I was in vocational ministry for 16 years, and 3 years ago I felt the Lord leading me into teaching. I now teach at a local private school, where the people love Jesus, the kids think they "know" GOD and I am in the place God wants me to be right now. Our school has a summer reading program and this year they decided to take our "Core Book" in a spiritual direction and gave the Bible Department the task of facilitating the books this year. The incoming Sophomores are reading The Prodigal God, and I have read it once, and plan on reading it again soon. I highly recommend it. The book is by Timothy Keller and the subtitle is RECOVERING THE HEART OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
It has blown me away, and I know that it is speaking to my life, but what if I don't do anything with it? Am I really allowing what God has revealed to others to change me, or am I just going through the motions?
One part of this book has hit me and I want to share that with you: The book is talking about the Prodigal Son and explaining how the fact that the youngest son wants his inheritance now, is like wishing his father dead. Children didn't receive inheritance until the death of the father and that is why it is called an inheritance. This kid basically said that he wished his father dead, he wanted the goods and spoils of being connected to his father, but he didn't want the relationship. This got me to thinking. Am I like this? DO I just ask for what is mine, demand the blessings and wealth that is due to me, then immediately run from the relationship? It is like in the book of James in the chapter that talks about hearers and doers of the WORD. "A man who reads God's Word and does not do what it says, is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror, walks away and immediately forgets what he looks like." - Paraphrase by Brett.
I think that i have been guilty of this to much in my own life. I wonder why I or anyone else run to the spoils and away from the relationship? I think I do have a few answers to this, let me share them with you.
1. Society - (I am not saying we should blame others for our choices) Our society is so wrapped up in itself that it wants things now, right away, it doesn't want the relationship, it wants the spoils of that relationship. We are told from marriage to business that as long as you are getting something out of it and everyone is smiling then it is OK to take, take, take.
2. Churches - We live in a world where churches want results, they want numbers, they want flashy and grand presentations, and I think this is done at the expense of relationships. I am not saying that all big churches do this, but I think we are to focused on the spoils and not the work it takes to mold those relationships.
3. The work involved - Relationships take time to forge even when it comes to God. You can change in a second, and begin walking with God, but even in this change there is still a maturation process. I think that we are afraid of working on that relationship, but why? I think it is the same reasons most couples don't want to go to counseling....they are afraid of being exposed. But if we truly understood our place in the relationship with the father we would run to him and not away from him.

Let me wrap this up by saying this...I am a work in progress, my wife will tell you that. Those closest to me will tell you that. I for one have seen that I want the spoils from God sometimes more than the relationship, but if I don't cultivate that relationship then how can I know what to do with the spoils. With blessings I need wisdom, and that doesn't come from within me, or from my accomplishments. That only comes from God, and he is the only one that can truly fulfill me, the fact of the matter is I have to be willing to work. I have to be willing to put in the effort, if not then my relationships not relationship with suffer. You and I will never become what God has called us to be as long as we choose not to put any effort into our walk with Christ.