Younger Brother

Yesterday we described the Older Brother and reflected on how we see ourselves in his character. Now let’s talk about the Younger Brother.

Similarly, his younger son was also a disappointment. He just flat-out decided he was going to do what he wanted when he wanted, and how he wanted. He was more than willing to shame his dad by asking for his inheritance so he could go have “his best life”. The younger brother went off, with his entitlement, orchestrating the life he envisioned full of pleasure, fun, and ease. Afterward, he lost it all and ended up feeding and eating with pigs. So destitute that he was willing to crawl home; begging his dad to let him be “one of his slaves” so he could survive. Once again, His dad must have been heartbroken to see his son's condition upon his return.  

The younger son is driven by appetite and approval.  He wants an easy, comfortable, and fun life. He wants his pleasures fulfilled as easily as possible. Ultimately, control looks like “doing what I want”.

Does this description of the older brother sting a little as well? We have all decided to go our own way and just do what we want when we want it. It’s unfortunate but a real condition of the heart that we need to examine in ourselves.

Calibration:
- What’s an area in your life where you just “want what you want”?
- Can you think of a time in your life when you acted on that and it left you dry?
- In what areas of your life are you motivated by appetite and approval?