Skip to main content

Check yourself before you wreck yourself

  Luke 15:25-32 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitues comes home, you'll kill the fattened calf for him!' 'My son,' the father said,' you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
  So here is Jessica Nicole Lair, yet again, being basic. "Really Jessica, the prodigal son story?" Yes the prodigal son story! Are you kidding me? This story is great. But really, this story was a slap to my face but not because of the son who ran away, but because of the son who stayed. I can think back to moments in my life, moments even occurring now, where I am jealous of the celebration over the "prodigal" child. I can be thrilled for them returning home but something about the celebration gets to me. "I've worked so hard." "I've been serving in the church for much longer." "They haven't known Christ as long as I have."  "How dare they thrive in their faith?!" How awful that these thoughts, or ones similar, have come to mind. 
  It is time to look at the real issue; the pride in one's heart. To think that we are so full of ourselves that we can't allow another Christian to thrive and rise in their gifts and talents without growing bitter in our heart is quite sad. 
  The same grace that was extended to you while you were in your prodigal son era, is the same grace that is extended to them. You had and have your moments of grace and have worked in areas that you can shine in, why can't they? What makes them lesser than you to where they can not experience Christ and all He has for them, like you did? It is time to take a look at your heart.
  Mark 7:20-23 "He went on: 'What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come-sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person."
  Y'all better check yourself before you wreck yourself. Celebrate the prodigal son, not only coming home, but experiencing Christ in such a beautiful way! Rejoice and build them up. Encourage them in their walk and push them to continue to do what Christ is calling them to do, just as someone did for you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What the Millennial Church Lacks- From a Millennial

Let me start off this blog post with a background on who I am. First off, I am a millennial. I also am a pastor's kid who has been surrounded by the church her entire life. I have been to the small hometown church to the big, three-services-a-day church. I have been the PK running around, the staff member running behind the scenes, and the new comer in the corner awkwardly sipping the burnt coffee.  When I was 18 years old, I moved from the Bible-belt of California (Bakersfield) to Los Angeles. I began attending a church plant, only two-years old at the time, in the heart of Hollywood. For six months I got to church just in time for service to start and I was always the first one to leave. Through a twist of events I ended up serving as a staff member at this church. I love this church with my whole heart! This, being a new church in Hollywood, attracted almost 90% of millennials. After attending this church for two years, I moved up to Sacramento to a church that is alm...
3 comments
Read more

You aren’t always David in the story, sometimes you are Goliath.

I truly believe I am one of the luckiest girls alive. I was raised in a Christian home, sent through private school, and surrounded by love from the most incredible parents, Pastor Dad and Mom. Growing up a PK, my parents did a dang good job at letting me live in a home of grace, corrective love, and freedom from shame. I saw God and Christianity through the acts of a dad who preached the Word and nothing but the Word and through a mom who always would, and still does, tell me to “just be you and forget what anyone else has to say or think about it”. I mean, at 16 they let me dye my hair bubblegum pink; something I clearly have yet to grow out of. I never saw my faith through the eyes of religion, shame, or judgement. Rather, I saw faith through relationship, grace, and the freedom and space to make my faith my own- however that journey needed to happen.  With that being said, I was naive to a world of those who declare Christianity yet spew hate, division, judgement, and so many o...
1 comment
Read more

Waiting room

Last night I felt chaos. In the morning I felt joy. On the 405 freeway I felt peace. In the waiting room I feel chaos. How easy it can be to question what God promised the second we have to wait. All yesterday I prayed and prayed and at the end of the night I gave the situation to God. I woke up knowing who was in control and holding on to His promise that He is going to take over. Then I have to sit in a hospital waiting room for more than fifteen minutes and all of a sudden that assured faith I had in Him, is questioned. "God but what if?" "But God did you really say that?" "Okay but God, if you said that, why isn't it happening now?"  Sitting in my own questions I realized that the true reflection of my heart is how I respond in the waiting room. The answer could come within seconds or within hours, but where is my heart despite the timeline of when my answer is coming? In all honesty my heart is falling back into the chaos it was ...
Post a Comment
Read more