The Story of Bob - Conclusion

Terribly sorry about keeping everyone waiting for the conclusion.. here goes...

I don't know about you but this story really touched my heart and taught me lessons that I need in my Christian walk. What are the lessons that can be learnt in this story? My previous pastor used to ask this, "how do you eat an elephant?".. Bit by bit.. so let's go through this bit by bit.

1. Bob - Ah.. the star, the culprit, the naughty one, the repentant one. He really took the roller-coaster ride, didn't he? Only to land 'splat' on his face. Repentance is the first step towards his reconciliation with his dad, there is joy waiting at the end of that. Repentance means you're really sorry about what you've done, you admit your mistakes and you don't do those mistakes again. Of course being humans we might end up doing the same mistakes, but I believe it's the issue of the heart this. That in our hearts, we don't harbour that thinking of "oh, God is ever merciful, ever forgiving, he will forgive me next time I sin again", even though that's God's nature as well. You get what I mean, right? Repentance comes from the heart, not just lip service. And I learnt that repentance isn't about punishment, it's about accepting God's love.

When we come back to God, he doesn't desire us to 'pay' for our sins, like Bob's approach (remember, he wanted to come back as a slave instead of a son?). God just desires us to come back, period. He doesn't want us being away from him. Besides, you realise we can't possibly pay for our sins. How can we possibly repay God for the death of his beloved Son? No way, right? And that is grace, given freely, not by works, that no man might boast.

2. Art - How many of us ever felt like Art? Righteous, proud of his achievements? He was earning his inheritance through hard work. He had pride in him, and he was not going to get anything free, no sirree Bob! He was going to work his butt off to earn it, that no one can say he was a free loader. He didn't want to receive the grace of his dad. He wanted things in his control, through his hands.

Both the sons had the same problem, they wanted control in their relationship with their dad. Art by working for his inheritance (me? I rather just inherit it, thanks! hehe) and Bob by also trying to earn his way back.

3. Dad - The thing that amazes me about dad, and still do, is his love. His son rejected, insulted and shamed him, and he still had the capacity to continue loving him. And he received Bob back without any punishment! How many times have we had to 'earn' our way back to people's good books? But not dad. He's a cool operator, he doesn't act like other dads. Amazing love. Dad will not violate our will or our decisions, whether right or wrong. He will let us have that freedom to make choices. But if it is the wrong choice, he is always there waiting for us.

So.. I think often times we are like Art and Bob combined. Sometimes we see people committing wrong then we're Art, on our high horse, judging people. Other times we're like Bob, making the wrong choices, then trying to earn our way back to God's books. AD JY taught us our spiritual lives are like a spiral, when we sin and fall away from God, we spiral downwards. Then we repent, learn our lesson and come back to God, we spiral upwards. Certain lessons are hard to learn so we spiral round and round (no wonder I feel dizzy and a sense of deja vu! groan) till we get it into our thick heads then we spiral upwards. Ah.. the narrow road, it's difficult, challenging, demanding, but man, is it worth it! I hope this story has encouraged you, strengthen your faith and may you continue to journey on the narrow road with perseverance and joy!

The End.