{Five Minute Friday | Cheer}

It's Five Minute Friday. That means unplanned, unedited, straight-from-the-heart-to-the-paper writing. Yep, you just write whatever comes out based on a word you're given. If you have five minutes, you should give it a try!  Find out how here.

This week the prompt is {CHEER}. I am a day late to the party, but I made it. Woo!

Ready? GO.

Dear Christians,
Why don’t we cheer for each other? Why is it ever-so-difficult to celebrate and cheer the successes of people we are supposed to love? It seems like, instead of cheering and celebrating, we compare and feel threatened. Have you ever been to a high school sports event where a parent only cheers for his/her kid? I know you have! It's awful.
It has to stop. The comparison. The exhausting competition. The ridiculous drive to succeed at the expense of someone else or perhaps lots of someones. Scripture says the world will know we (the Church) belong to Christ because of the way we love one another. Maybe we don't love each other well when we refuse to cheer. Maybe we don't love each other well when we make it all about our success without celebrating the success of others. How I wish we all understood that one person’s success doesn’t disqualify us from our own. One person's effectiveness doesn't diminish our effectiveness.

Besides, aren’t we all on the same team? Yes, we are. Be a big-picture kind of person who realizes there’s room for all of us to walk the path God’s asking us to walk and do the thing God has gifted us to do. In the end, isn't it better if we are all effectively influencing people for Jesus? And If I can do something to help you along the way, then why wouldn’t I? Let’s be Christians who are gospel-minded. Let’s cheer each other on like crazy. Yes, let's.

Stop.