We Don't Care Where You've Been, We Care Where You're GoingSample

Have you ever imagined what would have happened if the father had passed away before the younger son returned home? Do you know how horrible it would be for him to go home to the older brother’s house? It would’ve been brutal!

The older brother resented his younger brother for leaving home and spending his inheritance money on ‘wild living.’ And now, after having lost everything and embarrassed himself working with swine, this guy is just going to crawl back to the family, and we’re supposed to welcome him? And to make things worse, the father is about to throw him a party? Are you kidding me? That brat should be working as a farmhand instead!

The older brother had conveniently forgotten that he had also taken his father’s inheritance. He did not spend it all on wild living like the younger brother, but he had taken that money too. And as his father reminded him, he always had access to whatever possessions his father had. He had nothing to complain about.

While the older brother was focusing on his brother’s colorful journey, the father, on the other hand, had ever only wanted one thing. He wanted his family to get back together. The father did not care about what happened before; all that mattered was that his lost son had returned and they could be a family again.

Too often, we Christians carry the older brother’s resentments in our hearts. We are angry, perhaps even jealous, for what our lost siblings are doing out there. So when they want to follow Jesus and be part of the church, we cannot wait to tell them what they were doing wrong. We are too quick to remind them of their horrible past. Is it a wonder why people are apprehensive when we invite them to church?

The church should always be like the father’s house. We should be excited to welcome the lost brothers and sisters coming home with open arms. We should have our father’s heart, forgetting what’s in the past and focusing on having our family whole again. Everyone needs to know that, in God’s church, we don’t care where they’ve been. We only care where they’re going.