Dignity – Stephen Trammell

Dignity

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:22-24 (NIV)

After a few minutes of channel surfing on your television you will discover that the media ruthlessly demeans human beings. Cynicism, pessimism, and sarcasm permeate the air waves.

In order to bestow dignity you must value the other person. How you view others will directly affect how you treat others.

The prodigal son obviously negated his right for a welcome home party. He had dishonored his family name and wasted his family fortune. His lifestyle of gratifying his sinful appetite would have seemingly burnt the bridges back home.

However, the prodigal son’s absence of dignity did not circumvent the presence of dignity the father beheld. The prodigal son’s negligent behavior did not evaporate the father’s love. The father was willing to look beyond his son’s sin and embrace his son’s value. The father was willing to retrieve the diamond in the rough.

The prodigal son’s reception was not based on his sin but on the father’s endless source of love. Sound familiar? God doesn’t give us what we deserve. Now that is mercy! God also gives us what we do not deserve. Now that is grace! His love shines through our failure and selfishness in order to bring the dignity of Christ into our lives. Our value is based on His unconditional love.

Pursuing God,

Stephen Trammell
Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

40 replies on “Dignity”

Stephen,

While working at the FLC front desk this AM, I had a moment to check the devotional today. I just saw these (the prodigal devotionals)and they are truly a blessing as the story of the prodigal is especially meaningful to me. It illustrates God’s faithfulness to finish the work He begins. I’ve often wondered how long it took the prodigal to “come to himself”- months, weeks, years? As you know it took me 30 years but the one thing I never forgot was that joy only God brings. I shared with David last week after the message that sometimes a believer who has chosen rebellion to God opens themselves up to such darkness and sin that even when we “come to themselves” they may be unable to “arise and return” to our Father’s house. That is when our faithful Savior meets us right where we are – in the wasteland. When you are walking around in bondage to sin, hearing nothing but the lies Satan is telling you about how you’ve wasted your life, you have nothing to offer, completely defeated, that you are a disgrace and that the only way you will get free of the life is to end it yourself,sometimes all we can do is fall down and cry for mercy – right where we are – in the darkness – in the pigpen. I had to be reminded- He died for all our sin even those mankind consider worse than others. I had to be reminded that I was already victorious because He won the victory at the Cross. We as believers need to remember the victory has been won and he has equipped us with the tools to walk in that certain victory. It is so much better than walking in defeat and certainly more pleasing to Him.