is “Father, I wish you were already gone.”

When it comes to actual inheritance from our earthly family or the inheritance we have as children of God, we often times miss the importance of the relationship. There are many instances in my own past that I have only seen relationships for what I could get out of them. The thought of giving love, appreciation, and blessing, can be so far removed from my mind when I am living with an orphan heart.

When I believe that I am entitled to my inheritance, I miss the sweetest part. The relationship is the true blessing in the inheritance. There is nothing inside of me that desires my father to be absent from my life and then one day receive a letter in the mail saying that I have inherited everything that he owned. The value of a father and his love is worth so much more than the things he can give or do for me.

During many tough years of my life I lived with an orphan heart. I didn't understand my earthly or Heavenly Father's heart for me. The desire to live according to my own plan and for everyone around me to support me emotionally was all I thought I needed to be happy. Year after year I found myself empty and wanting a relationship with my Fathers but I didn't know how to be a son. The journey of understanding what it is to be a son has been a long but rewarding road.

Three years ago I found myself in a mission (voluntarily) in Nashville, TN. I remember staring out a window overlooking the city with my mind fixed on a fresh revelation of Father God's love. I had been saved for a few years but I was still living with the heart of an orphan. I was now the son that stayed at home in the Luke 15 story. I had been with Father for a few years and I had no understanding of how to relate to him.

Shortly after the Nashville trip I moved to Kansas City and the Lord surrounded me with spiritual fathers. During my time there the revelation I received in Nashville started moving from my mind to my heart. The more I began to experience a healthy relationship with God, the more I was able to be a son to my earthly father. My understanding of sonship was formed a thousand miles away from my earthly father. I remember spending time with the Lord and calling my dad and sharing my experiences with him. Over an eighteen month period the Lord built a strong relationship between me and my earthly father. The healing that is still taking place all comes from peering into the relationship that Jesus has with Father God. Beholding the relationship of perfect communion between The Father and The Son is the only thing that has brought me to a place of security and love.

There is not a more liberating experience than giving and receiving love from our Father in heaven. In order to truly enjoy our inheritance, we must know the heart from which the blessings flow.