A man was telling me one time how he overheard his junior high teacher telling his mother that he was a slow learner. For 30 years, he wore that label around. He never had a good job, never had real success. He just kind of floundered through life believing that he would always be slow. I talked to him about the importance of removing labels—that what others say about you cannot negate what God says about you unless you choose to believe it. Either you will accept what others say as the truth or you accept what God says as the truth. That teacher may have been sincere. She may have made an assessment based on where he was at the time, but this is a new day. She doesn't know what God has placed in you. I said to the man, "If you're going to reach your highest potential, you've got to say, 'No, thanks. I am not wearing that slow-learner label anymore. That may have been her opinion, but I have another opinion. It's from my Creator, and He says I have the mind of Christ; that I am full of wisdom; that I can fulfill my destiny.'"
Today I'm saying the same to you. It doesn't matter what people have said about you in the past. You can't let negative labels hold you back. I talked to a high school student one time. She was about to take her final exams. She said, "Joel, will you pray that God will help me to make C's on these tests?" I said, "Why do we want to pray for C's and not A's?" She said, "Oh no, Joel. My high school counselor told me I'm just a C student." She really didn't know any better. Somebody stuck a label on her, and she was wearing it around like it was the truth. Have you ever thought about the fact that the same God who can help you make a "C" can help you make an "A"? Why don't you remove that label? The same God that can help you get by in life can help you excel in life. The same God that can give you an apartment can give you the desires of your heart. Are there labels that are holding you back today? Is the label "divorced" telling you, "You'll never meet anyone new?" Is the label "overweight" telling you, "You'll never get into shape?" Is the label "addicted" telling you, "You'll never break these bad habits?" Friend, whatever label you choose to wear is what you will become. Why don't you change those negative labels to be what God says about you? God says, "You are free." "You are clean." "You are healthy and whole." Don't go the next 20 years wearing the wrong label. Put some new labels on today. Believe that God is at work in your life and move forward to embrace the freedom and victory He has in store for you! "…Let it be to me according to your word…" (Luke 1:38, NKJV) Back in 1949, there was a young minister you may have heard of by the name of Billy Graham. He was traveling the country, holding meetings in large auditoriums. He was having success, but he wasn't really nationally known at the time.
That summer, he conducted a meeting in Los Angeles in a big tent. A gentleman showed up by the name of William Randolph Hearst. Mr. Hearst owned newspapers all across the country. He was so touched that night that he sent a message to all of his publishers to write favorable articles about Billy Graham. The next week, the whole country was talking about this young minister. He came to national prominence practically overnight because of the influence of one man. What was that? I call it a divine shift. It was God taking him further, faster. It could have taken Billy Graham his whole lifetime to gain that kind of respect and credibility, but God used one man to show him favor and opened doors that took Billy Graham to a new level. Now, the good news is that God has already lined up the right people for you. They are already in your future. It's just a matter of time before they show up. They will open doors that you could not open. They will show you favor even though you didn't ask. They will use their influence to make you look good. They're ordained by God to accelerate His plan for your life. What's interesting is that Billy Graham didn't search this man out; he searched Billy Graham out. You don't have to go and try to find the right people. You just honor God, and the right people will find you. They'll pick you out of a crowd. They'll knock on your door. They'll show up at your office. For some reason, they will want to be good to you. That's a divine connection. God will cause them to use their expertise, even their funds, to take you further, faster. You'll accomplish more in less time. You'll be promoted beyond your education. You'll increase beyond your experience. The right people will help you go where you could not go on your own. Today, know that God has ordained the right people to be in your life. It's not about you working hard to get their attention. It's about your obedience to do what God has told you to do. If you will focus on hearing His voice and doing what He says, then everything else will fall into place. He'll bring the right people into your life so that you can move forward in the destiny He has prepared for you! "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act." (Psalm 37:5, ESV) Have you ever thought about how love affects giving? I’ve heard it said that you can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving. Love prompts us to give of ourselves, our time, abilities and resources. The Bible tells us that God is love, and the world will know that we are His followers by the love we show — and giving is what shows our love! We are entering into a time in the year that the world knows as the season of giving, but let’s remember to take time to focus on the greatest gift of all, the gift of eternal, abundant life through Jesus. If you’ve never received this gift, I invite you to open your heart and pray this simple prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today, giving You all that I am. I repent of my sins and confess that I need You. I believe You died and rose for me. Be my Lord and Savior and make me new today. I receive Your love and Your gift of eternal life.” Then, go out and share the gift of love with someone else because it’s the only gift that will last in eternity! ~ Joel Osteen “What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?” Rom 3:3
Have the opinions of other people caused you to water down your dreams? There will always be critics and naysayers in life. It’s not what’s said about you that affects your life, but what you say and believe about yourself. One of the most important things you can learn is that other people don’t have to believe in you in order for your dreams to come to pass. Other people don’t set the limits for your life — you do. In Romans 3:3, the Apostle Paul is saying, “It doesn’t matter if other people don’t believe. Their unbelief is not going to keep me from believing in my dreams.” When God puts a promise in your heart, it’s not up to other people to bring it to pass, it’s up to you! You don’t need everyone to validate you. You have to follow the voice of God for yourself and allow Him to order your steps. Remember, God sees the hidden treasures that you’ve had buried on the inside of you. He wants to bring those treasures out and make your dreams reality! As you get rid of old, defeated thoughts and replace them with what God says about you, you will remove the limits and live the abundant life God has in store for you! “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back...”Isaiah 54:2
God has greater blessings in store for you! He has favour in your future like you’ve never imagined. He wants to take you places that you’ve never dreamed. But in order for us to partake of all these blessings, we have to increase our capacity to receive. Think about this: if you have a one-gallon bucket, and someone has fifty gallons to give you, the problem is not with the supply. The problem is that you don’t have the capacity to receive the fifty gallons. But if you get rid of that small container and get something larger, then you will be able to receive more. It’s the same way with God. If we think we’ve reached our limits, the problem isn’t that God doesn’t have the resources or the ability. The problem is that our container is too small. We have to enlarge our vision and make room for the new things God has for us. Our attitude should be, “Even though the economy is down, I know God is still on the throne. I know wherever I go His goodness and mercy follow me.” When you have that kind of attitude, you’re increasing your capacity to receive so that you can live the abundant life He has in store for you. ~ Joel Osteen Habakkuk knew what to do when things seemed completely hopeless. His world was literally falling apart around Him. There was destruction everywhere he looked. But Habakkuk knew that God was bigger than his circumstances! So what did he do? He invited God into his circumstances by rejoicing and praising the Lord. He made the choice to be joyful knowing that it would connect him to the One who would deliver him!
Are you facing a situation that seems dark or hopeless? No matter how difficult things may seem, God has a plan to bring you out into a place of victory. Your praise is the bridge that will carry you into your land of promise. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people, and when the presence of God manifests, the enemy has to flee! The Bible also tells us that there is fullness of joy in His presence. His joy empowers us to walk through any difficulty we may be facing. No matter how things may seem in the natural, you can rejoice today because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you praise Him, He will fill you with His joy and pour out His abundant blessing in every area of your life. ~ Joel Osteen Is there something in your life that you know God is asking you to do, but you just haven’t done it yet? Maybe He’s asking you to reach out to someone or let go of an addiction in your life. Maybe He’s asking you to make a commitment that you just haven’t gotten around to yet or sow a special seed. You may not fully understand why He’s asking you to do it, but know this: God is for your good. He wants to give you the best of the land. He longs to pour out His blessing and favor upon you, but you have to do your part. You have to open your heart and choose to be willing and obedient because obedience opens the door for Him to move in your life.
Today, ask the Lord to give you an obedient heart. Ask Him to show you what adjustments you need to make in your life. As you submit your ways to Him and choose obedience, you will walk in His will. You will experience God's best and live the good life that He has prearranged for you! ~ Joel Osteen If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land” (Isaiah 1:19, NIV)
Is there something in your life that you know God is asking you to do, but you just haven’t done it yet? Maybe He’s asking you to reach out to someone or let go of an addiction in your life. Maybe He’s asking you to make a commitment that you just haven’t gotten around to yet or sow a special seed. You may not fully understand why He’s asking you to do it, but know this: God is for your good. He wants to give you the best of the land. He longs to pour out His blessing and favor upon you, but you have to do your part. You have to open your heart and choose to be willing and obedient because obedience opens the door for Him to move in your life. Today, ask the Lord to give you an obedient heart. Ask Him to show you what adjustments you need to make in your life. As you submit your ways to Him and choose obedience, you will walk in His will. You will experience God's best and live the good life that He has prearranged for you Can you imagine being a thousand times more blessed than you are? That might seem a little challenging to wrap your mind around. But that’s God’s dream for you — to increase you, promote you, and pour out His favor upon you. It doesn’t just mean material things — it means a thousand times more joy, a thousand times more peace, and a thousand times more wisdom.
The scripture talks about how you’ll live in houses that you didn’t build. You’ll reap from vineyards that you didn’t plant. What does that mean? You may have had people who have gone before you, your ancestors, who prayed and believed. They sowed so many good seeds, but the fact is they didn’t see the increase and the favour that you’re seeing today. What happened? They paid the price for you. They stayed faithful and now the Lord God of your fathers is increasing you. He is showing you unusual, extraordinary favour. Today, keep your heart and mind open for what God wants to do in your life. He wants to bless you and increase you beyond what you could ever imagine. When you believe His Word, your faith in Him activates His promises. Receive His Word and tap in to the blessing He has for you! ~ Joel Osteen |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
All
Archives
June 2015
|