The greatest calling in life is to know God and know that eternal life is yours through Christ Jesus. Jesus said, "…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). There's no other access to the Father, no other door, no other entry.
The high calling is that you be raised up and seated together with Jesus in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). The high calling is that you go into the Throne Room daily to fellowship and commune with your heavenly Father. The high calling is that you walk and talk with the King of the universe each day of your life. There's no other calling that's any higher than to know Him.
There are many things that flow out of knowing Him, such as: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers and works that people are to do, but the initial and highest calling is to know Him. Paul said, "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…" (Phil. 3:10).
Some of the things of your past, if they're not placed under the blood of Jesus Christ, can keep you from really knowing Jesus. The bad things you've done or bad things that have happened to you that have turned you off to God, that have caused you to be cynical and critical about Christians and about Christianity, need to be laid down. Ultimately, this type of thing holds God at arm's length and you'll say, "Later, God…I'm not ready now."
Some people don't press on to know Jesus Christ because of good things that have happened. Perhaps you have a good job, a good education, a good family and good health, and you say, "I have no need for God. Everything is okay in my life. I'm satisfied."
Millions of people have said that. They live independent of God, not because they don't need Him, but because they think they don't need Him. They feel adequate in themselves, but the point will come in life that they recognize, "I'm not an island. I'm not self-contained."
In other words, "I don't have everything within myself to meet all my needs." There are needs of love, joy, peace and security concerning your future that only God can provide.
You don't have life without Jesus Christ. You may have an existence, you may be going through the motions and you may be on the treadmill of a daily routine, but without Jesus Christ, you're not really experiencing life.
Many people are walking as dead men. They're living like zombies. They don't know it, but they've held on to the good things that have happened in their past instead of reaching forth to know Christ.
Prodigal Son - An Example of Starting Over
The parable of the prodigal son is an example of starting over. The prodigal son was a young man who had it made. He had the world by the tail. His father had lots of money and a big house.
The son had worked he could do, and he had a share in his father's inheritance, but he said, "Dad, I wish you were dead, because I want my inheritance now." His inheritance was to come after his father died, but he said, "I want it now."
His dad gave him the inheritance that would have later been his. The young man went away and squandered it on wicked living and wild parties. He turned away from the covenant of his father. After he blew all his money and lost all of his friends, he found himself alone.
He had no money, no transportation, no one to go to, so he ended up selling himself to a pig farmer. He was a covenant child of Abraham and in that covenant, there were certain things he was not to eat, but now he filled his belly with the hog slop, because there was no other food.
Many people who criticize Christianity have said, "People only come to God when they're desperate." That's a pretty accurate criticism. But some people have enough sense to recognize it before they get to the bottom of the pig pen!
The prodigal son had a need when he was in his father's house, but he didn't recognize it until everything was stripped away. The wonderful thing about God is, His mercy will accept you back.
The young man began thinking about his circumstances, and he said, "Dad has people working for him who have better to eat than I have. They have a better place to live. I'm going back to my dad and say, 'Dad, I've rejected you. I've taken the inheritance, but would you take me back as a servant?'"
The prodigal came home basically because he had physical needs in his life.
God will meet your needs and He'll heal your body. There are many prodigals who come home because they need healing in their body and they have physical needs to be met.
The goodness of God is that "…He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. 5:45). He's not just kind to Christians. God is kind to all. God is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). Romans 2:4 says, "…the goodness of God leads you to repentance."
When the prodigal son came home just to get something to eat, he got something he didn't expect. He got a renewed relationship with his father. Dad was sitting on the front porch, looking down the lane when suddenly, he saw his son dragging home, clothes torn and dirty.
When the father saw him, he took off running toward his son. That's the picture of how the heavenly Father feels about you, even if you've been a prodigal. He's running toward you, always compassionate and always reaching out.
The son said, "Father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no more worth to be called your son" (Luke 15:21). To start over you should confess your sin to God, realizing you have sinned against both God and man.
The father ran and threw his arms around his smelly son and kissed him. He didn't say, "all right, prove yourself." He didn't hold him at arm's length. He loved him. He put a ring on his finger, shoes on his feet, and a robe on his back and said to his servants, "Go kill the fatted calf. We're going to have prime rib tonight! My son who was dead is alive. He was lost, but now he's found. Let's rejoice and make merry."
The prodigal son is a picture of what happens in heaven when one person comes back to God. This is God's attitude toward you. He is waiting for you to start over.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Billy Joe Daugherty was founder and pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was also the founder of Victory Christian School, Victory Bible Institute and Victory World Missions Training Center.
