We’re Too Often Lured Away from God by Empty Promises

Are we living as battered Christians?

We shake our head in disbelief at a battered woman who leaves a place of safety because she’s lured by empty promises to return to her abuser.

But don’t we often let the world do the same thing to us?

We are lured away from God by the world’s empty promises of happiness, comfort, wealth and pleasure — only to find we end up being beaten and defeated.

We are much like the prodigal son who left his loving father to seek happiness in the world.

He was stripped of everything he owned, and it was so bad he longed “to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything” (Luke 15:16).

Very sad.

Related: God Does Not Want Us to Live by ‘Barely Surviving’

But the prodigal son “came to himself.” He said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father” (vs 17-18).

Like the prodigal son, when we are battered by the world — we can return to Our Father.

How does our Heavenly Father receive us?

We can wise up and recognize that God’s love is never worth trading for a miserable round in the world’s battering cage.

In my own life, I experienced it much the way it’s described by Jesus: “But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (vs. 20‬).‬

When I returned to God, I experienced love so powerful that I never want to lose it.

His promises are real.

Related: Let’s Quit Trying to Push God Around

When you have been rescued by the Heavenly Father from the empty pursuit of wealth, acceptance, pleasure, power and more, the world simply becomes less tempting than God’s love.

You begin to wise up and recognize that God’s love is never worth trading for another miserable round in the world’s battering cage.

God loves us away from our misery.

Cling to the Heavenly Father’s love — His love will never hurt you.