People do not have to practice the truth they speak before we believe them. Saying the truth and living it are two different things.

Often times than not, we are tempted to ask people to fix up their lives first before we listen to them. So a drunkard can't advise anyone to stop drinking until he has fixed up his own life, a parent whose child is wayward can't correct another child that is wayward, a Pastor who is still struggling with one weakness or the other can't preach righteousness or condemn sin in the church until he is HOLY and a broke motivational speaker living in the trenches can't hold a master class on how to make six figures and leave the trenches...

This actually got me thinking; are some people more or less qualified to speak the truth? when a liar speaks the truth, does it make it less truth? The messenger or the message, which is more important?
Well, I'm not in anyway trying to encourage falsehood or double standards or hypocrisy. But I wish that when we listen to people talk, we pick the (useful) message(s) we can work with and not let their lifestyle rob us of the wisdom, no matter how tiny, they have to render.

Don't get me wrong biko, I know for sure that people with reputable character and strong personality don't need to sweat too much before we believe what they have to say because their lifestyle has a way of "commanding" you to believe them. But then, the truth is no respecter of personality, race, age or qualification. Wisdom can be found anywhere if we're discerning enough.

Never you underestimate anyone. The key to your lifting might just be in the words of a mad man. The solution to your problem may be in the words of that boy/girl you think is up to no good. You never can tell.
Wisdom is all within the discretion of the discerner. 
Focus on the content, not the container.
I love you

© Lucius Ufeli Igwe (2022)

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#ThoughtsFromTheOtherSide