Your light will never burn brighter because you blew someone else's out. - Life. Love. Jesus. Everything in between.

Just keeping it real bc that's the only thing I know how to do.

If you are a person who cannot be happy for other people...

If you are a person who simply cannot smile or clap for other people who are doing well...

If you are a person who would rather see someone fall than rise...

If you are a person who is busying putting people down instead of lifting them up...

If you are a person who blows out other people's candles in hopes that yours will burn brighter...

IT. HAS. GOT. TO. STOP.

There's no sense to it.

And if you call yourself a follower of Christ you better check yourself...and listen up.

I heard a preacher say one time that the prodigal son came home and though his father was thrilled...the brother of the prodigal son was ticked.

You heard that right.

He was MAD that his brother had came to his senses and came home.

Was he really upset his brother returned?

Not exactly.

He was mad because his dad celebrated. 

He had the NERVE to kill the fatted calf for the brother whose been off living large and swindling his inheritance whilst the brother was home continuing to be loyal and obedient to his father.

Well well well.

Say it ain't so.

We ain't never acted like that before. Have we?

Go on and think? 

Not you...

Not me..

We would never...

Surprise!

Chances are you have looked side eyed at the girl who slipped in one Sunday that you haven't seen in years..like where she been?

Chances are you've looked at somebody's life through the eyes of social media and looked right past them when they walked by your pew.

Chances are you've secretly thought to yourself that someone who had fallen didn't deserve to be welcomed back into the fold like nothing ever happened.

Well I just want to tell you that we ought to praise, thank, shout and praise again for ANY soul that seeks God. 

Thank God you have been in that pew and living right and serving God for X amount of time. I am thankful for it. But don't kid yourself thinking it was you. Just like sin had you bound once it has them...and we ought to pray, pray, PRAY that they could shake the snare of the evil one.

If they're prodigal I'm gonna shout when they come home.

If they're backslidden I'm gonna clap when they walk the isle.

If they're not living right and leave it at the altar I'm going thank God that another sinner has turned away from the old man and vowed to walk in the newness of life that God's given them.

I'll remember that freshness of that grace they received. And thank God for some reason He offered it to me when I never deserved it.

If you are on a whole 'nother level of holy that you cannot feel for the lost, shattered, broken, confused and afraid you may wanna WWJD and check yourself again. 

Jesus had compassion.

Jesus didn't judge.

Jesus listened.

Jesus held out His hand.

Jesus erased shame.

Jesus shattered religious egos and prides.

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone..."

So drop your rocks.

Dust your hands off and clap and shout and thank God when you see a sinner come home.

Rejoice that ONE time that WAS you, but now you can stand and sing that you have been set free.

The bones rattled and sinews and flesh and BREATH came together.

Don't ever forget the pile of bones you were.

Don't ever forget the ashes you rose from.

Don't ever be ashamed that God scooped you out of the miry clay. 

Don't ever make someone feel like they're not worthy because we all are filthy rags. None are righteous. Not one.

Don't ever kid yourself that it was anything you did.

But for the grace of God! 

"For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." 

Every last one of us. 

And I'll preach it until all the sons come home.

Every last one of them.

We are the light of the world..a city on a hill..burn bright for God!