In a world that demands achievement, it’s easy to assume that God’s love must also be earned. We strive, serve, and try to get everything “right”—hoping that we’ll be worthy of His attention again.
But the truth of the Gospel is radically different. As Jesus shows in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, love from the Father isn’t earned through good behavior; it’s freely given, even to those who’ve failed. The Prodigal Journey by Gima Mathew gently, but powerfully, walks us through this revelation.
The younger son believed he had to earn back his place. After wasting his inheritance and dishonoring his family, he planned to return and ask his father to treat him as a servant. “I am no longer worthy to be called your son,” he says (Luke 15:19).
Mathew notes, “At that time, he did not consider how the rest of the family might receive him. He simply chose humility over pride.” Many of us feel the same way. When we are too ashamed to ask for love, convinced we must first prove ourselves.
But that’s not how God works.
God’s Love Is a Gift, Not a Wage. As the book beautifully explains, the father’s response defies logic. He runs to meet his son. He embraces him. He calls for a robe, a ring, sandals, and a feast (Luke 15:20–24). There’s no test, no delay, no conditions.
The father did not chastise his son. Instead, his heart was filled with mercy that reflects God’s very nature and love. You don’t earn God’s love. It earns you.
But Doesn’t God Expect Change?
Yes, change is part of grace, but it’s not the condition for grace. It’s the fruit of it. The prodigal son didn’t return with a strategy. He returned with surrender. And what followed was transformation. In this context, the love of the father restored identity, because His joy was uncontrolled, extravagant and inclusive.
When you feel the true weight of God’s love, it changes how you live. You serve not to be loved, but because you are loved.
In contrast, the older son believed he had earned his father’s love through loyalty. But when his brother was forgiven, he became bitter. “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you,” he complains (Luke 15:29).
The Prodigal Journey: Lessons of Grace, Mercy and Redemption reveals, “Though he stayed in the house, his heart was far from his father’s.” Like many of us, he confused duty with intimacy. However, God’s love is not a reward for good work. It is an appearance that yearns for acceptance.
It’s not necessary to be perfect to find salvation. You could simply go back to God and eventually earn His grace. If you’re carrying guilt, shame, or the weight of religious striving, The Prodigal Journey is a powerful invitation. It shows that the only thing God wants you to do is come home.
You are not forgotten. You are not too far gone. And you don’t need to earn your way back.
The Father’s love is already yours, freely, fully, forever. So, now is the time to lead back to Him with The Prodigal Journey. Order your copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4X4556D