Spiritual Growth And The Prodigal Son: Three Tips That Metaphysics Teach Us

You are probably familiar with the parable of the Prodigal Son which appears in the Luke's Gospel 15:11-32. I am going to update the story as if it happened today and I am going to take some liberties with it without losing the richness of its spiritual teaching.nnIn the parable a father has two sons. The younger of the two sons wants his share of the inheritance so the father divides his property between the two boys. A few days later the younger son buys some wheels -- probably a Lexus, Mercedes, or Beamer -- and leaves home to spend his fortune. But it doesn't take long to blow his fortune. A few trips to the French Riviera, Europe, Las Vegas, New York and Hollywood result in him squandering all that he has. He works on construction jobs, tries retail, and bartends for a while before he makes the mistake of working for Enron. Then he signs on as a contractor in Iraq before ending up on a hog farm in Eastern North Carolina . Hog farming is not a good occupation for a young Jewish man, is it? He's going nowhere fast. He finally comes to his senses and decides to go back home. When his father sees him in the distance, he knows it is his son. Perhaps he recognizes his son's walk, or maybe the Duke ball cap his son is wearing. At any rate, he runs out to meet him, hugs and kisses him, and welcomes him home with open arms. His son has practiced the apology he was going to use, but his father will hear nothing of it. His father is so happy his son has come home that he gives him a new Perry Ellis suit, renews his credit cards, buys him Broadway tickets, and hands him the keys to his new car. His older brother becomes angry and refuses to attend the gala. He tells his father that he has always worked hard, obeyed the family rules, gone to church every Sunday, and religiously attended prosperity workshops. "My brother," he shouts, "squanders his inheritance and comes crawling back home because things got a little tough. And you treat him like nothing's happened. I've been loyal all these years and you've never given me what you've just given him." The father reminds his son that he has always been with him and that all he had to do was ask. He could have had anything he wanted. The parable ends with the father telling his son that the important thing is that although his younger brother was lost, now he has been found. If this was all there was to this story it would be a homecoming filled with resentment and mixed blessings. On the one hand, a younger materially-minded son is forgiven and rewarded with more material things. And a devoted older son feels he is taken for granted. We also have a father who has the wherewithal to reward both sons, loves them equally, and would do anything for either of them. But there's more to the story. Much more! Let's take a closer look -- a metaphysical look. Here are three things we can learn from this story that will improve our spiritual growth -- and our life -- right away! 1. Keep Using Affirmations, Denials, Meditation, and Prayer to Develop Your True Spiritual Nature -- Especially When Things Are Good! In this story, the younger son symbolizes our undeveloped awareness of our true spiritual nature, a nature that tends to let our ego get in the way. Like him, we learn Truth principles, use affirmations and denials, experience Truth principles working in our lives. Our good manifests, and then we forget about our connection to Spirit. Sound familiar? We use our inheritance (our manifested good) from our Father (the I AM Presence within us) and go to a 'far country' (which stands for our material consciousness). Enticed by the lure of plasma TV's, expensive homes and cars, Wall Street promises, lotteries, alcohol and drugs, and coconut rum ice-cream, we squander our good because we are inconsistent in our Truth walk. We believe advertisers when they tell us we are incomplete unless we buy their product or service. We allow our material appetites to trump our spiritual common sense. Then we awaken to the truth of who we really are (the prodigal comes to himself) and realize our connection to Spirit (in the story the younger son says: 'I will rise and go back to my Father'). When we go to our Christ Self, we find the happiness, peace and prosperity we seek. 2. Eliminate Any Thought of Separation Between You and God. In the story, while the prodigal son is yet far off his Father sees him (that means even though we forget our oneness with our Christ Nature, the God Presence within us welcomes us (makes omnipresent substance available). All we have to do is honor our God-Mind connection. There is absolutely no separation in Spirit . . . only the perception of separation we create. 3. Release Any thoughts of Envy or Jealousy, and Know that You Are Worthy. The older son who stayed with the father all along represents our moralistic and judgmental poverty consciousness. Like him, we believe in lack because we block our abundance with our doubts, fears, faithlessness, impatience, jealousy, and any other form of error consciousness which separates us from enjoying the abundance we can have. All we have to do is ask, believe in our worthiness to receive, and enjoy our prosperity. But we go to a "far country" instead of Headquarters! Whether we go searching for our good (like the younger son) or fail to appreciate it when we're standing in the middle of it (like the older brother), we end up in the same place if we are inconsistent in our meditation, prayer, faith, forgiveness, and tithing. These are the metaphysical keys to accelerating our prosperity. The sooner we outgrow our prodigal choices and make prosperity-affirming choices a habit, the sooner we'll enjoy the unlimited inheritance that is ours, pressed down and running over. Dr. Bil Holton is a metaphysician and Truth practitioner. His mission is to help others have a better understanding of the Bible, and learn how to walk the spiritual path on practical feet. Visit his website at http://www.metaphysicalbible.net to learn more about Bil, and to view the many resources that are available to help you on your Truth walk and spiritual journey.