Displaying Your Joy

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.959 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:36.759 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:39.240 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:40.399 blessing and share it with. 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.720 A friends, reappreciate you, and pray for God's very best 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:57.840 in your life. Oh God, bless you always a joy 0:01:57.880 --> 0:02:01.200 to come into your homes' in our area. I hope 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:03.720 you'll stop buying be a part of one of our services. 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:05.720 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:08.440 Thanks so much for tuning in, and thanks again for 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:11.400 coming out today. And I like to start with something funny. 0:02:11.400 --> 0:02:14.880 And I heard about this elderly minister. He was dying. 0:02:15.440 --> 0:02:18.440 He sent for two of his members, an IRS agent 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.640 and a lawyer to come to his house. When they 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:23.799 got there, he motioned for them to sit on each 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:26.640 side of the bed. The men were very moved to 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:29.680 be with him during his final moments. At one point, 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:33.200 the lawyer said, very sincerely, sir, why did you choose 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:36.640 both of us. The minister mustered up some strength and said, 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:39.880 Jesus died between two sinners. And that's how I want 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:43.640 to go. Hold up your bible, say it like you 0:02:43.720 --> 0:02:46.760 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:49.200 says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:02:49.760 --> 0:02:52.400 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.880 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:59.639 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:03.400 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:08.040 I want to talk to you today about displaying your joy. 0:03:09.000 --> 0:03:12.240 Our joy is not supposed to be hidden. It's supposed 0:03:12.240 --> 0:03:16.200 to be seen. Fifty three times in the scripture, God 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:20.519 talks about our countenance. We hear the word rejoice again 0:03:20.760 --> 0:03:25.360 and again. Rejoice doesn't just mean to sing. The word 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:29.120 rejoice also means to brighten up, to put a smile 0:03:29.200 --> 0:03:32.600 on your face, to be cheerful. When you go through 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:36.000 the day with a smile, you're rejoicing. When you have 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:39.880 a cheerful countenance, when you're friendly, you're giving God praise. 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:44.280 But too many people drag around with a long, sour face. 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:47.680 They haven't smiled in six months. Yet they'll tell you 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:50.800 I've got the joy of the Lord. Now, if you've 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:55.200 got joy, you need to notify your face. The scripture 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:59.800 says to be sober minded, not sober faced. The fact 0:03:59.880 --> 0:04:03.720 is you're going to receive what you put out. If 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:08.880 you're sour, grumpy, unfriendly, then people are going to be sour, grumpy, 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:16.279 unfriendly back to you. Misery loves company. You'll draw in defeat, negativity, doom, gloom, discouragement. 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:19.680 But when you go around with a smile and put 0:04:19.720 --> 0:04:25.440 out joy, kindness, friendliness, you're going to get back joy, kindness, friendliness. 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:28.719 You're going to attract a happy people. And if you're 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:31.560 not happy with what you're getting back, you need to 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:34.719 check up on what you're sending out. Let me tell you, 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:38.159 no happy person wants to be around an old sticking 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:42.960 of mud. No person that's going places, that has dreams, 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:46.479 that knows every day is a gift from God is 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:50.320 going to constantly be dragged down by somebody that's always 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:53.680 in the pits and always has a sad song. They 0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:56.320 may pull them out a few times of the pit, 0:04:56.800 --> 0:05:00.719 but once they realize that they're not taking response for 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:03.920 their own joy, like we all have to do, then 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:06.359 they'll go find some other people to spend time with. 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:09.520 And you may have a lot coming against you, not 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:14.000 making light of any circumstances. But Jesus said in life 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:18.040 you will have difficulty. Here's the answer, but be of 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:22.920 good cheer. This means we have to brighten up even 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:26.640 when we don't feel like it. Sometimes we have to 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:31.719 smile by faith. Everything says I should be depressed, I 0:05:31.760 --> 0:05:34.839 should be discouraged, I should be worried. But no, I'm 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:37.640 not moved by what I see. I'm moved by what 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:40.560 I know, and I know this is another day the 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:44.600 Lord has made. I'm gonna choose to live this day happy. 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:48.599 When we smile, it sends a message to our body 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:52.680 that everything is all right. Here's the key. You cannot 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:56.040 wait to see how you feel. To decide whether or 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:58.920 not you're going to express your joy. You have to 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:03.599 smile fur and then the joy will come. When you smile, 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:07.000 chemicals are released in your body to help you feel better. 0:06:07.680 --> 0:06:10.640 It's hard to smile and think negative thoughts at the 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:14.080 same time. It's hard to be cheerful and go around 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:18.000 friendly and stay in a bad mood. One expert said, 0:06:18.279 --> 0:06:22.599 Smiling tricks the body into feeling well. That's the way 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:26.120 God created us. When we smile, it helps to determine 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:29.600 our mood. I meet people every week that are here 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:33.520 in town for cancer treatment at m d Andersen. About 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:38.760 half are depressed, gloomy, worried. The other half have a smile. 0:06:39.240 --> 0:06:42.719 They're in peace, they still have their joy. Why is 0:06:42.760 --> 0:06:46.719 that they understand this principle that when you brighten up, 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:50.359 when you have a cheerful countenance, it's telling your body 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:54.680 everything is okay. You're going to have more joy, more strength, 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:58.960 more energy, a better attitude. Plus you'll get well quicker. 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:03.320 When we go around with a sour face, we're sad, 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:08.080 we're depressed. It's telling our body. Something is wrong. We're 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.120 going to be tired, run down, not feel as well. 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:15.440 My sister Lisa went through a difficult period in her life. 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:19.000 For months, she had no joy. She was depressed. She 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:22.000 didn't even want to leave the house. She was praying 0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:26.000 for things to get better. People were encouraging her. Of course, 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:28.280 as her family, we were doing our best to cheer 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:32.080 her up, but nothing was working. What was the problem. 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.920 She was waiting for the feelings to come. Then she 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:38.080 was going to cheer up. Then she was going to 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:41.320 get her joy back. One day she realized she had 0:07:41.320 --> 0:07:45.040 it backwards. You can't wait till you feel happy to 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:49.720 decide to cheer up. She felt depressed, she felt like 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:53.200 staying in bed. But right in the middle of the battle, 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:58.480 she told how she started smiling by faith on purpose. 0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:02.120 She chose to brighten up, to have a cheerful countenance. 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:05.640 Do you know that was the turning point. It was 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:09.120 that step of faith that broke the bondages of depression. 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:13.200 She could still be praying to get better, we could 0:08:13.280 --> 0:08:16.480 still be encouraging her. Five years, ten years, twenty years, 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:19.960 she would still be there, discouraged, depressed if she had 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:22.720 not put her foot down and said, I may not 0:08:22.880 --> 0:08:26.120 feel happy, i may not feel like cheering up, but 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:29.160 I'm gonna smile by faith. I'm gonna cheer up by faith. 0:08:29.880 --> 0:08:32.360 And you've heard the saying you gotta fake it till 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:35.120 you make it. It may be a faith smile, but 0:08:35.200 --> 0:08:37.360 if you keep at it, God will turn it into 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:41.360 a real smile. Lisa not only got her joy back, 0:08:42.240 --> 0:08:45.080 but God paid her back double for that trouble. She 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:48.640 came out better off than she was before. But it 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:52.600 all started when she chose to start smiling by faith. 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:56.800 We can all find some reason to be unhappy, Joel. 0:08:56.880 --> 0:09:00.280 I'm sour because the gas crisis are so high. I'm 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:02.280 depressed because my team didn't even make it to the 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:06.040 final four. I'm upset because my boss is getting on 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:09.680 my nerves so bad. I'm just trying to hold on 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:11.240 till Jesus comes. 0:09:12.000 --> 0:09:12.040 No. 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:14.320 Can I tell you we're not supposed to be holding on. 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:17.720 We're supposed to be the most joyful people around me 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:23.080 when somebody, when somebody asks you how you're doing, don't 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:26.959 tell them how you feel. I'm tired, I'm worried, I'm 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:30.040 run down, I'm swamped, I'm busy, I'm under the weather. No, 0:09:30.200 --> 0:09:33.160 our report should be I'm too blessed to be stressed. 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:38.840 My future is so bright I need sunglasses. One man 0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:40.840 told me Joel, if I was doing any better, I'd 0:09:40.840 --> 0:09:47.520 be twins. She may work around people that are sour, grumpy, discouraged. 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:51.720 Don't let their negative attitude rub off on you. God 0:09:51.800 --> 0:09:54.880 wants us to be so full of joy. Instead of 0:09:54.880 --> 0:09:58.160 them affecting us, we infect them. We help to brighten 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:02.000 their day. Hebrews one nine says, when you honor God 0:10:02.040 --> 0:10:04.680 with your life, when you do your best each day, 0:10:05.320 --> 0:10:09.320 then God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:14.360 joy on you more than anyone else. Notice we're supposed 0:10:14.360 --> 0:10:18.239 to be happier than the average person. God has anointed 0:10:18.320 --> 0:10:21.920 us with the oil of joy. When you see somebody 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:25.079 this grumpy, somebody that sour, you know what their problem is. 0:10:25.200 --> 0:10:28.920 They need an oil job. If they would brighten up, 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:32.960 if they'd have a cheerful countenance because they honored God, 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:36.719 he would anoint them with the oil of joy. Now, 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:40.400 when you're tempted to be discouraged, tempted to lose your enthusiasm, 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:43.160 you got to dig your heels in and say God, 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:46.520 I'm doing my best to honor you, so I know 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:49.760 you've anointed me with the oil of joy. I may 0:10:49.800 --> 0:10:51.760 not feel like it, but I'm gonna put a smile 0:10:51.840 --> 0:10:54.520 on my face. I'm gonna have a spring in my steff. 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:58.200 I'm gonna brighten up and enjoy this day. When you 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:01.840 make that decision to cheer up, to have a happy countenance, 0:11:02.080 --> 0:11:05.679 you'll feel the oil of joy kick in. You won't 0:11:05.720 --> 0:11:08.880 have to smile by faith anymore. You'll be smiling because 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:12.280 of God's goodness. You'll smile because God's turning things in 0:11:12.360 --> 0:11:15.640 your favor. The other day, I went through a drive 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:19.680 through at a barbecue place. I started to order my 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.600 food there at the little speaker, but the lady on 0:11:22.640 --> 0:11:25.760 the other end was so grumpy. She said, I'm not 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:28.800 ready for your order. Would you wait until I ask you? 0:11:28.920 --> 0:11:33.360 Just very rude. And when I finally did order, I 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:36.280 didn't realize that the meal came with two side items, 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:38.960 and I couldn't find the items on the menu. And 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:41.600 when I asked her what they were, you would have 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:45.480 thought i'd ask for her firstborn child. She was so 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:50.400 upset she practically screamed that back to me, listen, this lady, 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:53.200 her oil wasn't low. She didn't even have an oil pan. 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:58.600 She was completely dry, and I had to keep reminding myself, 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:04.080 Joel Steakholm, you're the pastor of a church, keep your joy. 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:08.559 Don't let her affect you, you infect her. See, in 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:10.959 the heat of the battle, you got to talk to yourself. 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:13.480 It's easy to think, let me just give her a 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:17.439 piece of my mind and I'll repent on Sunday. No 0:12:18.320 --> 0:12:22.600 use those tough times to develop your character. I ordered 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:25.240 as nice as I could be, and I said please 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.120 and thank you and have a nice day. And when 0:12:28.160 --> 0:12:30.400 I drove up to the window where she was, I 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:35.440 smiled the most fake smile you could ever imagine. I 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:40.120 said so pleasantly, good to see you. I was thinking, 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:44.720 I can't stand you. She looked at me, did a 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:48.000 double take, and very excitedly said, hey, Pastor Joel, I 0:12:48.120 --> 0:12:53.440 watch you every week. I wanted to say, hey, do 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:59.640 you ever listen? She had my book and she handed 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:02.120 it to me through the window there and ask me 0:13:02.200 --> 0:13:04.520 to sign it. And I thought about underlining all the 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:10.080 chapters on Joy. What am I saying? Don't let someone's 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:15.120 sour attitude rub off on you. You can't control other 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:18.840 people's face. But you can control your face. And God 0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:22.080 knew we'd have to deal with sour, grumpy, rude people. 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:25.360 That's why he said, I've anointed you with the oil 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:28.360 of joy so you can be happier than those that 0:13:28.400 --> 0:13:32.600 are around you. Now we've got to start tapping into 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:36.960 that joy, get in a habit of smiling. It takes 0:13:37.000 --> 0:13:41.160 sixty two muscles to frown, only twenty six muscles to smile. 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:46.199 The scripture says, in God's presence is fullness of joy. 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:49.880 If you don't have any joy, you've disconnected yourself from 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:54.480 God's presence. If you go around soiur' grumpy discourage, you've 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:58.200 gotten cut off from your supply line. You're disconnected from 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:02.480 increase promotion favor of healing victory. Every one of us 0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:05.080 has joy down in here. If we could just get 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:08.360 it up to hear and learn to express that joy 0:14:08.800 --> 0:14:12.120 and start smiling on purpose, we would see things change 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:16.640 in our favor. Professors at Yale University did a study 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:22.680 on how attitude, appearance, and personality influenced others. After weeks 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:28.120 of extensive research, they concluded the single most powerful force 0:14:28.200 --> 0:14:31.680 of influence each one of us has is not our personality, 0:14:32.080 --> 0:14:35.360 not our looks not our hype. It's simply our smile. 0:14:36.280 --> 0:14:39.400 I've heard it said, if you're not smiling, you're like 0:14:39.440 --> 0:14:42.360 a person with a million dollars in the bank and 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:47.479 no checkbook. Studies say people that smile frequently get promoted 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:51.200 more often and have higher paying jobs. Why is that? 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:54.960 People like people that are happy, people that are friendly, 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:58.680 people that are good natured. I have the personality type 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:02.280 that smiles all the time. In my earliest baby pictures, 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:04.720 I had a smile on my face. It comes naturally 0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:08.400 to me. You may not be that way, but that's okay. 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:12.560 You can retrain yourself. How do you do it? Start 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:16.360 smiling on purpose when you see the parking attendant at 0:15:16.360 --> 0:15:19.680 the office instead of just paying the bill, smile, the 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:24.720 receptionist at work, smile, the stranger in the elevator smile. 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:28.080 The lady at the grocery store smiled. You got an 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:33.000 incredible asset right here, make sure you're using it. Years ago, 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:35.720 I was in the mall with Victorian. She had this 0:15:35.800 --> 0:15:38.200 outfit that she was going to buy, and I said, 0:15:38.240 --> 0:15:39.440 let me have it, and I'll run up there and 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:41.560 pay for it for you. I went to the counter 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:45.280 and saw the lady and just naturally smiled and said, hello, 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:48.280 how you doing, no big deal, just being friendly, just 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:51.840 letting my joy be seen. The lady smiled back at me, 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:54.840 and she was about to ring up the outfit. All 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:56.840 of a sudden she stopped and said, hang on just 0:15:56.880 --> 0:16:00.120 a minute. She went into the sales office and came 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:02.480 back and said, this is going to go on sell 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.440 this weekend. I just got permission to give you the 0:16:05.440 --> 0:16:10.320 cell price right now. I smiled even bigger. I said, 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:12.640 thank you so much. And as she was folding it 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:15.320 about to put it in the bag, she noticed a 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:18.200 little part of the lining of the inside of the 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:20.760 coat had come out. She said, this is a problem. 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:23.160 Do you see this? I said, oh, yeah, that looks bad. 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:27.200 And she went back to the sales office and she 0:16:27.320 --> 0:16:29.640 came back and she said, well, I got permission to 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:32.720 cut it in half of the cell price. I thought, Man, 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:34.320 if I keep smiling, I'm going to get this same 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:39.120 for free. I got it for like seventy five percent off. 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:42.440 But it all started from a smile. If I'd gone 0:16:42.520 --> 0:16:47.160 up there, discouraged, grumpy sour, I don't believe she would 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:49.480 have gone out of her way to help me. A 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:52.200 smile causes people to want to be good to you. 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:57.640 It communicates friendliness, kindness, caring, warmth, respect, And every one 0:16:57.680 --> 0:17:01.200 of us has a smile. My question is are you 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:05.680 using yours? Are you expressing your joy? I wonder how 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:08.840 much more of God's favor we would experience if we 0:17:08.880 --> 0:17:12.480 would start smiling more often. I read how the holiday 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:16.600 In hotel chain was looking to fill five hundred new jobs. 0:17:17.200 --> 0:17:22.600 They interviewed five thousand people. They automatically disqualified any candidate 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:26.800 that smiled less than four times during the interview. People 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:30.640 that smile frequently, people that have a pleasant demeanor, they 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:34.240 get better breaks than people that are solemn and serious. 0:17:34.960 --> 0:17:38.720 When our daughter Alexander was worn twelve years ago, three 0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:41.040 months later, my father went to be with the Lord 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:44.159 and we stepped up to pasture the church. We needed 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:47.720 somebody to help take care of Alexandra. We interviewed a 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:50.920 half a dozen people, and some of them were very qualified, 0:17:51.440 --> 0:17:55.400 had good credentials, good referrals. But the lady we ended 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:59.320 up hiring was a sixty year old woman that wasn't 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:02.959 the most skilled. She wasn't the best cook. On paper, 0:18:03.080 --> 0:18:05.480 she should not have gotten the job. But what we 0:18:05.640 --> 0:18:08.520 liked about her so much is she smiled all the time. 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:14.040 She was full of joy. Over the years, everything Alexandra did, 0:18:14.320 --> 0:18:17.240 she thought that was funny. Our home was filled with 0:18:17.440 --> 0:18:21.040 laughter and joy. I don't think we realize the power 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:25.040 of a smile. One study says the smile of a 0:18:25.160 --> 0:18:30.000 friend has a more positive impact than receiving a five 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:33.560 thousand dollars raise. Think about it. That's saying when you 0:18:33.680 --> 0:18:37.400 smile at people, it's like you're investing thousands of dollars 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:40.040 in them. When I heard that, I started going through 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:43.640 our office smiling at the staff, saying, there's your raise, 0:18:43.760 --> 0:18:48.760 there's your race, there's your race. For some reason, they 0:18:48.840 --> 0:18:53.800 preferred the cash. But I can still remember the first 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:57.160 time Victoria ever smiled at me. I was in her 0:18:57.240 --> 0:19:00.800 mother's jewelry store looking at watches, and I looked up 0:19:00.880 --> 0:19:04.360 and when she saw this incredible specimen of a man, 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:10.360 she smiled so friendly. And she's been keeping me smiling 0:19:10.440 --> 0:19:16.760 for twenty five years. You think about the times you 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:19.760 dealt with a stranger, maybe you needed some help, and 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:22.199 it was very intense, and all of a sudden day 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:26.560 smiled that communicated I'm for you. It's all going to 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:30.040 work out. Took the pressure off, you could relax. One time, 0:19:30.040 --> 0:19:33.520 I was overseas in an airport going through customs and 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:36.040 had a whole lot of television equipment with me, and 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:39.119 I had registered it and done everything I was supposed to, 0:19:39.280 --> 0:19:42.520 but the customs officials didn't seem to be happy and 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:44.160 didn't look like they were going to let me in. 0:19:44.240 --> 0:19:47.720 It's very pressured. And they went and got their supervisor 0:19:47.840 --> 0:19:50.600 and he came back and he was this big, gruff man, 0:19:51.080 --> 0:19:53.920 looked as solemn and serious as can be. And I 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:57.199 was just very intense. But right in the middle of 0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:01.320 all that, that manager looked up and smiled the most 0:20:01.359 --> 0:20:04.800 genuine smile at me you could imagine. I could feel 0:20:04.880 --> 0:20:07.879 my blood pressure go back down to normal. It changed 0:20:07.920 --> 0:20:12.159 the whole atmosphere. That's the power of a smile. It 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:17.000 can communicate volumes without a word ever being spoken. Friends, 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:19.159 we are called to be the light of the world. 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:22.639 I believe the switch that turns the light on is 0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:26.600 a smile. Many people are not listening to what we say. 0:20:27.040 --> 0:20:31.040 They're watching how we live. We're supposed to be living 0:20:31.200 --> 0:20:34.879 epistles read by all men. That means they may not 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:38.440 read the Bible, but they're reading our lives. I've heard 0:20:38.480 --> 0:20:43.439 it said, preach at all times, use words only when necessary. 0:20:44.359 --> 0:20:47.200 Let me ask you, when people see you, what kind 0:20:47.200 --> 0:20:51.080 of message are they getting? Are you happy, friendly, good natured? 0:20:51.400 --> 0:20:56.560 Do they want what you have? Or are you stressed, grumpy, sour, discouraged. 0:20:57.000 --> 0:21:00.440 When we live like that, it's going to push people away. 0:21:00.560 --> 0:21:03.040 The other day, I was in a sporting good store 0:21:03.080 --> 0:21:05.320 and I went up to the counter to pay, and 0:21:05.600 --> 0:21:08.520 there were three registers open, and I just happened to 0:21:08.560 --> 0:21:10.600 go to the one in the center, and I gave 0:21:10.640 --> 0:21:13.439 the men working there my product, and he seemed like 0:21:13.520 --> 0:21:17.280 he was perturbed that I chose him, and I'm just happy, 0:21:17.280 --> 0:21:19.560 go lucky. It didn't bother me. I smiled anyway. He said, 0:21:19.600 --> 0:21:22.399 how you doing? He never said a word, He acted 0:21:22.440 --> 0:21:25.520 like I was bothering him. I gave him my credit 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:27.760 card and when he saw my name, he looked up 0:21:27.760 --> 0:21:30.679 and he said, are you that minister that's on television? 0:21:31.200 --> 0:21:32.959 By the way he said it, I didn't know if 0:21:32.960 --> 0:21:34.199 it was going to be a good thing or not, 0:21:35.320 --> 0:21:37.840 but I smiled and I said, yes, I am. He too, 0:21:37.880 --> 0:21:40.360 said that he watches the program with his family each 0:21:40.359 --> 0:21:42.280 week and they enjoy it, and I thanked him for that, 0:21:42.400 --> 0:21:45.800 and as I was leaving, just in passing, I said, hey, 0:21:46.040 --> 0:21:48.160 come out and see us at Lakewood whenever you can. 0:21:48.760 --> 0:21:51.040 He said, now, Joe, I can't do that. I'm in 0:21:51.160 --> 0:21:54.440 charge of the greeting committee at my church. I got 0:21:54.440 --> 0:21:57.600 to be there every Sunday. Thought, my goodness, I wouldn't 0:21:57.600 --> 0:22:01.840 go to that church without a bulletproof vest On. He 0:22:01.880 --> 0:22:05.320 didn't realize it, but he was preaching a sermon. I 0:22:05.359 --> 0:22:07.400 hate to say it, but it wasn't a very good one. 0:22:08.320 --> 0:22:11.320 Sometimes when people say they love God and go out 0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:14.080 and treat people like that, it's doing more damage than 0:22:14.119 --> 0:22:17.080 it is good. If you're hard, grumpy, hard to get 0:22:17.080 --> 0:22:19.639 along with, do me a favor. Don't put a hank 0:22:19.760 --> 0:22:23.160 if you love Jesus bumperstick on your car. That's gonna 0:22:23.160 --> 0:22:25.520 make it harder on the rest of us. We need 0:22:25.560 --> 0:22:27.960 to pay attention to what messages that we're sending out. 0:22:28.680 --> 0:22:31.040 I love what one of our members told me. She 0:22:31.200 --> 0:22:33.720 was out shopping and went up to the counter to pay, 0:22:33.760 --> 0:22:37.480 and the girl working the register saw how happy she was. 0:22:37.760 --> 0:22:41.040 She had a big smile and radiated joy and peace 0:22:41.080 --> 0:22:43.239 and victory, just like she had a glow about her 0:22:43.240 --> 0:22:46.280 and that clerk asked her how she was doing. She said, 0:22:46.320 --> 0:22:49.320 I'm doing great. I'm blessed, and I'm expecting to have 0:22:49.359 --> 0:22:52.240 a fantastic year. The clerk looked at her and said, 0:22:52.280 --> 0:22:55.640 let me ask you. Do you go to Lakewood? She said, 0:22:55.680 --> 0:22:57.879 I sure do. The clerk said, I should have known it. 0:22:58.080 --> 0:23:01.200 Everybody that comes in here like you is from Lakehood. 0:23:01.800 --> 0:23:04.879 I thought, what a great testimony to be happy, to 0:23:04.960 --> 0:23:07.760 be full of joy, to have a smile on our face. 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:11.960 It's funny some people give me a hard time for 0:23:12.000 --> 0:23:15.439 smiling so much. You would think they'd be happy because 0:23:15.480 --> 0:23:20.440 you're happy. One reporter say to me, very sarcastically, Joey, 0:23:20.520 --> 0:23:23.439 do you get offended because people call you the smiling 0:23:23.560 --> 0:23:26.560 preacher said, not at all. I take it as a compliment. 0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:30.960 I'm guilty of being happy. I'm guilty of enjoying my life. 0:23:31.040 --> 0:23:34.760 I'm guilty of living with enthusiasm. Friends, the world needs 0:23:34.840 --> 0:23:39.879 more joy. When you express your joy, when you have 0:23:39.920 --> 0:23:43.440 a cheerful countenance, go be surprised. If people think what's 0:23:43.440 --> 0:23:47.040 wrong with them? Why they so happy? They must be high. 0:23:48.040 --> 0:23:50.719 Our attitude should be Yes, we're guilty, We're on the 0:23:50.720 --> 0:23:53.920 most high. We're excited. We're happy. We're full of joy, 0:23:54.040 --> 0:23:58.080 full of faith, full of victory, excited about our future. 0:24:00.280 --> 0:24:02.840 Easy for me because I was raised by people that 0:24:02.880 --> 0:24:06.560 were happy. I cannot ever remember walking into a room 0:24:06.960 --> 0:24:10.359 and seeing my grandmother and not having her smile at me. 0:24:11.040 --> 0:24:13.399 Didn't matter if I went into the room fifty times 0:24:13.440 --> 0:24:15.840 during the day. She would smile every single time. She 0:24:16.000 --> 0:24:18.880 was full of joy. My father was the same way. 0:24:19.280 --> 0:24:22.480 He would go through the house whistling all day long. 0:24:23.200 --> 0:24:24.840 My mother used to get kind of tired of it. 0:24:25.160 --> 0:24:27.680 She said, John, would you quit whistling for a little while. 0:24:27.920 --> 0:24:31.200 He'd say, Doddy, I'm just happy. I'm just giving God praise. 0:24:31.600 --> 0:24:34.040 She'd say, John, you're not giving God praise. You're whistling 0:24:34.040 --> 0:24:38.560 the tune to the Andy Griffith Show. Didn't matter, he 0:24:38.680 --> 0:24:43.560 kept his joy on display. It's interesting. Studies tell us 0:24:43.760 --> 0:24:47.800 that people only remember about ten percent of what we say, 0:24:48.480 --> 0:24:52.119 but what they always remember is how they felt. You 0:24:52.160 --> 0:24:55.080 can say the right thing with the wrong attitude and 0:24:55.119 --> 0:24:58.280 they'll still remember the negative. But when you're happy, friendly, 0:24:58.320 --> 0:25:01.040 you got a smile, that's what makes a positive impact 0:25:01.080 --> 0:25:05.800 on people. Nineteen eighty three, I started the television outreach 0:25:05.840 --> 0:25:08.800 here at Lakewood for my father. The first year, we 0:25:08.880 --> 0:25:12.399 had a very experienced consultant that worked with us. He 0:25:12.520 --> 0:25:15.600 taught me something that I never forgot. We were watching 0:25:15.640 --> 0:25:18.200 my dad's sermon in the control room and he had 0:25:18.240 --> 0:25:20.840 me turn down the volume. He said, now, Joel, the 0:25:20.920 --> 0:25:24.479 key to good communication is to see what kind of 0:25:24.520 --> 0:25:28.479 feelings you get without the sound, by just watching the 0:25:28.480 --> 0:25:32.200 facial expressions, the body language. We looked at several different 0:25:32.240 --> 0:25:35.159 ministers and some of them were very passionate, but without 0:25:35.160 --> 0:25:37.680 the sound, they came off angry and hard and mean. 0:25:38.160 --> 0:25:41.879 It subconsciously pushed you away. The ones that had a 0:25:41.920 --> 0:25:45.040 smile and a pleasant demeanor, they were much more effective, 0:25:45.280 --> 0:25:48.000 much more likely to draw you in. It's the same 0:25:48.040 --> 0:25:51.400 principle in life. When you have a smile, when you're friendly, 0:25:51.480 --> 0:25:54.720 you're kind, that's going to cause you to be much 0:25:54.760 --> 0:25:57.960 more effective at what you do. I have people right 0:25:58.080 --> 0:26:00.800 all the time and say, Joel, you don't remember what 0:26:00.840 --> 0:26:04.560 the message was about, but what impacted me was the 0:26:04.720 --> 0:26:07.439 joy I saw on your face, the love that I 0:26:07.480 --> 0:26:11.080 felt coming from the screen. The scripture talks about how 0:26:11.119 --> 0:26:15.480 we are Christ's ambassadors. That means we represent God down 0:26:15.480 --> 0:26:18.960 here on this earth. If we're gonna represent God properly. 0:26:19.280 --> 0:26:22.720 We should do it with a smile, with joy, with enthusiasm. 0:26:23.400 --> 0:26:25.760 One time, Victoria and I were in Galveston and we 0:26:25.800 --> 0:26:28.600 were walking down the street going into the different shops, 0:26:28.640 --> 0:26:31.840 and Victoria went in this one place and I decided 0:26:31.880 --> 0:26:35.080 to wait outside and just watch the people. A few 0:26:35.119 --> 0:26:38.560 moments this lady about two or three blocks away started 0:26:38.640 --> 0:26:42.159 waving and waving at me. I didn't know who she was, 0:26:42.240 --> 0:26:45.159 but I started waving and waving back like she was 0:26:45.200 --> 0:26:48.399 my long lost friend. A few minutes later, she had 0:26:48.400 --> 0:26:50.719 walked a little bit closer, and I looked up and 0:26:51.200 --> 0:26:54.200 she started waving at me once again. I thought, well, 0:26:54.240 --> 0:26:56.439 we've done it once, but we'll do it again. I 0:26:56.520 --> 0:26:59.560 smiled and waved and waved just like I hadn't seen 0:26:59.560 --> 0:27:02.960 her anyet and put my hand down. A few minutes later, 0:27:03.040 --> 0:27:05.440 she was just forty or fifty feet away, about where 0:27:05.480 --> 0:27:07.480 the cameras were, and I looked up. I couldn't believe it. 0:27:07.600 --> 0:27:11.240 She started waving more enthusiastically than ever. I thought, well, 0:27:11.280 --> 0:27:14.240 I'll join the fun. I put up both hands started waving, Hey, 0:27:14.280 --> 0:27:16.840 how you doing. She walked over to me and she said, sir, 0:27:17.119 --> 0:27:21.120 do I know you, I said, I don't know I'm 0:27:21.160 --> 0:27:23.720 waving at you because you're waving at me. She said, 0:27:23.720 --> 0:27:25.800 I'm not waving at you. I'm waving at my sister 0:27:25.880 --> 0:27:30.560 that's standing behind you. She patted to me on the 0:27:30.600 --> 0:27:32.880 back and said, but you sure are a friendly young man. 0:27:36.200 --> 0:27:39.359 I'm asking you today to let your joy be seen. 0:27:40.320 --> 0:27:43.760 Quit laughing at me. You've done dumb things too. I'm 0:27:43.760 --> 0:27:48.720 gonna get you off here next. If we're going to 0:27:48.760 --> 0:27:50.680 be the light of the world, we got to turn 0:27:50.720 --> 0:27:54.080 the switch on by being friendly. Get in a habit 0:27:54.359 --> 0:27:58.440 of smiling on purpose. Smile at the police officers when 0:27:58.440 --> 0:28:02.399 you leave instead of saying something else. Smile at the 0:28:02.400 --> 0:28:05.040 neighbors walking down the street. Smile at the lady at 0:28:05.040 --> 0:28:08.640 the grocery store when things get difficult. Learn to smile 0:28:08.720 --> 0:28:11.920 by faith. Don't wait for the feelings to come. Smile 0:28:12.040 --> 0:28:15.159 and the feelings will follow. Friends, you've been anointed with 0:28:15.200 --> 0:28:17.840 the oil of joy. You can live happier than those 0:28:17.840 --> 0:28:20.439 that are around you. Some of you, your oil has 0:28:20.520 --> 0:28:22.919 gotten low. I believe today is going to be a 0:28:22.920 --> 0:28:25.399 turning point if you'll make that decision with me to 0:28:25.440 --> 0:28:28.280 brighten up, to put on a cheerful countenance. You'll feel 0:28:28.280 --> 0:28:31.000 the joy kick in. You'll step into a new level 0:28:31.040 --> 0:28:34.080 of God's favor. You not only be healthier, but you'll 0:28:34.080 --> 0:28:37.040 get better breaks. You'll see increase in promotion, and I 0:28:37.160 --> 0:28:40.560 believe and declare you will become everything God's created you 0:28:40.600 --> 0:28:45.000 to be. Amen. Do you receive it today? We never 0:28:45.120 --> 0:28:48.000 like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity 0:28:48.080 --> 0:28:50.680 to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you 0:28:50.680 --> 0:28:55.000 pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of 0:28:55.040 --> 0:28:59.640 my sins, Come into my heart. I make you my 0:28:59.720 --> 0:29:03.760 Lord and save you. Friends. If you prayed that simple prayer, 0:29:03.800 --> 0:29:06.320 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:29:06.440 --> 0:29:09.760 Bible based church, Keep God first place. He'll take your 0:29:09.760 --> 0:29:11.280 places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:12.040 --> 0:29:15.480 Thank you for listening to the joel Ostine podcast. Help 0:29:15.600 --> 0:29:18.320 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:18.400 --> 0:29:22.320 all over the world. Visit joelostin dot com slash give 0:29:22.400 --> 0:29:24.080 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:25.360 --> 0:29:28.280 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:28.280 --> 0:29:31.680 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:31.760 --> 0:29:34.960 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:35.120 --> 0:29:37.560 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:37.640 --> 0:29:38.160 next time.