Fallen

Been feeling unproductive lately. Too lazy to do anything. And ya, I didn't even send out any resumes to any companies. Somehow this slothfulness really stings and cause paralysis in 2-3 weeks of my time. Felt very duo4 luo4 (liken in a fallen state).

Looking inside, I know there's some areas that I had to overcome.

As I walk through the route to the company this morning (looks like I'm getting revelations each day as I passed this particular place, uh?), I was prompted with the parable of the prodigal son.

A rebellious son, in his own rebelliousness, left the family, seeking pleasures and 'freedom' from discipline and authority. So often we viewed freedom as having our own ways ended up with a bed of roses, the reality is the bed is, yes, made of roses but it comes together with all the thorns. Now imagine sleeping on it. (Footnote)

Later part in the parable, the son had no where to go, and last resort, he thought of turning back to his father, hopefully to be accepted as a servant in his father's house. He felt shame in himself, not worthy enough, unwanted; and with all the stuffs he did last time to his father(asking for his part of inheritance is like asking for his father's death), he thought it's the best position he deserved. He was surprised to be shown grace and abundant mercy by his father.

Likewise, so often, we shower ourselves with guilt and self inflicting punishment when we fall, feeling unworthy to get back to our Heavenly Father. Truth is, when we repent and turn away from our old ways, we're shown abundant grace, abundant mercy; accepted back as a family member.

Footnote:

Romans 6: 15-23

Slaves to Righteousness

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[b] Christ Jesus our Lord.