What Does Prodigal Mean Today

In February 2008 I posted about dealing with prodigal situations in life, and used the story of the prodigal son as a reference point.

I made the point that at different times in our lives we may play all of the main parts in the story. (The father, the elder brother, and the prodigal).

Over the intervening years I have often thought about the word prodigal, and am returning to the subject here.

So here we go…

Firstly, what does prodigal mean?

Dictionary.com defines the adjective “prodigal” as wastefully or recklessly extravagent.

As a noun the word is defined as “a person who sends, or has spent his or her money or substance with wasteful extravagance”.

Another noun would be spendthrift.

So wandering off and doing his own thing wasn’t the only problem, wasting his substance, or inheritance ranked there too.

In the context of the gospel, Jesus came to redeem the lost, and to restore mankind’s inheritance.

The elder brother in the story has always intrigued me. He had always been around, and was quite upset that the young fella could just come back and have a party..

And the father? He knew that the boy was coming home all along. He was at the gate waiting!

From Dictionary.com:

That was then, what about today?

I’m thinking aloud here as I write, so don’t think that I am “sermonizing”.

I wonder if the same term could be used for someone who did the wrong thing in a relationship, and “squandered trust”?

In a consumer society, there are a lot of ways to squander money, as people get caught in a circle of buying “stuff”, and at the end having nothing much to show for it.

The key to the whole story (and this is reflected in other cultures and religions, I’m using the Bible story because that is my background) is one of forgiveness and restoration.

Which brings me back to the prodigal son.

His father forgave him, his older brother probably came around too eventually, or at least we hope so.

I think that the lad would have also had to forgive himself.

And that’s my key thought for today for anyone who feels that they have blown it!

Realize where you went wrong, and stop doing whatever is causing the problem.

If you can’t, seek help!

Then forgive yourself and move on, after all, we are all only human.

Oh, and don’t forget to set things right with the family, or friends.

There may be some who may be a bit “iffy”, or downright unpleasant, like the older brother.

But that is their problem. You’re working on yours!

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