A certain young man had left home because his dad didn't let him have his own way. He had given up life with his family because he didn't want anybody to tell him what to do. That young man's actions put him in a position very much like ours. We are separated from our heavenly Father because we don't want anybody telling us what to do. Many people decide against life with the family of God by willfully going their own way. They are not conscious of their separation because they are absorbed in their activities. They just ignore God. They don't realize that they were created for fellowship and companionship and that it hurts God when they become indifferent to His loving concern. Like the parents of that young man, God's greatest desire is for them to come on home.

People everywhere, many that go to church regularly, wonder why God is not more real to them. Some have had an experience with Jesus Christ, but He is just not real anymore. Why? It is because they have gone their own way. The Bible says: "We are the ones who strayed away like sheep! We who left God's paths to follow our own way" (Isaiah 53:6). God wants us in His family, but we refuse to come to Him because we love ourselves and our own purposes in life.

Like the young man that gave up his family life, we all misuse our freedom to decide. Our Creator does not force us to do anything - He could have, but He did not create us to be robots. He loves us and He wants us to love Him in return - a robot cannot do that. So we use our freedom of choice to make ourselves the center of life - to pursue our own purposes. We ignore God because we want to be our own god. Since there can be only one God, we are not comfortable in His presence. To follow our own way, we refuse to enter the presence of the very One who created us.

Outside God's presence, we can never have that personal relationship that is necessary to be part of God's family. Without a personal relationship with God there is no communication - no spiritual mooring. Like the young man that left home, there is no one to look to for wisdom and strength. Life becomes complicated and heavy and sometimes burdensome. Into this dilemma, the words of Jesus come ringing down through the centuries - "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:28, 29). The graciousness and humility of our Lord is truly amazing. In response to our unfaithfulness He sends out an invitation like that. Then in John 14:2 He said: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." There is a place for us in our Father's house. He longs for us to stop "following our own way" - to come on home.

There is a grand old hymn that says: "I've wandered far away from God, now I'm coming home." Christian, have you decided to stop wandering and come home to your heavenly Father? I have - first, with repentance; now with great joy I am coming home. As I walk with Him and talk with Him, He makes me know that He loves me and accepts me and wants me to be with Him. And the more I learn to love Him, the more I want to serve Him. It can be the same with you. If you don't know that you love your heavenly Father, you can ask Him to teach you and empower you to return His love. The few years that we call life is all the time we have to become loving, obedient members of the family of God. This is the time we have to be prepared for eternal life with Him. If you have been wasting precious years - it's time- come on home.

If you have never repented of your sins and have never experienced life in the family of God, it is time for you to come on home as well - the invitation includes you. Jesus said: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). "Whoever" means me and you and every person in this world. Do you believe that Jesus paid the penalty for your sin with His own life on that Roman cross? Do you realize that God raised Him to life on that first Easter morning and that because He lives you can be "born again" spiritually - that you can receive the very life of God - eternal life? The penalty for your sin is paid - He offers you forgiveness and eternal life - a loving gift from a loving heavenly Father. Won't you tell Him that you are turning from your sin to receive Jesus into your heart and life - that you accept His forgiveness and want to live with Him forever? If you will, you too can come on home.