Galis rose up, dusted his behind, and walked slowly towards the field owner who gave him the job. It is only for a period of time, so he told himself. YHWH, the God of his father’s house will understand, and pardon him. So, hunger pushed Him to do what was one of the most abominable things — feeding swines.
One day while at his job, a job that stole his consecration and fed him very little food in return, Galis remembered he had a father, a father who had it all. A place where there is still some room for him. Maybe not as a son, being a servant will do just fine.
Again, he rose up, picked the few pieces of nothing he had left, packed them into a shriveled rucksack, and slowly journeyed home.
All the while this son was away from home his father had sleepless nights and worry lines across his face. Silently in his heart, he prayed for him and wished he would come back home sooner. He could have sent his servants to forcefully bring him home, but He did not do that as He was waiting patiently for Galis to realize how much he needs Him.
From afar his father saw him, jumped, clapped, and dashed toward him as a typical indigenous parent would. Amidst the shouts he hugged his son, and started dishing out instructions to his servants, asking that a feast be prepared for his son who ran away, but has now returned home.
God, our father, is always sad each time we decide to run away from him. He wonders what He was not doing right. So many times His heart is hurt that instead of sitting close to Him and learning, you chose to run away. His heart is always heavy, but you wouldn’t know because you are too preoccupied with your own feelings rather than being concerned about His feelings. What He does when He is hurt is that He shares the hurt with another son who is at home. That son in turn starts to pray for you. It is funny how that son may not know of your existence.
Galis went on his knees with his prepared speech flashing in his mind and started his apology. His father pulled him up into a warm embrace with tears glistening in their eyes. Son, your sins are forgiven, they count anymore. Welcome home.
This is the story of almost every young person out there, we want to go and explore. Many times we think Christianity is too rigid. We think the rules are too much. The church does not understand that you have sexual needs, ain’t nothing wrong with showing just off some body parts. I mean It’s just one boyfriend, and you guys will get married afterward. Duh nobody’s going to get hurt, so you think.
In search of just a little more freedom, many of us have strayed. You thought you were only taking a stroll and can turn around whenever and find your way back like nothing happened. Looking at it now, you end up running away. You start avoiding your pastor and other spiritual heads because you don't want to be tamed until you finally become unreachable.
Look at you now, all this freedom, but what do you have to show for it? Nothing but your empty soul, a wandering mind, and lost vision.
Freedom is not the ability to do just anything, it is embedded in well-defined boundaries and access to wise counsel. You are not even free until you are truly saved.
The satisfaction you seek is not outside of God. Satisfaction is derived from being in and with God. The validation you seek from men would not count in heaven. The only validation you need is Justification and Jesus did that for you already, look at what Romans 8:30 has to say And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. So what more? What you are looking for outside Jesus is waiting for you inside Him, stop running.
Just like with Galis, there is room for you in God, room as a son and not a servant. Come back home, to where you originally belong. Stop running. Submit to rebukes and training, it is for your own benefit.
P.S. Galis was a name I coined from the Latin word prōdigālis which means to be wasteful.