Resentment

Friday, April 24th, 2026

3:30 pm

Good afternoon! Hopping on here a little late today, I had a busy morning, but it has been a very good day. Today I am still in Luke 15:11-32. When the younger brother came home and the dad accepted him with open arms and was celebrating, the older brother became angry and would not go in to celebrate too. The older brother could not get past what all the younger brother had done, and the dad being so willing to forgive him and celebrate him. The older brother may have also been feeling under-appreciated by his father. Instead of being happy that his brother was back, he resented his brother and his dad.

The younger brother had taken his money and left, leaving the older brother there to help his dad alone. The older brother did everything his dad asked for but his dad never threw a celebration for him. The older brother knew what all his brother had done, and how he had spent all of his money, and he was being celebrated, when he never was.

I think all of us can relate to that in some way. How many times have we worked hard and done our best but never got recognition. Or we work hard, but somebody else gets the recognition instead. Then another outlook of this situation, the brother knew what all the younger brother had done, all the sinful living, and couldn't see or didn't want to see that he had changed. But what the older brother couldn't see was that his bitterness, resentment, and anger made him just as lost as his brother was. These things separate us from the true love of God. God loves us so much, and He sees everything that we do. He knows when we are doing good and following Him, obeying Him. He sees when we are doing the tasks He assigns to us, and He knows our hearts behind what we do. People around us may not show appreciation for what we do, but God does. Don't ever feel that doing good and being good are in vain, what you do makes a difference.

The other perspective is the brother couldn't get past everything the other brother had done. The life he had lived, but the dad joyfully accepted Him back. We all make mistakes. We all stray and fall short. Some of us do fall harder than others, but God still loves us. And He wants us to forgive others, not hold on to hurt and anger that will make us bitter. God forgave us for our sins, and He wants us to show that same love for others, no matter what they have done and where they came from.

God loves you. And no matter what you have done, He still accepts you with wide open arms. Just like this father was joyful that his son was back home, God rejoices when we come back to Him. He wants you back. Accept His love. Accept His invitation! He loves you!