Come To Yourself

When the younger son had completely wasted his substance with riotous living, and was left feeding swine, he came to himself, v.17.  You want to come to yourself before you ever wake up wasted and wanting in a far country.

The far country is alluring to young people.  So, let’s examine some truths from this text that will help you come to yourself now, while you’re still among us.

You must realize and understand that:

Young people are, by nature, selfish.  In v.12 he said, “give me” the portion of goods that “falleth to me”.  He was in love with himself.  He was young and he was all about “me”.  The sooner you learn to live your life for others the better off you’ll be.

Young people, generally, have no appreciation for the value of money. In v.13 he “gathered all together”.  He was “all in”; he was “going for broke”.  Solomon mourned in Ecc 2:21 that all his wealth would be given to a man “who hath not labored therein”.   He said in Prov 20:21, “An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed”.  In fact, Prov 21:20, “the foolish spendeth it up”.

Your journey will lead you into a far country.  In v.13 he took “his journey”, not the Lord’s journey.  And his journey led him far from God.  To journey is to travel from one place to another.  He left home and went to a far country (away from God).  You don’t have to leave home to do this today.  You can just get on the internet.  The far country has come to you, like the Babylonians came to Hezekiah before they destroyed Judah.

You’ll waste your substance in the far country.  In v.13, he “wasted his substance”.  And you’ll waste your substance on your journey.  You’ll waste the substance of your faith, your  durable riches, your inheritance, and your time.  He burned through all of his inheritance.  And you’ll burn through yours.

You’re seeking unrestrained joy.  In v.13 he wasted his substance with “riotous living”.  Riotous is abundant, exuberant, joyously unrestrained.  In your home and in our church, you feel the restraints against living it up in the world.  These restraints are good for you.  You haven’t yet learned to live and appreciate the life more abundantly that Jesus offers and the joy of the Holy Ghost.  Invest your time in his life and joy and reap the reward.

You’ll be in want.  In v.14, he “began to be in want”.  You can never be content and satisfied with life in the far country, no matter how much you spend.  Prov 19:23 says, “The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall be be visited with evil”.  Ps 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”.  Ps 34:10, “they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing”.

You’re taking your family and church for granted.  In v.17, the younger son realized “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare”.  He didn’t know just how good he had it while he was living at home.  And you may not realize how good you have it at your home and in our church.  You don’t want to come to yourself in the way this young man did.  Come to yourself now and enjoy what you already have.

Conclusion: if you’ve been thinking of taking a journey into the far country, quit.  If you’ve already started taking your journey, get back home and stay put.  If you are in the far country, it’s time to come home, 2 Chr 6:32.  The Lord is waiting for you.  He will greet you with compassion like this boy’s father greeted him, Lk 15:20-24.