The Increase Sample

JUSTIN FORSETT

THE OLDER SON

Some Christians come from a life of bad choices involving drugs, alcohol, and wild college days. But when they discover Jesus, they turn from their old lives, and begin following Him.

That’s not my story.

My story is actually the opposite. I was the kid who was raised in the church, in a family where my dad was a pastor. I attended the University of California Berkeley, and continually said no to the daily (and nightly) options they offered me. I tried to always make the right decision because I loved Jesus.

But Christianity isn’t Karma, and I began to discover that quickly. My Christian lifestyle didn’t mean that I’d be the star football player, or the most looked-up-to leader on the field. And to be honest with you, I struggled with that.

I can relate to the story of the Prodigal Son, because in that story, I see a little of myself in the Older Brother.

Whenever anyone teaches about that passage, the emphasis is always on the younger brother or the father. But the Older Brother represents so many of us, too.

We look at God and say, “Hey. What about me? I’ve been living right all these years. When do I get my reward? When do I get my platform?”

But just like in Jesus’ story, God doesn’t owe us a direct answer. The closest thing to an answer we get is that we have been given the gift of “always being with the Father”, and knowing that all He has is somehow ours.

I’ve since come to realize that older sons can be just as far away from the father as younger sons. I share my full story at theincrease.org. I invite you to head to that site now, and experience how the Father has run to meet me, too.