Growing Into the Father’s Heart
What are we going to do when we get home? When the two sons of the parable of the prodigal son both have returned to their father, what then? The answer is simple: They have to become fathers themselves. Sons have to become fathers; daughters have to become mothers.
Being children of God involves growing up and becoming like God. Jesus doesn’t hesitate to say this: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect, be compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate” (see Matthew 5:48 and Luke 6:36).
How? By welcoming home our lost brothers and sisters the way our Father welcomes us home.
—Henry Nouwen,
Becoming Fathers and Mothers
Coming home to God, like the prodigal son, is only the beginning of the journey. As Henri Nouwen reminds us, once we’ve received the Father’s mercy, we’re invited to grow up into His likeness—to become fathers and mothers ourselves. Spiritual maturity isn’t just about healing and restoration; it’s about becoming people who extend that same healing and restoration to others. Jesus calls us to be perfect and compassionate as our Father is—not through rigid striving, but by embodying the love we’ve received.
This means learning to welcome others the way God has welcomed us—without condition, without shame, with arms wide open. It means seeing people not as problems to fix but as beloved ones to embrace. For those walking through recovery, this invitation is powerful: your healing is not just for you—it’s preparation to love others well. As we grow, we stop merely being recipients of grace and begin becoming channels of it. That’s the true joy of coming home—helping others find their way back, too. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics