Pigpen

How does it happen?  Someone one day confidently says, "I will never do this thing."  Then someday later, much more quickly than they ever imagined, they find themselves doing that thing.

How often have you witnessed someone saying at one point in their journey, “I will never do this thing.” (get drunk, have a sleepover with their boyfriend, marry someone who’s not a Christian, be a Bears fan, or whatever the thing is that they will never do)  How is it that they end up doing the thing, and in many cases defending the thing and calling their old claim ignorant or naïve?

Have you ever found yourself looking down at your life, and realized that what you are doing is something that you would have never imagined yourself doing before?  Have you ever seen a friend making choices that you had been confident that they would never make? 

  

This is how it starts.  The devil holds up a billboard and tries to plant the seed that life could be something different.  He tries to take a Christian and show them a glimpse of a life that seems more fun or rewarding.

And then keeps to himself that his real goal is to separate us from God’s people and God’s path.  He doesn’t let us in on his secret goal, which is our despair.
 

Imagine the story of the prodigal son.   Picture a young man growing up in the world with a good father, hard-working, successful.   His current situation is fine, and his life has a purpose and a direction, but the devil plants the seed of adventure, and travel, and exotic experience.   The devil doesn’t mention ultimate loneliness, or separation from God and the people who care about him.  And Satan certainly never mentions pigs, or eating their food.

And so the prodigal slowly gets used to the idea.  He asks for the money, just to see how that would go down, and his father allows it.  Then after a little while, he decides to take the next step, and see how that goes.  So he heads out on a journey to experience what else the world has to offer. 

In his travels he discovers some of the fun and adventure that he pictured.  (Because God doesn’t stop blessing us simply because we sin.)  But the slow transformation moves him from fun and adventure to crazy partying and self-centered wastefulness.  And this leads to loneliness and isolation.

And this leads to the pigpen.

God works through the pigpen.  He gives the lost son a moment of decision, where he is on the edge of an “almost.”  He is almost about to do something he wouldn’t have ever considered before, certainly never done before. 

And it is in this almost moment that he remembers the love of his father, and that is what allows him to repent, and offer himself as a servant.

I’m not sure how many other times he had almost moments, or what other events in his wild living would have led him to think, “I would have never pictured myself doing this.” 

But the beauty is that the father’s love and forgiveness are so great, that he never says, “What about all the other times that you remembered me, and made the wrong choice?  What about all the other times that you felt guilty, and knew you were living outside of what is right?”

The Father says instead to his son, “You were lost and now you are found.  Let’s celebrate.”

Our Father demonstrates his love for us in this story, and in the entire chapter of Luke 15.  He shows us again and again that we are treasured, and that we are unique and important to our Creator.  God's forgiveness of our sins is not cheapened by the fact that he also forgives all others' sins. His love is so much greater because he is able not just to love one person this way, but he is able to forgive and love each of us this way.

Isn’t it fantastic to know that we have a heavenly Father who gives us opportunities for almost moments?

For the rest of his life, the lost son can say, "I almost ate the husk of the carob pods that I was feeding to the pigs, but I didn’t."

So what is the almost moment for you?

I almost gave in to my boyfriend again, but I didn’t.  It was hard on both of us, but I said no.  God has a better plan for me….

I almost went to the party, even though I wasn’t going to drink, but then I realized that would make it seem like it was fine….

I almost kept it a secret from everyone, but then God showed me that I didn’t have to deal with it alone, and so I got up the courage to ask someone for help….

The story is all about planting the seed of the hope of forgiveness.  He gives us a hope for a future in him, even though we have been lost.

In Romans 12, God shows us that we are able to see through the world and the devil's sinful patterns.

 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—

his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  -Romans 12:2

Think back to the billboards that the devil has in front of us.  They show us a life of happiness, and comfort when we give in to selfish, sinful desires.  Now imagine the Holy Spirit, and Scripture working so that we are able to see through the billboards, and instead see what the devil's goal is.

Imagine if advertisers would show us their ultimate goal on the billboard.  It's almost funny to picture driving down the highway seeing twenty billboards, all with an image of you handing the company your money.  It's a bit ridiculous to think of a bunch of commercials showing smiling executives receiving their paychecks.

Not every business is only about making money, and not every life adventure that is offered is really a disguise for some prodigal "wild living".  But God gives us a picture of his wisdom helping us see the dangers before we head down the road.

And he gives us hope that there is an escape when we wander into the pigpen.