(by Joel Osteen)
Years ago I went into a government building that had two sets of double doors spaced about fifteen feet apart. The doors opened automatically as I approached, but for security reasons, when I went through the first set of doors, I had to let them close tightly before the next set of doors would open in front of me. As long as I stayed at the first set of doors, the second set would not open.
In many ways, life operates in a manner similar to those automatic doors. You have to let go of your disappointments, let go of your failures, and let those doors totally close behind you. Step forward into the future that God has for you, knowing there’s nothing you can do about past disappointments. You cannot change the past, but you can do something about the future. What’s in front of you is far more important than what is behind you. Where you are going is more significant than where you came from or where you have been.
If you will have the right attitude, you will give birth to more in the future than you’ve lost in the past. Quit looking back. This is a new day. It may seem like your dreams have died, but God can resurrect your dead dreams or give you brand-new ones. He is a supernatural God, and when we believe, all things are possible.
You will give birth to more in the future than you’ve lost in the past.
God has not given up on you; He knows that He put seeds of greatness in you. You have something to offer that nobody else has. He’s given you noble dreams and desires. Too often, however, we allow adversities, disappointments, and setbacks to deter us, and before long, we find that we’re not pressing forward anymore. We’re not stretching; we’re not believing we will rise any higher in life.
Ironically, some of the most gifted, talented people go through some of the most unfair, unfortunate experiences: divorce, abuse, neglect. And it’s easy for such a person to think, Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve any of this?
Unfortunately, the enemy knows something about what’s on the inside of you as well. He knows the potential you’re carrying, so he does everything he can to keep that seed from taking root. He doesn’t want your gifts and talents to flourish. He doesn’t want you to accomplish your dreams. He wants you to live an average, mediocre life.
But understand this: God did not create any person without putting something extremely valuable on the inside. Life may have tried to push you down through disappointments or setbacks. In the natural, you don’t know how you could rise any higher. You don’t see how you’re ever going to be happy. You need to dig your heels in and say, “I know what I have on the inside. I’m a child of the Most High God. I’m full of His ‘can-do’ power, and I’m going to rise up to become everything God has created me to be.”
The apostle Paul urged his young understudy Timothy, “Stir up the gift within you.” Similarly, you need to stir up your gifts, talents, dreams and desires—in short, the potential within you. Maybe these qualities and traits are buried beneath depression and discouragement, negative voices of people telling you that you can’t; beneath weaknesses; beneath failures or fears. But the good things of God are still there. Now you’ve got to do your part and start digging them out.
Source: Joyce Meyer Magz
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Conflict Free Living: Choose Life
All of us have experienced some disappointments in life. And some of us have experienced greater levels of disappointments when we’ve been involved in a natural or personal form of disaster. In every instance, it’s up to us how we will respond—it’s our choice. The Bible says, I have set before you life and death…choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19).
You may be thinking, How can I choose when these things just happen? People don’t ask to be disappointed or involved in disasters. And yes, it’s true that most of the time people don’t choose to be involved in hurtful circumstances. However, they do occur and these experiences bring death into our lives—physical, spiritual or emotional. And if we sit on the sidelines thinking we have no choice, we may lose even more than we realize. If you and I don’t purposefully choose life, death can continue to spread in our lives until it affects our spiritual life, health and personal relationships.
When Life Takes a Detour
Several years ago, I suddenly found myself in a situation that required me to make a decision between life and death. It was time for my yearly physical, and I resisted going because I’d rather spend my time doing something else. However, Dave was adamant that I go, and my visit included a mammogram.
The day after the examination, I was notified that my doctor had seen something on the test that looked suspicious. He wanted me to return for a biopsy. But I didn’t want to do that either, and once again, my husband insisted I have it checked out. So with full expectation that everything was fine, I went for the biopsy. We prayed, believed God, and asked several others to pray with us. I continued my daily routines and believed there would be a good report from the doctor. But when I returned home one day from an outing, I found a note telling me to call the doctor immediately. When I called, he told me that I had a tumor of a very fast-growing type of cancer and advised me to have surgery as soon as possible to remove my breast. Now, this report was not good, and it was not what I had been expecting.
Dave and I sought God and prayed. For me, the easiest thing to do would have been to trust God and not have the recommended surgery. But that wasn’t the way God was leading me or my entire family. My husband, all four of my children, and a handful of close friends all agreed that I should have the surgery. It was definitely not the route I wanted to take.
Be Grounded in the Word
During this situation, fear started to grip me so strong at times that it almost knocked me down, and my mind started to battle negative thoughts. I was tempted to doubt God’s love for me, to doubt His integrity, and to doubt my own self-worth. The devil tried to convince me that I had to try and figure out the situation by myself. He put questions in my mind like, What have I done wrong? Why has God let this happen? Did God let it happen, or did I open a door for the devil?
These bombarding thoughts were attacks from hell and each one was designed to weaken my faith in God. The devil was trying to get me to be in conflict with God. Gratefully, I was rooted and grounded in Christ, His Word, and in His love for me. It’s important for you and me to be established in Christ, especially when we go through times like these. And that means being prepared ahead of time because usually, we have no warning as to when these challenges will come into our lives.
And when I say “established in Christ,” I don’t mean “established in ministry.” Unfortunately, I believe there are many who minister to others, yet are not rooted and grounded themselves in the very principles they teach. It is easy to tell someone else what to do during a difficult time, but it is another thing entirely to do it yourself in your own distresses.
Do What You Say
Throughout this time God told me, “Joyce, do what you would tell someone else to do in the same situation.” So I had to stop and ask myself, “What would I tell someone else to do in this exact same situation?” And I knew what I would tell them to do. I would say, “Trust God! Don’t try to figure it out. Ask God to reveal to you anything He may want you to see, but if He shows you nothing, remain at peace and walk it out.” I would also say, “It will all work out for good in the end if you don’t give up. Be positive, give praise and continue to be a blessing to others.”
I taught the evening before I went into the hospital. And as recommended by my doctor, family and friends, I did have the surgery and recovered much faster than my doctor had expected. I even stopped at the shopping mall on the way home from the hospital to buy clothing suitable for my recovery. Two weeks after surgery I ministered at an all-day Christmas banquet where I taught twice.
Because I chose life, I kept my joy. My family and I walked it out step-by-step and trusted that God was in charge. When all the test results came back, the report stated, “No more cancer. No problem with lymph nodes. No radiation or chemotherapy needed.” And even though I spent the next year preparing for reconstructive surgery, I didn’t miss any of my scheduled meetings, my routine stayed normal, and God was able to work mightily through my situation.
He provided born-again, Spirit-filled doctors and nurses at every phase of my surgery. I also experienced a tremendous display of love from the body of Christ and learned a new dependence on God that I wouldn’t have learned without going through this difficult circumstance.
Resist Conflict
Still, I can’t answer why God allowed me to go through this experience because I don’t know why. First Corinthians 13:12 tells us that we can only know in part. But I’m grateful that it’s not up to me to figure it out. The cancer in my body was a portion of death, but I didn’t have to let it spread more death in my life by becoming angry with God. His grace was there for me to choose life and resist strife, and as a result, my life moved forward in God.
And cancer isn’t the only death that can try to take hold of our lives. There’s also bitterness about adultery, divorce, death, lack, childlessness, miscarriage, abuse and more. If circumstances have opened the doorway to more death in your life, run to God—not away from Him. Trust Him and He will give you His peace that can carry you through any situation.
What a wonderful privilege it is to trust God! And when unfortunate things come into our lives, even though we don’t have control over every circumstance, we can control our reactions to them. We can resist conflict with God and choose life.
Source: Joyce Meyer Magz
You may be thinking, How can I choose when these things just happen? People don’t ask to be disappointed or involved in disasters. And yes, it’s true that most of the time people don’t choose to be involved in hurtful circumstances. However, they do occur and these experiences bring death into our lives—physical, spiritual or emotional. And if we sit on the sidelines thinking we have no choice, we may lose even more than we realize. If you and I don’t purposefully choose life, death can continue to spread in our lives until it affects our spiritual life, health and personal relationships.
When Life Takes a Detour
Several years ago, I suddenly found myself in a situation that required me to make a decision between life and death. It was time for my yearly physical, and I resisted going because I’d rather spend my time doing something else. However, Dave was adamant that I go, and my visit included a mammogram.
The day after the examination, I was notified that my doctor had seen something on the test that looked suspicious. He wanted me to return for a biopsy. But I didn’t want to do that either, and once again, my husband insisted I have it checked out. So with full expectation that everything was fine, I went for the biopsy. We prayed, believed God, and asked several others to pray with us. I continued my daily routines and believed there would be a good report from the doctor. But when I returned home one day from an outing, I found a note telling me to call the doctor immediately. When I called, he told me that I had a tumor of a very fast-growing type of cancer and advised me to have surgery as soon as possible to remove my breast. Now, this report was not good, and it was not what I had been expecting.
Dave and I sought God and prayed. For me, the easiest thing to do would have been to trust God and not have the recommended surgery. But that wasn’t the way God was leading me or my entire family. My husband, all four of my children, and a handful of close friends all agreed that I should have the surgery. It was definitely not the route I wanted to take.
Be Grounded in the Word
During this situation, fear started to grip me so strong at times that it almost knocked me down, and my mind started to battle negative thoughts. I was tempted to doubt God’s love for me, to doubt His integrity, and to doubt my own self-worth. The devil tried to convince me that I had to try and figure out the situation by myself. He put questions in my mind like, What have I done wrong? Why has God let this happen? Did God let it happen, or did I open a door for the devil?
These bombarding thoughts were attacks from hell and each one was designed to weaken my faith in God. The devil was trying to get me to be in conflict with God. Gratefully, I was rooted and grounded in Christ, His Word, and in His love for me. It’s important for you and me to be established in Christ, especially when we go through times like these. And that means being prepared ahead of time because usually, we have no warning as to when these challenges will come into our lives.
And when I say “established in Christ,” I don’t mean “established in ministry.” Unfortunately, I believe there are many who minister to others, yet are not rooted and grounded themselves in the very principles they teach. It is easy to tell someone else what to do during a difficult time, but it is another thing entirely to do it yourself in your own distresses.
Do What You Say
Throughout this time God told me, “Joyce, do what you would tell someone else to do in the same situation.” So I had to stop and ask myself, “What would I tell someone else to do in this exact same situation?” And I knew what I would tell them to do. I would say, “Trust God! Don’t try to figure it out. Ask God to reveal to you anything He may want you to see, but if He shows you nothing, remain at peace and walk it out.” I would also say, “It will all work out for good in the end if you don’t give up. Be positive, give praise and continue to be a blessing to others.”
I taught the evening before I went into the hospital. And as recommended by my doctor, family and friends, I did have the surgery and recovered much faster than my doctor had expected. I even stopped at the shopping mall on the way home from the hospital to buy clothing suitable for my recovery. Two weeks after surgery I ministered at an all-day Christmas banquet where I taught twice.
Because I chose life, I kept my joy. My family and I walked it out step-by-step and trusted that God was in charge. When all the test results came back, the report stated, “No more cancer. No problem with lymph nodes. No radiation or chemotherapy needed.” And even though I spent the next year preparing for reconstructive surgery, I didn’t miss any of my scheduled meetings, my routine stayed normal, and God was able to work mightily through my situation.
He provided born-again, Spirit-filled doctors and nurses at every phase of my surgery. I also experienced a tremendous display of love from the body of Christ and learned a new dependence on God that I wouldn’t have learned without going through this difficult circumstance.
Resist Conflict
Still, I can’t answer why God allowed me to go through this experience because I don’t know why. First Corinthians 13:12 tells us that we can only know in part. But I’m grateful that it’s not up to me to figure it out. The cancer in my body was a portion of death, but I didn’t have to let it spread more death in my life by becoming angry with God. His grace was there for me to choose life and resist strife, and as a result, my life moved forward in God.
And cancer isn’t the only death that can try to take hold of our lives. There’s also bitterness about adultery, divorce, death, lack, childlessness, miscarriage, abuse and more. If circumstances have opened the doorway to more death in your life, run to God—not away from Him. Trust Him and He will give you His peace that can carry you through any situation.
What a wonderful privilege it is to trust God! And when unfortunate things come into our lives, even though we don’t have control over every circumstance, we can control our reactions to them. We can resist conflict with God and choose life.
Source: Joyce Meyer Magz
I Think I Can...
(by Linda Mintle)
Don't let negative self-talk control who you are.
We are told in Scripture to be anxious about nothing (see Philippians 4:6). This directive is more than a simple request from God. It is something God believes we can actually attain! With that said, many of us really don’t believe that we can walk in God’s peace—free from anxiety. We have too many thoughts that trouble us and cause us to worry. With God’s help, we can change our way of thinking.
When I ask a worrier what they are thinking, the reply is usually, “I just feel anxious. I’m not thinking anything.” Wrong answer! You may not be aware of it, but you have thoughts behind those anxious feelings.
Negative self-talk is usually the culprit behind anxious feelings, and those negative thoughts cause us to be anxious. When we feel anxious, we see our world in a more negative light. That negative light affects our thoughts. This vicious cycle keeps anxiety going.
In order to stop anxiety, you’ve got to learn to take anxious thoughts captive. You can do this by “grabbing” an anxious thought and pretending to hold it in your hand. Throw the thought away and replace it with something positive and encouraging.
Does this process sound easy? It’s not. Anxious thoughts are automatic for most people, so the work is to first identify your thought prior to the anxious feeling. The thought won’t always be obvious—search for it.
For example, John sat in a meeting with several of his superiors. He was nervous about his presentation and flashed back to a time early in his career when he botched a presentation. These thoughts started running through John’s head, What if I mess up again? I could get fired. I will embarrass myself. The more John allowed these thoughts, the more anxious he became. By the time he stood up to give his presentation, he was close to panic.
Had John changed his self-talk, he may have warded off anxiety. He could have thought, I messed up early in my career. I’m much more experienced. I have done these presentations many times with good outcomes. I have every reason to believe these people will like what I have to say and be impressed. God, help me in my weakness. You are strong in me.
Can you see the difference in self-talk? The first creates or reinforces anxious feelings. The second example dismisses anxious thoughts and builds confidence because of Christ in us. Self-talk is powerful in that it can produce worry and anxiety, but it can also calm us down.
If you struggle with worry or anxiety, check your self-talk. If you notice the following themes, make changes!
I should have… I could have… You are the classic perfectionist who always falls short of the job and worries about your failures. Allow for mistakes.
I can’t believe I did that… What an idiot I am. You are far too critical of yourself and need a shot of God-esteem.
I can’t… I don’t have what it takes… I won’t be able to do it… You believe you can’t meet the challenge. It’s all about you, and God is not in the picture. Insert God.
What about…? You are the classic worrier. Nothing can happen without you bringing out all the possibilities for disaster or problems. This is a lack of trust in God. God’s promise is to be with us through difficulty.
If you find yourself identifying with these statements, write down positive statements that will counter the negative possibilities. For example, instead of thinking, I can’t do that because it’s too scary, say, “It looks scary, but I can meet a new challenge. The worst possible thing that can happen is that I’ll feel scared for a moment and then it will pass. However, I will have accomplished something new.”
After you’ve written down positive statements to counter your negative thoughts, practice saying the positive statements. I suggest using scriptures. Here’s one I use with my kids when they tell me they can’t do something: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). Then I ask, “Is this thing you think you can’t do one of all things? Yes? So you can do it.”
Next time you feel anxious, stop and ask, “What was I thinking before I felt this way?” Chances are it was a negative thought that needs to be taken captive—replace it with a positive “I can” thought.
Source: Joyce Meyer Magz
Don't let negative self-talk control who you are.
We are told in Scripture to be anxious about nothing (see Philippians 4:6). This directive is more than a simple request from God. It is something God believes we can actually attain! With that said, many of us really don’t believe that we can walk in God’s peace—free from anxiety. We have too many thoughts that trouble us and cause us to worry. With God’s help, we can change our way of thinking.
When I ask a worrier what they are thinking, the reply is usually, “I just feel anxious. I’m not thinking anything.” Wrong answer! You may not be aware of it, but you have thoughts behind those anxious feelings.
Negative self-talk is usually the culprit behind anxious feelings, and those negative thoughts cause us to be anxious. When we feel anxious, we see our world in a more negative light. That negative light affects our thoughts. This vicious cycle keeps anxiety going.
In order to stop anxiety, you’ve got to learn to take anxious thoughts captive. You can do this by “grabbing” an anxious thought and pretending to hold it in your hand. Throw the thought away and replace it with something positive and encouraging.
Does this process sound easy? It’s not. Anxious thoughts are automatic for most people, so the work is to first identify your thought prior to the anxious feeling. The thought won’t always be obvious—search for it.
For example, John sat in a meeting with several of his superiors. He was nervous about his presentation and flashed back to a time early in his career when he botched a presentation. These thoughts started running through John’s head, What if I mess up again? I could get fired. I will embarrass myself. The more John allowed these thoughts, the more anxious he became. By the time he stood up to give his presentation, he was close to panic.
Had John changed his self-talk, he may have warded off anxiety. He could have thought, I messed up early in my career. I’m much more experienced. I have done these presentations many times with good outcomes. I have every reason to believe these people will like what I have to say and be impressed. God, help me in my weakness. You are strong in me.
Can you see the difference in self-talk? The first creates or reinforces anxious feelings. The second example dismisses anxious thoughts and builds confidence because of Christ in us. Self-talk is powerful in that it can produce worry and anxiety, but it can also calm us down.
If you struggle with worry or anxiety, check your self-talk. If you notice the following themes, make changes!
I should have… I could have… You are the classic perfectionist who always falls short of the job and worries about your failures. Allow for mistakes.
I can’t believe I did that… What an idiot I am. You are far too critical of yourself and need a shot of God-esteem.
I can’t… I don’t have what it takes… I won’t be able to do it… You believe you can’t meet the challenge. It’s all about you, and God is not in the picture. Insert God.
What about…? You are the classic worrier. Nothing can happen without you bringing out all the possibilities for disaster or problems. This is a lack of trust in God. God’s promise is to be with us through difficulty.
If you find yourself identifying with these statements, write down positive statements that will counter the negative possibilities. For example, instead of thinking, I can’t do that because it’s too scary, say, “It looks scary, but I can meet a new challenge. The worst possible thing that can happen is that I’ll feel scared for a moment and then it will pass. However, I will have accomplished something new.”
After you’ve written down positive statements to counter your negative thoughts, practice saying the positive statements. I suggest using scriptures. Here’s one I use with my kids when they tell me they can’t do something: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). Then I ask, “Is this thing you think you can’t do one of all things? Yes? So you can do it.”
Next time you feel anxious, stop and ask, “What was I thinking before I felt this way?” Chances are it was a negative thought that needs to be taken captive—replace it with a positive “I can” thought.
Source: Joyce Meyer Magz
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