Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The family must realize that the returning member has had to make major changes in his/her life too. If they have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord, this adjustment will be a little smoother but not much. A major life-style change has been made by all.
The family has moved on with their lives and the returning prodigal is anxious to begin a new life.
There are many barriers in front of the ex-inmate. If the person is a male, he has to overcome the problems of finding a job that will accept an ex-con. Many have found this almost impossible. Some job applications do not require prospective job seekers to list whether or not they have been incarcerated. One thing is sure, the chances of the ex-inmate finding something in the same job discription that was held before prison is usually impossible. Especially if that job discription had to do with working in the public trust. http://www.clasp.org/Pubs/Pubs_Job Is a good link for information concerning work-place information.
http://www.asentenceoftheirown.com/Essays.html Gives good, uplifting stories about re-introduction into society.
THIS STUDY APPLIES TO BOTH THE RETURNING INMATE AND THOSE TO WHOM HE/SHE IS RETURNING.
Patience=Love Passive. There is no hurry, suffers long, bears all, believes, hopes, and endures all things.
Kindness=Love In Action. Never acts rashly or insolently; not inconsistent or proud.
Generosity=Love In Competition. Not envious or jealous.
Humility=Love In Hiding. No parade, no airs, just works and then retires.
Courtesy=Love In Society. Does not behave unseemly, always polite; at home with all classes; never rude or discourteous.
Unselfishness=Love In Essence. Never selfish, sour, or bitter; seeks only good of others, does not retaliate or seek revenge.
Good Temper=Love In Disposition. Never irritated; never resentful
Righteous=Love In Conduct. Hates sin; never glad when others go wrong; always gladdened by goodness by others; always eager to believe the best; always hopeful; always enduring.
Sincerity=Love In Profession. Never boastful or conceited; always honest; never self-assertive; never holds a grudge; always truthful; knows when to be silent; full of trust; always present.
Other Scriptures covering unconditional love: Jn 3:16; Rom 5:8; 2 Cor 5: 2-23; 1 Jn 3: 1-18; 4:7-21.
Are these qualities attainable by everyone all of the time. No. But they are guidelines for those who live in the Love of Jesus.
LUKE 15: 17-32
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: (re-instatement to the family)
and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry:
for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. (celebration followed by a return to the status of the family as it was before the son left) The son is allowed to go about his place in the family.)
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.
And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these things might be.
And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. (Anger, resentment, unforgiveness, jealousy, )
But he was angry, and would not go in: and his father came out, and entreated him.
But he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
but when this thy son came, who hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou killedst for him the fatted calf.
And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine.
But it was meet to take merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found
15:28 The older brother. The forgiving love of the father symbolizes the divine mercy of God, and the older brother's resentment is like the attitude of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who opposed Jesus.
15:29 even a young goat. Cheaper food than a fattened calf.
15:30 this son of yours. The older brother would not even recognize him as his brother, so bitter was his hatred.
15:31 everything I have is yours. The father's love included both brothers. The parable might better be called the parable of "The Father's Love" rather than "The Prodigal Son." It shows a contrast between the self-centered exclusiveness of the Pharisees, who failed to understand God's love, and the concern and joy of God at the repentance of sinners.
15:32 dead and is alive. A beautiful picture of the return of the younger son, which also pictures Christian conversion (see Ro 6:13; Eph 2:1,5). The words "lost and is found" are often used to mean "perished and saved" (19:10; Mt 10:6; 18:10-14).
The parable of the Lost Son actually tells of two sons, one irresponsible, the other hardworking. One wastes his life and comes home humbled; the other proudly refuses to celebrate his brother's homecoming. The story ends with one son in a joyful family celebration, and his brother outside, bitterly unwilling to forgive. Which son is really lost?
Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (KJV)
You can't. You can't erase mistakes and regret. Not on your own. You can run away. You can cover up. You can hide. You can try to forget, but what is done is done. However, every new minute is a new minute. Every new day is a new day. Every new minute and every new day represents new hope. Every new minute and every new day represents an opportunity for your new life full of hope and God's love for you. You cannot erase your mistakes and the consequent regret from your past. However, your pain from your mistakes CAN be erased. Your mistakes and your regret punish you. However, God, in His love for you, does not like it when you let your mistakes and your regret punish you. Your God of love wants you to turn away from your mistakes, to turn around and go in another direction from your mistakes, and to always face forward in your life. God wants you to be washed clean from your mistakes and He does not want you to make the mistakes again. God wants you to learn, grow, and achieve from your mistakes and He does not want your mistakes to eat at you like a cancer. God wants you to become and STAY a new person in Christ Jesus. God wants you to live a whole new life in spite of your mistakes. God wants you to remember what you did but He does not want you to sit in regret and feel the hurt from what you did...because God is not just about forgiveness, God is forgiveness.
erasing sins and gaining wisdom…
1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption… (KJV)
Psalm 38:4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. (KJV)
Indeed, one of penalties of sin is guilt. However, guilt can be a good thing when we accept Christ and we see we went against His will and against His desire for our life. Christ came to give you freedom. He came to give you freedom and a cleansing of your soul. So although it might be difficult to understand, Christ came to erase your sins of the past. What God wants is a great turnaround in your life as a result of His big eraser. In turning your life around God also wants you to gain wisdom from your sins. In gaining wisdom from your past, you are more able to achieve victory. One of God's victories in you and through you is your gaining wisdom from your sins and from the guilt of your past. Carrying the burden of guilt upon your soul is of no value unless you gain wisdom. Nothing in the past is of value unless you gain wisdom. Even when you are old, when you know without a doubt your days are numbered and your time is getting short, looking back is easier but not productive unless you gain wisdom. What will you say when God asks you about the wisdom you gained when you were 82? Will you say, "I didn't gain any wisdom, I was retired?"
erasing the hurt of your heart…
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (NIV)
All human beings suffer hurt in their heart. Sometimes the hurt of your heart comes from the circumstances of life like death, accidents, worry, broken relationships, or estrangement. What do we do when we have a hurting heart? What we must do is take our hurt to God. God knows you. God knows what you go through. Your hurt is God's hurt. Remember when you hurt you are not alone. When you hurt you are never alone. What is critical for you to understand is that hurt is anti-God. God is about healing not hurting. God detests pain. Pain is not a good thing. God abhors pain. Instead of a heart full of pain, God wants your heart full of joy. The whole being of God is a healing being. The whole being of God is about making the hurt of your heart go away. In your quiet times, when your heart is hurting, sit quietly and think about how God is trying to erase the hurt from your heart. God erases the hurt from your heart by holding you, by comforting you, by being with you night and day, and by giving you His kind and tender love every second you are alive.
erasing the disappointment…
Jeremiah 8:15 We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror. (NIV)
People suffer the disappointment of crushed dreams. People suffer the disappointment of dashed hopes. People suffer the disappointment of seeking but never finding. In these kinds of disappointments, memory remains but the hurt from the disappointment can be healed. However, for some people, because of the way God made their soul, taking risks, even with the bitterness of disappointment, is better than never trying. For some, even with bitter disappointment, it is better to have a hundred attempts and a hundred failures than no attempts at all. No matter whom you are or what you are like, God is not blessed when you do not make attempts. In addition, what may be a disappointment to you may be a victory for God. God's ways are mysterious. However, we know for certain God can bring victory out of defeat even if we do not know how God delivers the victory. We know for certain God has a way of bringing His victorious light into the darkness. So instead of worrying about erasing your disappointments, keep going. The best cure for disappointment is hope and an effort to make things happen. Then when you make an effort to make things happen, make things happen only for God rather than yourself.
erasing the shame and the guilt…
Matthew 12:22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. (NIV)
All shame and guilt come from what has happened in the past. We do not experience shame and guilt from future events unless we imagine the events to be like the events of the past. Turning away or repenting means turning away from the shame and guilt we experienced because of our past. Shame and guilt are not part of the new life Christ wants you to have. Christ wants you to move forward with no shame and no guilt from your past. Even when you experience shame and guilt, even the shame and guilt of the past, God wants you to push hard for tomorrow. In God's thinking, you have no time to look back and grieve over what happened to you in the past when you were blind. God is about infinite progress moving ever forward. Take just a moment and step back from the shame and humiliation you carry. Whatever humiliation you carry, from whatever source, step back and let Christ stand between you and the shame and guilt of your past. The more you let Christ intervene, the more healing you can experience as a result of His love. Christ's love is our great healing balm from the humiliation of our past. His love is our salve that can erase the emotion of our shame and guilt.