Through the Eyes of a Prodigal

Hope can simply be defined as the inspiration to persevere in tough times and the knowledge that circumstances will someday turn in our favor. Hope is a beautiful word. It’s a word that pushes us beyond our limitations. Hope makes us strive when we are given no good reason to. It makes us continue in life’s battles when we are tried and weary. Hope compels us forward. Like fresh water to the thirsty soul is hope to the human spirit. It makes us hold on when life weighs us down. Hope drives us to press on during seasons of discouragement. It encourages us to go forward when we are tempted to drop out. It makes us believe that someday, maybe today, things are going to turn our way. If the purpose why Christ came to earth could be summed up in one word, it could be the word hope. Conversely, hopelessness is an ugly word. It’s a word that pushes people to the grave early. Hopelessness makes us unconscious to every voice of encouragement. It makes us weary and tried. It kills inspiration, and it robs the motivation that God desires for us to have. No doubt, hopelessness is God’s biggest critic—a close kin of skepticism. It desires to push us backwards. Like decay to the bones is hopelessness to the human soul. It makes us let up, back up, and ultimately give up. Hopelessness makes us believe that things will only get worse. If the enemy’s plan could be defined by one word, it would be the ugly word hopelessness. Just like the body needs water to survive desert conditions, the soul needs hope to survive hopeless circumstances. Interestingly, water and hope are a lot alike; the two sustain us when we are drained. Both replenish us when we are empty. Water hydrates the body; hope hydrates the spirit. One satisfies the heart; another satisfies the thirsty. Both are vital to our survival. After three days without water, we die. After one day without hope, our dreams begin to die. Just like we can’t live without water, we can’t live without hope. Take a good look at your heart and with all that is going on in your life at this moment with your prodigal. Where are you in regard to your levels of hope? To make this clearer, imagine that you’re at your kitchen table with three glass cups in front of you. The first is overflowing with clear, cold drinking water; the next cup is half full; and the last glass is empty. The water in the first two glasses represents the hope we have in our hearts. With that in mind, let’s break these down. First off, the empty glass can be labeled as someone who has no hope whatsoever. Sure, he can fake it, and act like he has everything under control. But deep down inside his heart of hearts, he doesn’t believe that God can do what His Word promises. He thinks God can only bring back prodigals for others but not for him. When you try to encourage the hopeless, some are quick to turn off and say things like, “You don’t understand my situation. You don’t know my child, and you don’t know what they are involved in!” Their focus is one-sided; all they see is the negative, demeaning, and discouraging. When God sends things to encourage them, their hopelessness blinds them from seeing it. Secondly, we find the glass that is half-empty. This reveals the kind of people who have hope—but it’s a mediocre hope. This glass is defined by halfheartedness and a lukewarm spirit. These people use the word but a lot in saying things like, “I’ve always believed God can bring back my son, but …” and “I know my daughter will return, but …” and the infamous “I’m praying and hoping, but …” They let doubt scribble a question mark on the promises of God. Because we are real, we all have thoughts of doubt that bombard our minds. But people stuck in this place occasionally invite Mr. Doubt, Mrs. Discouragement, and their little rugrat, Despair, over for dinner. Instead of immediately rebuking the lies of the enemy for what they are, they casually entertain them. These people let doubt move into their minds and hearts like an unwanted intruder moving into a guest room. This is why they find themselves on a perpetual see-saw—up and down—because they are entertaining the wrong voices instead of God’s voice. And finally, the full glass represents people who take God at His Word. They firmly stand on the promises of God—not because their prodigal doesn’t give them problems or because they don’t face real-life trials, but because they choose to focus on what God’s doing on their behalf, even if it’s small. They’re determined to stand on promises of God instead of sinking into their problems. When the enemy sends fiery darts of discouragement and unbelief, they quickly speak words of faith to extinguish them. They won’t take no for an answer, knowing that regardless of how bad things may look right now, God is moving in their situation. So where do you find yourself in this three-glass analogy? Are you the empty cup, completely hopeless? Or do you fall in the halfhearted category, giving way to doubt, fear, and failure? Hopefully we are full of hope—not only full, but overflowing! The apostle Paul said, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).