Celebrate Partial Victories

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That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.280 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.120 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.000 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:36.800 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:39.280 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:40.840 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.880 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:59.680 your life. Well, God bless you. Always a joy to 0:01:59.720 --> 0:02:01.720 come in to your homes, and if you're ever in 0:02:01.760 --> 0:02:04.360 our area, please stop by and be a part of 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:07.240 our services. I'll promise you we'll make you feel right 0:02:07.280 --> 0:02:09.800 at home. But thanks so much for tuning in, and 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:12.720 thank you again for coming out today. I like to 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:15.280 start with something funny, and I heard about this group 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:18.639 of elderly ladies way up in their eighties, and they 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:21.680 were driving down the freeway together when they got pulled 0:02:21.680 --> 0:02:24.920 over by a police officer. The officer said to the 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:28.840 woman driving, ma'am, do you realize you're only going thirty 0:02:28.840 --> 0:02:32.480 five miles an hour? She said, yes, Officer, I realized that. 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:35.720 He said, well, why are you going so slow? She said, 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:39.400 that's what the sign says. He kind of laughed and said, no, ma'am, 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:43.280 that's the number of the freeway. This is Highway thirty five. 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:46.360 And by the way, why do these ladies look so terrified? 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:49.840 She smiled and said, because we just got off Highway 0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:54.320 ninety five. Hold up your Bible. Say it like you 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:57.440 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says. 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:00.240 I am. I have what it says I have. I 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:02.880 can do what it says I can do. Today I 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:06.160 will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:03:06.560 --> 0:03:09.919 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:13.680 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:18.840 I want to talk to you today about celebrating partial victories. 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:22.400 We all have things in our life that are incomplete. 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:26.680 A dream hasn't come to pass, A problem hasn't turned around. 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.920 We've made some progress, seen a sign of God's favor, 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:35.280 but it's still unfinished. The mistake we make too often 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:40.120 is we wait for the total victory to celebrate. As 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:42.920 soon as I get over this illness, as soon as 0:03:42.920 --> 0:03:46.680 this legal situation clears up, or Joel, when I break 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:50.600 free from this addiction, then I'll celebrate. The key to 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:54.040 seeing it come to fulfillment is you have to celebrate 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:58.760 partial victories along the way. You're not totally out of debt, 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:02.119 but you paid off one credit card. Celebrate what God 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:05.160 has done. You haven't lost all the weight, but you 0:04:05.240 --> 0:04:09.600 did lose five pounds. Celebrate that victory. You haven't received 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:12.760 your college degree, but you did finish your first year. 0:04:13.760 --> 0:04:17.080 When you celebrate your partial victories, it gives you the 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:21.040 strength to keep moving forward. I talked to an elderly 0:04:21.120 --> 0:04:24.920 lady recently. She'd had a stroke. She was walking very 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:28.080 slowly with a cane. I asked how she was doing. 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:31.640 She could have complained, I can't believe I had this stroke, 0:04:32.000 --> 0:04:36.280 barely walk anymore. Instead, she smiled real big and said, Joel, 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:39.120 I have to use this cane, but at least I'm walking. 0:04:40.080 --> 0:04:42.559 She was said, I could be at home, I could 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.559 be in bed. I'm not totally well, but I'm headed 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:49.880 that way. When you thank God for the partial, he'll 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:54.839 release more healing, more strength, more favor. But sometimes we're 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:58.880 so focused on the completion we miss and take for 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:03.200 granted the small all victories. Your child may not be 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:07.120 on course yet, but he was respectful this morning. That's 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:11.080 a partial victory. Thank God for it. You're struggling with 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.719 those anxiety attacks. You haven't had one in three weeks. 0:05:15.040 --> 0:05:18.000 A partial victory. Lord, Thank you that I'm getting better. 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:21.680 Or maybe you didn't make that big cell that you 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.320 worked so hard for. Things fell through, but you did 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:29.200 sell something. Don't go around complain and I'll never get ahead. 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:33.560 Be grateful for your partial victories. Your time is coming. 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:37.159 God is on the throne. If you'll pass this test 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:41.159 of being grateful for the small, God will release big 0:05:41.200 --> 0:05:45.000 things in your life. When Jesus needed food to feed 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:49.560 five thousand people, his disciples brought him five loaves of bread, 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:53.600 two fish, said this is all we could find. Jesus 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:56.000 could have looked up to the heavens and said, Father, 0:05:56.440 --> 0:05:59.440 are you kidding? I need to feed five thousand and 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:02.000 this is what you you've given me. But he saw 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:06.520 it from a different perspective. His attitude was, I could 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:10.080 have nothing, but Father, thank you that you blessed me 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:13.040 with this small amount. Thank you for the five loaves 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:17.240 and two fish. Because he was grateful for the partial, 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:21.640 God multiplied it and gave him more. Are you complaining 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:25.560 about the partial or are you celebrating the partial? Are 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:27.960 you so focused on how far you have to go 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:32.799 that you're missing the small miracles along the way. Don't 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:36.320 let the completion of what you're believing for keep your 0:06:36.360 --> 0:06:41.160 thanksgiving back. Celebrating partial victories is what will lead you 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:45.640 to total victory. In the Book of Ezra, the Israelites 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:49.000 had a dream to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. It 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:53.039 was a huge task. People came from all over. After 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:57.919 much work, they finally finished the foundation. The scripture says 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:02.640 when they completed the foundation, they all gathered together and 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:06.960 they blew their trumpets, clashed their symbols, and shouted to 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:11.640 the Lord. All they had completed was the foundation. Yet 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:15.920 they had this huge celebration, this big party. They didn't 0:07:15.920 --> 0:07:19.520 have any walls up, no roof, no chairs, just a 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:22.720 big piece of property. They could have thought, we're never 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:24.840 going to get the rest of the materials, We'll never 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:31.080 be able to finish. Instead, they were celebrating that partial victory. Well, Joel, 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:33.680 I don't think I'll ever break this addiction. I've had 0:07:33.720 --> 0:07:37.080 it for six years. Have you made any progress in 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:41.320 the last six years? Have you resisted the temptation one time? 0:07:41.840 --> 0:07:46.360 Have you attended one celebrate recovery class? Start thanking God 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:50.840 for your small victories. You may not be totally free yet, 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:53.840 but at least you're in church. At least you're listening. 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:57.640 That's a partial victory. You're not out partying with your friends. 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:01.360 You're not out in the clubs where you used to be. Lord, 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:04.840 Thank you for where you brought me to today. Maybe 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:07.480 you've been believing to get out of debt, but it's 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:09.320 been a long time and you don't see how it 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:12.480 could happen. Have you had any good breaks? Have you 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:18.160 seen any favor increase promotion, even if it's small. If 0:08:18.200 --> 0:08:22.280 you'll be grateful, thank God for the little that to 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:24.880 seed you're sowing, for God to bless you with more. 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:29.320 Moses Malone was a Hall of Fame basketball player that 0:08:29.400 --> 0:08:32.480 played right in this facility. He recently went to be 0:08:32.559 --> 0:08:37.000 with the Lord. At the funeral, Another great player, Charles Barkley, 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:41.320 told how Moses had taken him under his wing, treated 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:44.680 him like a son. In fact, Charles had so much 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:49.160 respect and admiration for Moses he called him Dad. When 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:53.160 Charles first came into the league, Moses said, Charles, you're overweight. 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:56.360 You're too heavy. You're never going to be your best. 0:08:56.640 --> 0:09:00.000 I want you to lose ten pounds. Charles went out, 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:04.000 worked hard and watch what he ate. Came back a 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:06.840 few weeks later he had lost those ten pounds. He 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:11.240 and Moses celebrated together. Then Moses said, Charles, now I 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:13.880 want you to go out and lose ten more pounds. 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:16.959 He went back, did the same thing, worked hard, came 0:09:17.000 --> 0:09:20.720 back a few weeks later, and they celebrated together. This 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:25.600 happened six more times. After Charles had lost eighty pounds, 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:28.720 Moses said, all right, now you're at your ideal weight. 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:32.000 You're going to be a great basketball player. Charles ask 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:34.920 him later, Moses, why didn't you just tell me up 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:38.199 front you wanted me to lose eighty pounds? He said, 0:09:38.320 --> 0:09:41.400 I knew if I'd told you at the beginning, you'd 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:44.280 have been overwhelmed. And not thought you could do it. 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:47.319 But I knew if you took it in small increments 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:51.080 and we celebrated along the way, I knew you'd stick 0:09:51.120 --> 0:09:55.800 with it. It's the same principle. If you'll celebrate your 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:59.880 partial victories, that's what gives you the strength, the encouragement, 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:04.439 determination to keep going. In the Scripture, a man by 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:07.400 the name of Jonah made a mistake. He tried to 0:10:07.480 --> 0:10:10.319 run away from God and wouldn't do what he knew 0:10:10.480 --> 0:10:13.080 he was supposed to do. He ended up in the 0:10:13.120 --> 0:10:17.240 belly of this well. It looked hopeless, looked like he 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:21.200 was done. It was dark, smelly, no way out in 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:24.840 the natural. But sitting in the belly of this fish, 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:30.160 Jonah said, God, I'll offer under you a sacrifice of 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:36.119 praise with thanksgiving. He could have been depressed negative. Instead 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:40.360 he was thanking God that he was still alive. There 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:43.800 were plenty of things to complain about, but he found 0:10:43.880 --> 0:10:47.280 the one thing that was right, and he thanked God 0:10:47.440 --> 0:10:51.680 for that partial victory. He wasn't out, he wasn't delivered, 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:55.680 but at least his life was spared. As he thanked 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:58.880 God for the partial God went to work, had that 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:02.959 fish spit him up on the dry ground, it's easy 0:11:03.040 --> 0:11:06.040 to complain about what's not right. God, get me out 0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:09.240 of this fish. It stinks in here. Modern day God, 0:11:09.280 --> 0:11:11.800 I don't like my work. These people don't treat me right. 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:17.080 Complaining doesn't get God's attention. When we complain, God tunes 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:20.040 it out. If you want God to show up and 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:23.160 turn it around, you have to do like Jonah, even 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:26.280 in the tough times, find something to thank him for. 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.360 In the book of Genesis, when God created the heavens 0:11:30.360 --> 0:11:33.160 and the earth, on the first day, he said, let 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:37.160 there be light, and light came. There were no oceans, 0:11:37.600 --> 0:11:42.640 no skies, no animals. Everything was chaotic. It was an 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:46.120 unfinished product. But at the end of that day God 0:11:46.200 --> 0:11:51.360 said it is good. On the second day, God separated 0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:55.120 the waters from the sky. He still hadn't made any fish, 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:59.800 any animals. There were no mountains, no sunsets, but at 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:02.680 the end of that day he said it is good. 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:06.760 Same thing. At the end of day three, day four, 0:12:07.120 --> 0:12:12.280 day five, it was incomplete. The miracle was unfinished, but 0:12:12.520 --> 0:12:17.520 five times God said it is good. On the sixth day, 0:12:18.080 --> 0:12:22.320 when God completed creation, this time he said it is 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:26.760 very good. If you don't learn to see the good 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:31.160 in the unfinished. You'll never get to very good if 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:34.240 you're complaining about where you are. Why am I still 0:12:34.280 --> 0:12:37.280 struggling in these areas? When is my dream ever going 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:41.040 to come to pass? You'll get stuck. Don't wait till 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:45.480 it's totally complete, till you see very good, until you 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:49.480 give God thanks, find the good along the way, and 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:52.800 thank Him for the partial. If you'll be grateful for 0:12:52.880 --> 0:12:56.280 the good, God will take you to very good. As 0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:58.920 a young man, my father had a dream that one 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:01.800 day he would pass a church with thousands of people. 0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:05.360 But for years he was in a small feed store, 0:13:05.760 --> 0:13:10.679 a little building, pastoring ninety people. He didn't complain. He 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.760 preached to those ninety like he was preaching to thousands. 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:17.760 His attitude was, God, I know I have more in me, 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:22.360 but this is good. I'm content where I am. Because 0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:25.560 he was grateful for the good, God took him to 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:29.560 very good. He saw the completion of that dream. And 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:32.160 sometimes we think, well, when I meet the right person, 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:35.200 I have a good attitude. When I break the addiction, 0:13:35.800 --> 0:13:38.160 when I get the funding for my dream, then I'll 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:41.240 give God praise. Now you have to praise him for 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:46.680 the partial when it's incomplete, when it looks dysfunctional, when 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:49.040 the medical report says you're not going to get well, 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:53.560 when your dream seems impossible, find something good and thank 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:57.840 God for it. The first year I started ministring every 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:01.680 Sunday afternoon, I had a celebration. I thank God that 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:05.840 he brought me through another Sunday. Thousands of pastors speak 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:08.839 every weekend. To them, it may have been no big deal, 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:12.080 but for me it was a major accomplishment. On my 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:16.680 first year anniversary, I had a party for myself. I said, Lord, 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:19.240 thank you for bringing me through another year. Thank you 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:21.640 for giving me the grace. Thank you that I didn't 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:25.120 give discourage. Thank you that I didn't listen to the critics. Lord, 0:14:25.160 --> 0:14:29.160 that was good. If nobody else will celebrate you, you need 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:33.400 to learn to celebrate yourself. Have your own party. You 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:37.160 don't have to tell anyone. Just between you and God. 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:40.920 Thank him for his favor in your life. Thank him 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:43.520 for where he's brought you to, Thank him for fighting 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:46.360 your battles. If you'll keep thanking Him for the good, 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:51.040 God will take you to very good. But sometimes we 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:54.400 can be so hard on ourselves and we focus on 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:57.280 the areas where we don't measure up and how we 0:14:57.360 --> 0:15:02.920 should be further along. Being down on yourself negative, critical, 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:08.440 that only makes you do worse. We all have flaws, weaknesses, shortcomings. 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:11.680 If you keep dwelling on those things, then it's going 0:15:11.720 --> 0:15:14.600 to hold you back. You need to focus on what 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:17.160 you're doing right and not on what you're doing wrong. 0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:20.480 Find the good. I know a young man that was 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:24.080 raised by a single parent mother. His dad was never around, 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:26.960 didn't even know him, and because he didn't have any 0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:30.120 kind of father figure in his life, he didn't know 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:33.200 what it means to be a good father. Now he 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:37.119 is a father, but he's so hard on himself, critical, 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:41.800 always being negative toward himself. I told him, you need 0:15:41.800 --> 0:15:45.480 to lighten up, give yourself a break. Just the fact 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:48.600 that you're in your children's life trying to be your best, 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:52.280 that's a reason to celebrate. You're doing better than your father, 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:55.320 you're setting a new standard for your family. But a 0:15:55.320 --> 0:15:59.120 lot of people like him have had negative things, pass down, 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:04.360 bad habits. They have to overcome generational curses that they 0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:07.600 had nothing to do with. It's easy to stay focused 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.920 on weaknesses, and every time you blew it, that's just 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:14.600 going to keep you condemned. Look away from your flaws 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:19.160 and start seeing yourself as a good parent, a good man, 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:23.720 a good woman. The enemy doesn't want you to celebrate yourself. 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:26.960 He'll remind you of everything that you're not. You're not 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:29.480 a good parent. How could you say that you have 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:33.200 these flaws, you're struggling in these areas, you don't perform perfectly. 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:36.240 Let that go in one ear and out the other. 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:39.600 You can say, I may not be a perfect parent, 0:16:40.040 --> 0:16:43.000 but I can celebrate the fact that at least I'm here, 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:47.040 I'm trying, I'm responsible, I'm committed, I'm being my best. 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:52.040 Very few people today can look in the mirror and 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:55.440 say you are good. Well, not me, Joel. I don't 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:58.600 perform perfectly. I got these struggles, I've got these areas 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:02.920 of weaknesses. When you say I am good, it's not 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:06.360 because of who you are. It's because of who you are. 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:10.040 You are a child of the most High God. He 0:17:10.240 --> 0:17:14.560 hand picked you, he breathed life into you, he crowned 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:17.760 you with his favor, He put seeds of greatness on 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:21.080 the inside. Don't you dare go around feeling like you 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:26.040 don't measure up, not good enough, intimidated, insecure, who you 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:29.080 are is not determined by how you perform. Who you 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:32.720 are is determined by who your heavenly father is. You 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:37.399 have the DNA of Almighty God. When you make mistakes, 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:41.000 and we all do, when you fall down, the enemy 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:45.040 will whisper those condemning voices. Look at you, You're a hypocrite. 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:48.360 God's never gonna bless you. Just answer back. I may 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:51.560 have fallen down, but I didn't stay down. I got 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:55.120 back up again. I'm on the right course. The scripture 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:58.680 says a good man falls seven times, but the Lord 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:02.680 raises him up. Don't live with that heaviness. You could 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:07.080 be on the sidelines, depressed, defeated, bitter, But look at you. 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:11.200 You're still in the game. You're redeemed, you're restored, you're 0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:14.760 moving forward. You're headed towards your destiny. You can feel 0:18:14.800 --> 0:18:18.760 good about who you are. On the first day of creation, 0:18:19.320 --> 0:18:23.040 when God said let there be light, there were no planets, 0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:27.840 no animals, no oceans. He knew it wasn't finished, but 0:18:27.920 --> 0:18:31.760 he still took time to celebrate. He still said it 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:35.159 is good. We all have things in our life that 0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:39.520 are not finished. Maybe you're struggling with addiction or some 0:18:39.680 --> 0:18:43.480 kind of bad habit, not being patient, or losing your temper. 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:46.879 We have these weaknesses, but you shouldn't go around down 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:49.920 on yourself. What's wrong with me? When am I ever 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:53.240 going to do better? You have to stop along the 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:58.320 way and celebrate the small victories, even though the whole 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:03.240 thing is not finished. If someone would have been watching creation, 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:05.919 they would have said, God, what are you talking about? 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:08.960 It is good? It's not good, it's chaotic, it's a 0:19:09.000 --> 0:19:12.720 big mess. Nothing is in order. People may look at 0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:15.680 you and try to judge you. What do you mean 0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:19.040 you feel good about yourself. You still have these weaknesses, 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:23.200 you still struggle in these areas. Just tell them, don't worry. 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:27.200 I'm not a finished product. You're seeing day one, day two, 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:30.879 but day six is coming. What God started in my 0:19:31.040 --> 0:19:35.719 life He's going to finish. In the meantime, hold your 0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:38.680 head up high. You may not be where you want 0:19:38.720 --> 0:19:40.840 to be, but you can thank God. You're not where 0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:44.480 you used to be. You're growing, You're making progress, You're 0:19:44.480 --> 0:19:48.400 coming up higher. Don't get so focused on how far 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:52.760 you have to go. Celebrate where you are. Thank God 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:55.720 for where he brought you to. If you're waiting for 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:58.879 the completion, for the finished product. You're going to be 0:19:58.920 --> 0:20:02.760 waiting your whole lifetime. If you don't learn to celebrate 0:20:02.840 --> 0:20:06.440 the good in day one in the season that you're in, 0:20:06.720 --> 0:20:09.760 you'll never get to day two. If you're down on 0:20:09.800 --> 0:20:12.960 yourself because of weaknesses, Like my friend, you don't think 0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:16.000 you're a good enough parent, you're frustrated because you're not 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:19.160 far enough along, you're going to get stuck. Now. I'm 0:20:19.200 --> 0:20:22.800 not saying to ignore his shoes, not deal with weaknesses. 0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:26.439 I'm saying you have to find the good in right now, 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:29.840 in the improvement you're making, and then thank God for 0:20:29.920 --> 0:20:34.280 that good. Maybe small. That's okay. God loves for you 0:20:34.400 --> 0:20:38.399 to thank him for small things. You haven't totally broken 0:20:38.440 --> 0:20:42.840 the addiction. But instead of smoking ten cigarettes yesterday, you 0:20:42.880 --> 0:20:45.960 smoke nine and a half. You put number ten out 0:20:45.960 --> 0:20:50.639 halfway through. That was good. Celebrate that half. When you 0:20:50.720 --> 0:20:53.560 walk through the kitchen last night, instead of eating the 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:56.480 whole bag of oreos, you only ate a dozen. That 0:20:56.680 --> 0:21:00.520 was good. Pat yourself on the back. Now, don't go 0:21:00.680 --> 0:21:05.320 celebrate with a piece of cheesecake at the office last week. 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:08.760 That person that was rude to you, normally you would 0:21:08.800 --> 0:21:11.480 have given them a piece of your mind, told them 0:21:11.480 --> 0:21:14.720 what you thought, but this time you just smiled, turned 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:18.280 around and walked away. For some people, no big deal, 0:21:18.640 --> 0:21:21.600 no reason to celebrate. But for you, the whole church 0:21:21.640 --> 0:21:25.960 should rejoice, zipping it up. That's like God parting the 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:30.520 Red Sea. What am I saying? It's good to celebrate 0:21:30.640 --> 0:21:33.919 where you are while God is in the process of 0:21:34.000 --> 0:21:38.119 changing you. You don't have to be finished to feel 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:42.760 good about yourself. Too many people go around feeling wrong 0:21:42.840 --> 0:21:45.840 on the inside. They get up every morning and take 0:21:45.920 --> 0:21:49.280 inventory of their faults. How they blew it the day before, 0:21:49.640 --> 0:21:52.359 how they don't measure up. That's going to hold you back. 0:21:52.920 --> 0:21:57.040 Being against yourself will keep you from your destiny. What 0:21:57.160 --> 0:22:00.560 if on day one of creation God would said, yes, 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:03.920 the light is good, but everything else is so messed up. 0:22:04.520 --> 0:22:07.080 I got so much work to do. I'm just depressed. No, 0:22:07.200 --> 0:22:10.640 he was showing us this principle. He knew it wasn't finished. 0:22:11.119 --> 0:22:13.840 There were a thousand things out of order, but he 0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:16.840 found the one thing that was right and said that 0:22:17.000 --> 0:22:20.800 was good. He could have kept on going, kept on creating, 0:22:21.040 --> 0:22:24.520 finished it all at once, but instead he stopped at 0:22:24.520 --> 0:22:28.040 the end of each day to celebrate what he had done. 0:22:28.840 --> 0:22:31.920 Nobody was there to praise him, so he praised himself. 0:22:32.680 --> 0:22:36.479 Have you praised yourself lately? Have you taken time to 0:22:36.520 --> 0:22:39.119 patch yourself on the back and say that was good. 0:22:39.920 --> 0:22:43.200 You came to church today, that was good. You didn't 0:22:43.200 --> 0:22:46.439 complain in the traffic, that was good. You overlooked an 0:22:46.440 --> 0:22:49.520 insult last week. That was good. You spent time with 0:22:49.600 --> 0:22:52.720 your children, that was good. You turned the TV off, 0:22:52.760 --> 0:22:55.359 didn't watch it all night, went to bed, that was good. 0:22:56.080 --> 0:22:59.119 A lot of good things you've been doing. Take time 0:22:59.480 --> 0:23:04.240 to complimit yourself. There's nothing the enemy would love anymore 0:23:04.640 --> 0:23:07.560 than for you to go through life being against yourself, 0:23:07.960 --> 0:23:10.680 focused on your failures, on how you don't measure up. 0:23:11.160 --> 0:23:14.600 Don't fall into that trap when he whispers those lies. 0:23:14.800 --> 0:23:17.560 When you blew your diet, you were late to work, 0:23:17.880 --> 0:23:21.320 you lost your temper, you gave into that temptation. Just 0:23:21.400 --> 0:23:25.760 remind yourself you are not a finished product. You may 0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:28.280 have some things wrong with you, but you have a 0:23:28.320 --> 0:23:32.679 lot more right with you. Learn to celebrate who you 0:23:32.840 --> 0:23:36.639 are and not beat yourself up because of who you're not. 0:23:37.640 --> 0:23:41.040 God is changing you from glory to glory. You haven't 0:23:41.080 --> 0:23:44.560 made it today six yet there are still some unfinished things. 0:23:44.880 --> 0:23:48.600 Keep honoring him, keep being your best, and God will 0:23:48.600 --> 0:23:52.359 get you to where you're supposed to be. This principle 0:23:52.760 --> 0:23:56.680 is true as well in relationships. If you will focus 0:23:56.840 --> 0:24:01.120 on the good in your spouse, your children, in your friends, 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:05.639 see their strengths, praise them for what you like, that'll 0:24:05.720 --> 0:24:10.240 draw out more good. People improve when you compliment them 0:24:10.280 --> 0:24:13.280 for what's right, more than when you nag them for 0:24:13.320 --> 0:24:17.400 what's wrong. Your spouse may have one hundred good qualities, 0:24:17.640 --> 0:24:20.199 but if you focus on the three things you don't like, 0:24:20.760 --> 0:24:24.560 that can drive you apart. Maybe your husband is not 0:24:24.640 --> 0:24:27.600 a big communicator, he doesn't like to talk a lot. 0:24:28.320 --> 0:24:30.880 You could choose to focus on that and it will 0:24:30.920 --> 0:24:34.640 become a source of frustration. Or you could focus on 0:24:34.640 --> 0:24:37.119 one of his good qualities, the fact that he's a 0:24:37.160 --> 0:24:40.960 hard worker, he's committed, he makes a good living. You 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:43.760 never have to wonder about him being home. If you'll 0:24:43.800 --> 0:24:46.600 praise him for the good, then God will take you 0:24:46.680 --> 0:24:50.320 to very good The relationship will get better. Or perhaps 0:24:50.320 --> 0:24:53.120 your children they're making seas in schools and you're kind 0:24:53.119 --> 0:24:56.360 of disappointed. Instead of harping on them, well you got 0:24:56.400 --> 0:24:59.119 to do better, I'm disappointed in you. Why don't you 0:24:59.200 --> 0:25:02.160 praise them for but they're doing right. Hey, you're striving, 0:25:02.359 --> 0:25:04.879 you're a hard worker. I'm proud that you're my child. 0:25:05.520 --> 0:25:09.080 When you praise them for the good, they'll do better. Hell, 0:25:09.200 --> 0:25:13.200 Joel my husband. He gets on my nerves. He's got flaws, 0:25:13.280 --> 0:25:16.679 he's got weaknesses. Can I say this very respectfully? So 0:25:16.840 --> 0:25:21.399 do you? If you will overlook the things you don't 0:25:21.600 --> 0:25:25.280 like and focus on the things you do like, you 0:25:25.359 --> 0:25:29.040 can change the atmosphere in your home. But as long 0:25:29.080 --> 0:25:32.000 as you're complaining, she's not enough of this, he's not 0:25:32.200 --> 0:25:34.680 enough of that. He should be better at that. Here's 0:25:34.720 --> 0:25:38.600 a newsflash. They're not a finished product. God is still 0:25:38.640 --> 0:25:41.439 working on them. If they were perfect, they wouldn't have 0:25:41.440 --> 0:25:41.960 married you. 0:25:43.520 --> 0:25:43.800 Or me. 0:25:43.960 --> 0:25:48.800 Let's make it real. Here's what I'm saying. God brought 0:25:48.960 --> 0:25:52.919 the two of you together on purpose. So, like iron 0:25:53.080 --> 0:25:57.160 sharpens iron, you can sharpen each other. Now, don't use 0:25:57.200 --> 0:26:00.600 your iron to try to flatten each other out. Don't 0:26:00.720 --> 0:26:04.040 use your iron to try to hammer out flaws and weaknesses. 0:26:04.880 --> 0:26:08.320 Don't use your iron and speak hurtful words that cut 0:26:08.359 --> 0:26:11.760 like a knife. The way you sharpen each other is 0:26:11.800 --> 0:26:14.879 by bringing out their good qualities. You know how to 0:26:14.920 --> 0:26:17.840 push the wrong buttons that bring out the worst, make 0:26:17.920 --> 0:26:21.199 them argue, upset, get them off course. Why don't you 0:26:21.320 --> 0:26:25.480 try pushing the right buttons that bring out their best. 0:26:25.840 --> 0:26:29.359 Praise them for what you like, Encourage them in what 0:26:29.400 --> 0:26:32.280 they're good at. Be a voice of faith and strength 0:26:32.520 --> 0:26:37.240 that propels them toward their destiny. The truth is, we're 0:26:37.280 --> 0:26:39.760 all going to have some weaknesses till the day we die. 0:26:40.400 --> 0:26:43.880 We should be growing, making progress, but there will still 0:26:43.920 --> 0:26:47.440 be something that we're working on. If you don't learn 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:50.320 to see the good in people and overlook the things 0:26:50.359 --> 0:26:53.639 that you don't like, you're going to live frustrated and 0:26:53.760 --> 0:26:58.320 celebrating partial victories means you celebrate the people in your 0:26:58.359 --> 0:27:02.520 life that are not finished. They're still growing, still dealing 0:27:02.560 --> 0:27:06.520 with some weaknesses. It's easy to write them off, get upset, 0:27:06.560 --> 0:27:08.720 and not give them the time of day, be unfriendly. 0:27:09.080 --> 0:27:12.400 Why don't you try a new approach and make allowances 0:27:12.440 --> 0:27:16.480 for their weaknesses. Overlook those petty things that are getting 0:27:16.480 --> 0:27:21.000 on your nerves, focus on the good qualities, the things 0:27:21.000 --> 0:27:23.600 that you fell in love in the first place, in 0:27:23.640 --> 0:27:27.720 your spouse, they're still there. You've just discovered these other 0:27:27.840 --> 0:27:30.840 qualities that you didn't see while you were dating. They 0:27:30.880 --> 0:27:33.639 hadn't come to light yet. But before you pack up 0:27:33.680 --> 0:27:37.560 and find somebody else, try celebrating the good in that man, 0:27:38.160 --> 0:27:41.040 the good in that woman. They're on the potter's will. 0:27:41.640 --> 0:27:44.720 God's in the process of changing them. If you'll be 0:27:44.880 --> 0:27:47.840 grateful for the good, God will take you to very good. 0:27:48.640 --> 0:27:52.639 I'm asking you to celebrate your partial victories. Cheer your 0:27:52.720 --> 0:27:56.639 spouse on even though they're not perfect. Feel good about 0:27:56.680 --> 0:28:00.000 who you are, even though you're still struggling in some areas. 0:28:00.480 --> 0:28:03.199 Thank God for the foundation, even though you don't have 0:28:03.320 --> 0:28:07.399 the whole building up. Take time to celebrate in phases. 0:28:07.720 --> 0:28:10.920 I've learned the more you thank God, the more he'll 0:28:10.960 --> 0:28:14.720 release strength, healing, favor in breakthroughs. And if you will 0:28:14.800 --> 0:28:19.760 celebrate partial victories, I believe and declare what God started 0:28:19.800 --> 0:28:22.399 in your life, He's going to finish. You're going to 0:28:22.440 --> 0:28:27.520 break bad habits, accomplish dreams, and become everything He's created 0:28:27.520 --> 0:28:30.959 you to be. In Jesus' name, If you receive it today, 0:28:31.320 --> 0:28:35.040 can you say amen. We never like to close our 0:28:35.080 --> 0:28:38.600 broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:28:38.640 --> 0:28:43.160 lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:44.360 --> 0:28:49.400 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:28:49.600 --> 0:28:53.640 make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed 0:28:53.640 --> 0:28:56.920 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get 0:28:56.920 --> 0:28:59.720 in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 0:29:00.040 --> 0:29:02.520 He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed. 0:29:03.040 --> 0:29:05.920 Thank you for listening to the Joel Los Dean podcast. 0:29:06.240 --> 0:29:08.880 Help us continue to share the message of hope with 0:29:09.000 --> 0:29:13.000 those all over the world. Visit joelostin dot com slash 0:29:13.080 --> 0:29:15.080 give Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:16.360 --> 0:29:19.280 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:19.280 --> 0:29:22.640 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:22.720 --> 0:29:25.920 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:26.120 --> 0:29:28.560 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:28.640 --> 0:29:29.120 next time. 0:29:36.480 --> 0:29:39.400 Ever, wonder which foods connect as medicine or maybe you're 0:29:39.400 --> 0:29:42.720 looking to start meditation. 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