Brutal Honesty
We are continuing our Bible study in the AHA series and also doing a daily devotional with church and family members on the story of the prodigal son.
Yesterday I talked about the awakening moment in our AHA moment.
Today I want to talk about the second part of that moment. It is the Brutal Honesty that has to happen after we wake up. Amen?
Luke 15:17-19 NIV (17) "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! (18) I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. (19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.'
He came to his senses, but it didn’t stop there. He had to honestly assess the situation. The son is brutally honest.
It’s one thing to wake up to the fact that things have gone wrong. It’s one thing to wake up to the fact that change needs to happen. Almost anyone can do that. Right?
A lot of Aha stories begin BUT never finish because they stall out on this step.
It’s when you get winded walking up a flight of stairs and realize you’re out of shape, but don’t step on a scale to see how bad it is.
It’s when you realize you hardly know your wife and kids anymore, but you sweep it under the rug—“it’s all part of being a provider; there’s nothing I’m doing wrong.”
It’s when your debit card is denied while buying groceries and you blame the spouse
It’s when you’re broke and alone, and you blame everything and everyone but yourself.
So many potential Aha stories stall at the Sudden Awakening because Brutal Honesty is so difficult. But no one ever said Aha was easy.
If we look closely, there are three different things in the Parable of the Prodigal Son that require brutal honesty. And whether or not this is one of God’s great Aha stories hinges on the presence of this second ingredient of Aha.
We must be honest about the circumstances.
In verse 17 we see that the son is honest, first of all, about his circumstances.
He has to be brutally honest about the fact that he is in a pigpen. And he has to be brutally honest with the fact that his choice to leave his father’s house has brought him here. Amen?
Often, when you’re in the pigpen, you might regret the pigpen, but you don’t always regret the steps that led you there. That’s why it’s hard to be brutally honest about your circumstances—they’ve almost taken you by surprise. But a brutal honesty about your circumstances in the distant country means admitting that you are in fact in a pigpen, and that it’s dirty, and uncomfortable, and not at all what you thought it would be.
Second thing, being honest about what brought you here!
The next piece of brutal honesty we see in the text is what the son says in verse 18, “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
There is no blame-shifting, no trying to pretend it was an accident, no passing off responsibility. There is no hiding, lying, or denying.
There is only honesty. Brutal honesty. “I have sinned.”
When we get caught in the pigpen, our natural tendency is to try to find any other reason for our circumstances besides ourselves and our actions. Amen?
But the truth about what led to the pigpen is this, “I have sinned.” If you can’t get to that kind of brutal honesty, then Aha won’t happen.
And finally, being Honest about the consequences
There’s another element of honesty in the son’s statement to himself in verse 19, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.”
The son knows that he has not just hurt himself, he’s hurt his father and his brother as well.
Our sin is never private, never personal. It always hurts more people than just you. And while God forgives the guilt of our sin and the eternal punishment we deserve, that doesn’t mean that there are no consequences for our sin. Amen?
The son knows that what he will face if he returns home is a jealous, angry brother. He knows that he will face an offended, wounded father. He knows that he will face bitter neighbors who know exactly what he did. But when you’ve had a sudden awakening in the distant country, you’d rather face those consequences than the consequences you’re currently facing—the pigpen. Amen?
Brutal honesty is one of the most difficult ingredients of Aha, but Aha can’t happen unless honesty happens.
I don’t know what you need to be honest about today.
But for most of us, it’s probably time to look ourselves in the mirror and be honest.
Have you heard the alarm?
Have you asked God to help you be Honest with yourself?
Comments
I think we too often look at ourselves and don't see anything wrong. It is everyone else that has something wrong or someone else's fault. Getting down and dirty honest with one's self is difficult but so life changing once we get there.
Amen Tammy Van Horn
Brutal honesty is hard, and often times everyone but ourself can see the need, the destruction, the bad habit, the distancing yourself from family and friends, the poor choices, the impact it all has on your family, friends and even your walk with The Lord, but until we are brutally honest with ourselves....me honest with me...you being honest with you...the AHA won't be completely dealt with. I know in my life people have tried to "force" the brutal honesty on me, and I have done the same for someone, but until we individually have that desire God can't fix that part of our lives. I pray I can hear the alarm and not let fear keep me from being honest with myself, and I pray the same for all my friends and family!! Amen!
Amen Deana Connell good word. Our individual honesty can't be force fed. It requires a submitting to the Holy Spirit. God bless you sis
Amen