Keep Your Walls Up

0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.960 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.200 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:41.520 of your story, of your career, of your life, Earn 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:43.559 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:48.559 education employer's respect. 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Download the uns stap and use the 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:20.840 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.400 fifty dollars bonus when you fund your account. That's code 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.400 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.319 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:30.120 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.880 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.120 --> 0:01:37.920 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:38.720 leave Inspire. 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:42.000 Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week. 0:01:42.160 --> 0:01:45.280 We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. 0:01:45.680 --> 0:02:02.320 Enjoy the message, yad bless you always a joy to 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:04.960 come into your homes and if you're ever in our area, 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:06.960 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:07.000 --> 0:02:07.680 the services. 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:10.160 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:12.919 Thanks so much for tuning in, and thank you again 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:15.800 for coming out today. I like to start with something 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:18.520 funny and I heard about this man. He was sitting 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:22.400 on an airplane next to a beautiful single lady. They 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:25.200 struck up a conversation and he asked her what kind 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:28.960 of men she liked. She said, well, I like Native 0:02:29.040 --> 0:02:32.880 American Indian men with their high cheek bones and their 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:36.760 golden tan skin. Plus I like Jewish men, they're so 0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:40.600 brilliant and successful. And then I like good old boys 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:44.480 from the South with their long Southern drawl. What's your name, 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:50.640 he said, My name is Geronimo Bernstein, but my friends 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:54.800 call me Bubba. Hold up your Bible. Say it like 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:57.560 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:02:57.680 --> 0:02:59.840 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:03.079 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:05.919 I will be taught the word of God. I'll boldly 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:09.920 confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:13.960 will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:17.720 I want to talk to you today about keeping your 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:21.880 walls up. It's easy to go through life letting everything 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:26.560 get on the inside, offended by what somebody said, worried 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:30.560 about a problem at work, upset because of a negative report. 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:34.880 We can't stop all these things from happening. The key 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:39.480 is to have walls built up so we don't allow everything. 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:45.000 In the scripture says to build yourself up. One translation 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:49.280 says to edify yourself. The word edify is where we 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:53.840 get the word edifice, meaning building. This is saying, if 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:56.920 you're going to stay encouraged, if you're going to enjoy 0:03:57.000 --> 0:04:00.400 your life, you have to build up these walls to 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:05.280 where you don't allow the negative, the offense, the worry, 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:10.360 the frustration into your spirit person. We only have so 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:14.960 much emotional energy each day. You will have opportunities to 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:18.760 spend it on things that don't matter. Stuck in traffic, 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:23.800 stressed out, frustrated, you are spending emotional energy that you 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:28.240 need for your own goals, your own dreams, or upset 0:04:28.440 --> 0:04:31.680 about what somebody said about you, thinking about how you're 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:34.120 going to pay them back, calling a friend. Can you 0:04:34.160 --> 0:04:38.200 believe they said that that's emotional energy you're not going 0:04:38.240 --> 0:04:40.880 to have for your own family, to play with your 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.680 children at night. It's not only doing you a disservice, 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:47.120 you're doing them a disservice. You've got to put some 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:51.880 walls up quite allowing everything on the inside. If you'll 0:04:51.920 --> 0:04:54.960 stay in peace, God will fight your battles for you, 0:04:55.800 --> 0:04:58.680 and this is the reason many people don't enjoy life. 0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:02.800 Coworkers not treating them right sours the whole day. A 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:06.479 problem at home. They're so worried. It's constantly on the 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:12.640 forefront of their mind. There's always something keeping them offended, frustrated, stressed. 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:16.120 It's like a dark cloud follows them everywhere they go. 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:19.760 That cloud would leave if you would quit letting that 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:23.640 get into your spirit. Person, it may come to your mind. 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:27.479 You can't stop people from saying things. You can't prevent 0:05:27.560 --> 0:05:30.280 all the negative, but you don't have to allow that 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:34.160 to get into your spirit. You can dismiss it and say, 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:36.719 you know what, I'm not dwelling on it. I'm not 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:40.200 going the next three days worried, playing out all the 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:45.120 what ifs, wondering why they said. That proverb says, above 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:50.039 all else, guard your heart. You can't be passive and 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:53.880 let everything in. You've got to be proactive and put 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:58.440 some walls up, guard what you dwell on. Be selective. 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:02.360 What you give your time and attention to your destiny 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:06.400 is too important to allow poison in. The Truth is, 0:06:06.880 --> 0:06:09.720 we all have challenges, we all have things that come 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:14.080 against us. But there are certain problems, certain situations. I 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:17.400 tell my family, my staff, I don't want to know 0:06:17.600 --> 0:06:20.880 all the details. Don't give me the two hour version, 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:24.000 give me the twenty second version. I don't need to 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.320 know what they said and how upset she was and 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:29.080 how it's not going to work out, and they think 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:32.160 you're too much of this too. My attitude is leave 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:35.839 me in my ignorance. Just give me the bottom line. 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:39.880 We've got a problem. That's fine. God knows all the details. 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:44.680 You can't put poison into you over and over and 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:48.640 expect to live a positive, faith filled life. And I 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:51.599 know we make good decisions when we have good information, 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:56.200 but sometimes we're getting too much information. We like the 0:06:56.320 --> 0:07:00.960 juicy details. It feeds our flesh, but it poisons our spirit. 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:03.920 A man said to me a while back, Joel, I 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:07.000 heard so and so was talking about you. He said that, 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:09.560 and I stopped him right there. I said, you know what, 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:11.880 I don't really want to hear it. It's not gonna 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:15.080 benefit me in any way to hear the negative details. 0:07:15.280 --> 0:07:18.280 I put some walls up. I'm gonna guard my heart. 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:23.720 I need my emotional energy for my assignment to fulfill 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:27.480 my destiny. I'm not gonna let that poison. In my 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:30.440 philosophy is just give me the bottom line, Joe, he 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:33.800 thinks you're a lousy person. That's fine, I can handle that. Now, 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:37.960 don't give me the expanded version. He also said he 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:40.760 thinks you smile too much, and your accent is annoying. 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:44.680 Your dog's ugly. No, do me a favor, give me 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:47.880 the cliff notes, give me the condensed version. Here's why. 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:52.240 It's a lot easier to keep the poison out if 0:07:52.240 --> 0:07:55.480 you never hear it in the first place. Now, don't 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:58.760 get on social media. Don't go on the internet and 0:07:58.840 --> 0:08:03.240 read every negative about you written by people that have 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:10.920 to hide behind a computer screen to remain anonymous. Young people, students, 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:15.080 don't read everything written about you at school. It's a 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:19.320 lot of bullying these days through the Internet, social media, 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:22.160 and you've got to be disciplined to not go there. 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:24.840 It's very tempting to think, well, let me just see 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:29.640 what they're saying about me. One phrase can poison you. You 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:34.120 end up defensive, trying to overcompensate, insecure. No, don't even 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:37.560 go there. There are enough issues to deal with where 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:40.080 we don't have a choice. Don't make it harder on 0:08:40.160 --> 0:08:44.600 yourself by taking in things that are unnecessary. And if 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.880 you do hear people talking about you, pay it no mind, 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:53.079 give it no attention. It's a distraction instead of getting upset, 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:56.760 instead of feeling badly about yourself. Remember, they don't talk 0:08:56.800 --> 0:09:00.840 about ordinary people. They talk about exceptional people. They wouldn't 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:03.840 be talking about you unless you were a cut above. 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:09.960 Take it as a compliment. In a race, nobody focuses 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:13.920 on the people in last place. Nobody finds fault and 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:16.880 criticizes those that are bringing up the rear. All the 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:21.280 focus is on the winners. That's where the attention, the study, 0:09:21.320 --> 0:09:25.839 and the analyzing, the critiquing is. If people are critiquing you, 0:09:26.320 --> 0:09:30.080 finding fault, trying to discredit you, it's because you're winning. 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:34.440 You're out front, you're making a difference. I've learned, the 0:09:34.480 --> 0:09:38.040 more favor on your life, the more opposition it will 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:42.720 stir up. Some people won't like you simply because of 0:09:42.760 --> 0:09:46.240 the blessing God put on you. This is what happened 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:49.640 with Cain and Abel. They were Adam and Eve's two sons, 0:09:49.679 --> 0:09:54.480 and Cain ended up killing Abel. What's interesting is Able 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:58.080 honored God with his life. He was a person of excellence. 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:01.720 He went around being his best. He had God's blessing 0:10:01.880 --> 0:10:05.600 and favor on him. He never did anything wrong to 0:10:05.679 --> 0:10:09.719 his brother King. He didn't disrespect him, didn't cheat him, 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:14.440 didn't lie about him. Cain hated Abel simply because of 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:18.640 the favor on Abel's life. You have to accept the 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:22.280 fact that some people will not like you, and there's 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:25.240 nothing you can do about it. It's not about you, 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:28.640 It's about the favor God put on you. I've heard 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:32.439 it said this way, the more vertically aligned you are, 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:37.440 the more you honor God, the more horizontally challenged you'll be. 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:43.760 A vertical relationship can create horizontal conflict. Can you deal 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:47.240 with the fact that not everybody can handle your success, 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:52.160 not everybody will celebrate God's blessing and favor on your life. 0:10:53.120 --> 0:10:56.160 You have to be wise enough to realize these people 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:59.360 don't like me, but it's not about me. I'm not 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:01.920 going to be a fan. I'm not going to spend 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:05.160 time seeing how I can win them over, loose sleep 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:07.680 thinking about what they said about me. Now, I'm not 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:11.280 going to waste my emotional energy on something that I 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:15.440 cannot change. I know it's because of the favor of 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:18.120 God on my life. That's how you keep your walls 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:22.600 built up. Think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, when 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:25.680 she said yes to the angel that she would have 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:29.200 a baby without knowing a man. She had to accept 0:11:29.200 --> 0:11:32.720 the fact that she would be misunderstood by some people 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:36.400 the rest of her life. The blessing, as great as 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:42.000 it was, brought controversy, it brought opposition. She was celebrated 0:11:42.040 --> 0:11:45.920 by some and looked down on by others. There are times, 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:49.600 like Mary, you have to accept the fact I may 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:53.280 be misunderstood by certain people. They may try to push 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:56.360 me down, make fun of me. But it's not about me. 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.160 It's about the blessing God put on my life. The 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:04.839 real question is can you handle being blessed? David faced 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:08.200 this as a teenager. He was out in the shepherd 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:11.800 fields taking care of his father's sheep. One day, his 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:15.280 dad asked him to take lunch to his brothers that 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:19.120 were out in the battlefield. They had a much more prestigious, 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:24.080 exciting position. David was stuck taking care of sheep. When 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:27.760 David arrived with the food, you'd think the brothers would 0:12:27.800 --> 0:12:30.600 be appreciative. I mean, he was doing them a favor, 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:35.400 but one of the brothers named Eliab tried to embarrass David. 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:38.280 He said, in front of all the men, David, what 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:41.680 are you doing here? And with whom have you left 0:12:41.720 --> 0:12:45.360 those few sheep? He was trying to be little David, 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:48.760 make him feel small, discredit him. He was saying, in effect, David, 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:52.880 You're not important. You're a shepherd boy. Don't be surprised 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:56.480 if God's favor on your life stirs up opposition in 0:12:56.600 --> 0:13:00.640 other people, it will stir up envy, jealousy, criticism. There 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:05.679 was no reason for Eliab to be jealous. David was younger, smaller, 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:09.240 out in the shepherd's fields, in other words, making minimum wage. 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:14.439 Iliab was in the army, He had training, expertise, influence. 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:18.480 Why was he fightful? He could sense the favor on 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:23.000 David's life, and I'm sure David was tempted to be offended, 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:27.040 get upset, discourage, thinking I'm gonna pay him back. No, 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:31.920 David understood this principle. The scripture says, David turned and 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:36.560 walked away. He ignored the insult. Why he had his 0:13:36.679 --> 0:13:40.959 walls up. If David would not have walked away, if 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:43.240 he had not kept his heart pure, he would have 0:13:43.360 --> 0:13:46.600 never made it to the throne. If you don't learn 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:50.319 to walk away from an offense, not dwell on what 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.800 they said, not be upset because how they treated you, 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:57.120 it can keep you from the fullness of your destiny. 0:13:57.720 --> 0:14:01.160 Here's the key. Don't waste your time trying to win 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:04.000 over people that are never going to be for you. 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:08.560 Don't waste your energy trying to convince people to understand 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:13.800 you that are determined to misunderstand you. Your time is 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:17.120 too valuable to try to prove to people that you 0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:20.880 really are okay, try to prove to them to accept you. Now, 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:23.920 you're not the problem. It's the favor they see on 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.840 your life. That's what they can't handle. Now, you just 0:14:26.960 --> 0:14:30.480 run your race, focus on your goals. God will bring 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:33.480 the right people into your life. You don't have to 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:37.360 play up to people let them manipulate you and control 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:40.080 you like a puppet. No, if they don't want to 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:43.080 be your friend, let them go. They're not a part 0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:46.720 of your destiny. If they don't accept you, blow them 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:50.840 a kiss goodbye, and move forward with your life. I 0:14:50.920 --> 0:14:54.640 read a statistic that I liked. It said twenty five 0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:58.080 percent of the people you meet won't like you and 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:05.120 never will won't like you, but could be persuaded to 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:08.800 twenty five percent will like you, but could be persuaded 0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:13.040 to not, and twenty five percent will like you and 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:16.640 stand by you no matter what. Life gets a lot 0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:20.280 freer when you realize this person that doesn't like you, 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:23.360 they don't give you the time of day, they're unfriendly. 0:15:24.160 --> 0:15:27.160 Don't worry about it. Don't go the next two years 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:31.960 frustrated trying to win them over. Recognize they're just one 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:34.360 of the twenty five percent that are never going to 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:37.880 like you. You could bring them flowers every day, give 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:41.160 them a compliment every hour, mow their lawn every week, 0:15:41.320 --> 0:15:43.440 but that old goat, I mean, that person is still 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:43.800 not going. 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:45.960 To like you. 0:15:45.960 --> 0:15:50.160 You shouldn't waste your time trying to win them over, 0:15:51.240 --> 0:15:54.160 trying to prove to them that you really are. Okay, 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:59.080 let it go. That's a distraction. You don't need their 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:02.320 approval to become who God has created you to be. 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:08.120 I knew this couple years ago, and I really liked them, 0:16:08.160 --> 0:16:10.680 and I went out of my way to be friendly, 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:14.360 but they were never really friendly back to me. They 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:17.840 would be cordial and say hello, but always felt like 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:20.800 there was something that was keeping them from accepting me. 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:25.080 I couldn't understand it, especially as nice and good looking 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:29.000 as I am. I went overboard trying to help them. 0:16:29.160 --> 0:16:32.200 I introduced them to people I knew. In fact, one 0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:36.240 contact led to them starting a business together. And eventually 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:39.480 they moved to another city, had to relocate. I found 0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:42.160 people to help them move, gave them a gift for 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:45.640 their new home. Despite of all these things that I did, 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:48.800 they never really gave me the time of day. A 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:51.320 few years later, I got word back that they were 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:54.760 talking about me, and they didn't feel like I'd done enough, 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:57.000 and I just hadn't treated them fairly. On and on, 0:16:57.280 --> 0:16:59.960 I thought to myself, I could not have done anymore. 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:04.600 I wish I knew back then what I know now. 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:07.960 It would have saved me a lot of frustration. They 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:10.920 were just one of the twenty five percent that were 0:17:10.920 --> 0:17:14.560 never going to like me. I was spending my emotional 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:18.200 energy trying to win over somebody that was never going 0:17:18.240 --> 0:17:20.600 to be won over. You've got to come to the 0:17:20.680 --> 0:17:24.280 place where you can say I'm at peace with them 0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:27.200 not being at peace with me. I'm at peace not 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:29.960 being their friend. I don't have to be in their 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:33.879 group to enjoy my life. Stay in peace. Keep those 0:17:34.000 --> 0:17:38.640 walls up. Too many people allow everything to come in. 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:42.920 They live from offense to stress, to frustration to discouragement. 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:46.640 You've got to guard your heart. Nobody can do this 0:17:46.720 --> 0:17:50.119 for you. The scripture puts it this way. Think on 0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:54.760 things that are pure, things that are wholesome, things that 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:57.879 are of a good report. It doesn't say think on 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:01.000 the offense, think on the peace that won't accept you. 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:05.360 Think on your problems all day. No, think on good things. 0:18:05.560 --> 0:18:08.240 That's how you keep your walls built up. If it's 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:13.160 not positive, hopeful, productive, faith filled, then don't dwell on it. 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:18.080 You can't live a positive life thinking negative thoughts. You 0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:21.359 won't have a blessed day thinking about the offense and 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.360 how unfair it was. You're not going to enjoy your 0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:29.000 life dwelling on your problems, worried, anxious, wondering if it's 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:32.800 going to work out. Now, you've got to guard your heart. 0:18:33.000 --> 0:18:36.320 And I'm not talking about ignoring problems, acting like they 0:18:36.359 --> 0:18:40.680 don't exist, shirking our responsibility. I'm talking about not letting 0:18:40.760 --> 0:18:44.080 it get down on the inside. There are a lot 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:48.720 of things that we cannot change. Trust is saying God, 0:18:49.200 --> 0:18:52.000 I'm not going to let this upset me. I can't 0:18:52.040 --> 0:18:54.880 make them like me. I can't make it work out 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:57.679 my way. But God, I know you're still on the throne. 0:18:58.000 --> 0:19:01.080 You're fighting my battles. So almost stay in peace and 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:05.399 enjoy my life anyway. I learned this principle from my father. 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:10.480 He didn't live offended, upset, discouraged. He learned how to 0:19:10.560 --> 0:19:13.880 keep his walls up. One time, a staff member came 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:17.480 to him, told him about this big problem in one 0:19:17.520 --> 0:19:20.520 of the departments of the church. It's a complicated situation. 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:25.359 Several people were involved. This staff member was very stressed, 0:19:26.040 --> 0:19:29.080 almost panicked. He said to my father, what are we 0:19:29.119 --> 0:19:32.359 going to do? My father said, We're not going to 0:19:32.440 --> 0:19:35.040 do anything right now. I'm going to put it on 0:19:35.080 --> 0:19:38.480 a shelf and pray about it. That was one of 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:42.439 my father's favorite sayings. He didn't let the panic, the 0:19:42.560 --> 0:19:45.879 worry get on the inside. He had his walls up 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:50.879 most of the time. This big problem, this big situation 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:54.040 that he could have lost sleep over, could have worried 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:58.600 about over time. Eventually it would work itself out. When 0:19:58.600 --> 0:20:02.520 a problem arises, it's easy to get riled up and think, well, 0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:04.360 I got to do something about this right now, I've 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:08.560 got to immediately solve this. No, be still and know 0:20:08.680 --> 0:20:11.600 that he is God. Have the attitude like my father. 0:20:11.800 --> 0:20:14.000 I'm gonna put this on a shelf. I'm gonna pray 0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:16.840 about it, and I'm gonna trust God to work it out. 0:20:18.000 --> 0:20:21.679 If you allow the panic in, then the worry will come, 0:20:22.000 --> 0:20:25.879 then the stress. You won't make good decisions. God works 0:20:26.000 --> 0:20:29.440 when we're in peace. That's why you have to constantly 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:33.200 guard your heart all through the day. Stuck in traffic, No, 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:37.000 I'm not gonna let this stress in. At the office, 0:20:37.160 --> 0:20:40.640 somebody's playing politics, leaves you out, that's okay. I've got 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:44.480 my walls up. I'm staying in peace. The grocery store, 0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:47.399 somebody's rude to you. You attempted to get upset. No, 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:50.879 I'm guarding my heart. I'm not letting that poison in. 0:20:52.160 --> 0:20:56.680 If you'll keep your walls up, then when worry comes, offense, 0:20:56.920 --> 0:21:00.000 negative comments, it's just like you have a big sign 0:21:00.200 --> 0:21:04.560 on the outside that says you're not welcome here. I 0:21:04.640 --> 0:21:08.160 believe we can get to the place where nothing offends us. 0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:11.360 That should be our goal. I don't say this arrogantly, 0:21:11.720 --> 0:21:15.720 but you cannot offend me. You know why, I won't 0:21:15.760 --> 0:21:20.439 give you that power. Here's the key. Nothing can offend 0:21:20.560 --> 0:21:25.320 you without your permission. People can say whatever they want, 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:28.239 but you have the right to ignore it. They can 0:21:28.400 --> 0:21:30.800 leave you out, but you have the right to have 0:21:30.840 --> 0:21:34.199 a good attitude anyway. They can try to belittle you, 0:21:34.640 --> 0:21:37.760 discredit you, but like David, you have the right to 0:21:37.840 --> 0:21:41.879 walk away and enjoy your day. A man said to 0:21:41.920 --> 0:21:44.840 me after a service one time, Joel, I just didn't 0:21:44.880 --> 0:21:48.399 get anything out of your message today. It just wasn't 0:21:48.440 --> 0:21:51.560 for me. I thought to myself, I can't help it 0:21:51.600 --> 0:21:56.040 if there's something wrong with you. I just smiled and said, well, 0:21:56.040 --> 0:21:57.680 you know what, I hope you come back next week. 0:21:57.720 --> 0:22:00.520 I know it will be Here's the key. If you 0:22:00.640 --> 0:22:04.719 allow someone to offend you, you are giving away your power. 0:22:05.720 --> 0:22:08.840 Years ago, a lady said to me, the reason I 0:22:08.960 --> 0:22:12.080 quit coming to church, the reason I haven't been there 0:22:12.119 --> 0:22:16.000 in two months, is because everybody was talking about me. 0:22:16.960 --> 0:22:19.720 I didn't say it, but I was thinking, Lady, everybody 0:22:19.840 --> 0:22:23.760 doesn't even know you. If you sit over here, the 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:27.000 people that sit up there probably have never even seen you. 0:22:28.000 --> 0:22:30.760 Tens of thousands of people came up. She thought everybody 0:22:30.880 --> 0:22:33.520 was against her. I wanted to say no, offense, but 0:22:33.560 --> 0:22:38.720 you're not that popular. Here's my point. When we're easily offended, 0:22:39.280 --> 0:22:44.720 everything is magnified, everything is blown out of proportion. Everybody's 0:22:44.800 --> 0:22:47.840 treating me badly. No, it was just Eliab. He was 0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:51.879 the only one. Everybody's talking about me. No, everybody doesn't 0:22:51.920 --> 0:22:55.719 know you. Put some walls up. Quit giving away your power, 0:22:56.280 --> 0:23:01.320 Quit letting those offenses in. Start ignoring the negative comments. 0:23:01.600 --> 0:23:05.320 Don't pay any attention to the evaps. If the favor 0:23:05.400 --> 0:23:08.879 of God wasn't on your life, they would leave you alone. 0:23:08.960 --> 0:23:13.160 That opposition is a sure sign God's hand is on you. 0:23:13.480 --> 0:23:16.560 He has an assignment for you. There is something amazing 0:23:16.640 --> 0:23:22.760 in your future. Now do your part and quit allowing 0:23:22.920 --> 0:23:26.639 the same things to upset you. The same people to 0:23:26.680 --> 0:23:30.359 get on your nerves, the same traffic to stress you 0:23:30.440 --> 0:23:34.679 morning after morning, the same relative at the family reunion 0:23:34.760 --> 0:23:38.640 to frustrate you. Friends. Life is too short to live 0:23:38.680 --> 0:23:42.879 that way. Every day is a gift from God. What 0:23:42.960 --> 0:23:45.560 if you found out you weren't going to be here 0:23:45.680 --> 0:23:48.639 in six months, you learned that your time was coming 0:23:48.680 --> 0:23:51.640 to an end. How many of the things that upset 0:23:51.720 --> 0:23:54.960 you now would you allow to continue to upset you? 0:23:55.400 --> 0:23:58.480 How much of the offense, the frustration, distress. Would you 0:23:58.520 --> 0:24:02.320 continue to let in? If you don't keep your walls up, 0:24:02.640 --> 0:24:05.359 it can keep you from the fullness of your destiny. 0:24:06.119 --> 0:24:08.320 When we come to the end of life. I can't 0:24:08.320 --> 0:24:12.040 think of anything that would be much sadder than to 0:24:12.119 --> 0:24:14.879 have to look back and think, why did I waste 0:24:14.920 --> 0:24:18.680 so many days worried? Why did I live stressed out? 0:24:19.040 --> 0:24:22.040 Why did I let those people keep me offended? Why 0:24:22.040 --> 0:24:25.200 didn't I guard my heart? You can make that decision 0:24:25.480 --> 0:24:29.399 right now. Jesus put it this way, very simple. Stop 0:24:29.440 --> 0:24:34.560 allowing yourself to be upset. He didn't say I'll take 0:24:34.600 --> 0:24:39.760 away the offense, the rejection, the disappointments, the stress. No, 0:24:39.920 --> 0:24:44.000 those things will come. You can't allow them to upset you. 0:24:44.040 --> 0:24:45.760 In other words, you got to put your foot down 0:24:45.920 --> 0:24:49.640 and say that's it. I'm done worrying about my finances, 0:24:50.080 --> 0:24:53.399 my children, my health. I'm not letting that worry in. 0:24:54.400 --> 0:24:58.080 I'm done being stressed every time my plans don't work out. 0:24:58.440 --> 0:25:01.800 I'm not letting the stress in. I'm done living sour 0:25:01.920 --> 0:25:04.640 because I had a disappointment, I didn't get the promotion. 0:25:04.960 --> 0:25:09.160 I'm not allowing that poison in. Now. The thoughts may 0:25:09.200 --> 0:25:12.120 come to your mind, but don't let them get into 0:25:12.200 --> 0:25:16.600 your spirit. Don't dwell on them. What we continually think 0:25:16.640 --> 0:25:20.360 about drops down into our spirit. That's when it can 0:25:20.400 --> 0:25:24.480 poison us. In the Old Testament, when an enemy was 0:25:24.520 --> 0:25:27.600 going to attack a city, the first thing they would do, 0:25:27.960 --> 0:25:32.240 many times, would take these stones and throw them into 0:25:32.280 --> 0:25:35.240 the wells to try to clog up the water supplies. 0:25:36.080 --> 0:25:39.880 These people were called slingers. They would sling the stones 0:25:39.920 --> 0:25:43.400 from a great distance. Once the water supply was cut off, 0:25:43.480 --> 0:25:45.320 the people would have to come out of the city. 0:25:45.520 --> 0:25:49.199 That's when they would attack in the same way. Every 0:25:49.240 --> 0:25:52.240 one of us has a well of good things on 0:25:52.320 --> 0:25:56.360 the inside, put there by our creator, a well of joy, 0:25:56.800 --> 0:26:00.000 well of peace, well of creativity, a well of victory. 0:26:00.560 --> 0:26:04.480 The scripture says, out of your innermost being will flow 0:26:04.640 --> 0:26:09.639 rivers of living water. The problem, too many times is 0:26:09.720 --> 0:26:14.200 we've allowed these slingers to clog up our wells. When 0:26:14.240 --> 0:26:18.000 somebody says something derogatory, tries to discredit you, you know 0:26:18.040 --> 0:26:21.280 what they're doing. They're throwing a stone towards your well. 0:26:22.280 --> 0:26:25.320 If you get offended, upset thinking I'm going to have 0:26:25.320 --> 0:26:28.400 to pay them back, then that stone lands in your well. 0:26:29.080 --> 0:26:32.320 It starts to clog up the joy, the peace, the victory. 0:26:32.440 --> 0:26:36.680 They've accomplished their goal. But when you keep your wall up, 0:26:37.440 --> 0:26:40.120 you don't get offended. You let it go, no big deal. 0:26:40.359 --> 0:26:44.360 That stone hits the wall, bounces off and causes no damage. 0:26:45.160 --> 0:26:48.720 We all have slingers in life. You can't go through 0:26:48.720 --> 0:26:51.919 the weak without having stones of judgment thrown at you, 0:26:52.400 --> 0:26:55.800 stones of offence, stones of doubts, stones of self pity. 0:26:56.040 --> 0:26:59.560 We can't stop the slingers from slinging the stones, but 0:26:59.640 --> 0:27:02.439 we can't choose to have our walls up and not 0:27:02.600 --> 0:27:05.960 let it affect us. And some of you today you're 0:27:06.000 --> 0:27:10.480 not enjoying your life. You're enduring your life. It's because 0:27:10.520 --> 0:27:14.120 your well has become clogged. You've allowed some of these 0:27:14.160 --> 0:27:18.040 stones to get in. Now it's keeping you from experiencing 0:27:18.119 --> 0:27:21.920 the fullness of life, the fullness of joy. The good 0:27:21.960 --> 0:27:25.119 news is it doesn't have to stay that way. You 0:27:25.200 --> 0:27:29.280 can unclog your well if you will forgive the people 0:27:29.280 --> 0:27:32.960 that hurt you, let go of what didn't work out, 0:27:33.359 --> 0:27:37.240 shake off the offense, the bitterness, the disappointment. Then the 0:27:37.280 --> 0:27:40.800 well of good things put in you by your creator 0:27:41.240 --> 0:27:45.040 will begin to freely flow. Once again, you will experience 0:27:45.280 --> 0:27:49.000 those rivers of living water. That's my prayer for you today, 0:27:49.640 --> 0:27:52.560 that you will see God's goodness in a new way, 0:27:52.800 --> 0:27:56.320 the abundance of his favor. Now make the decision with 0:27:56.440 --> 0:28:00.960 me to keep your walls up, guard your heart. Remember, 0:28:01.160 --> 0:28:05.520 you only have so much emotional energy each day. Don't 0:28:05.560 --> 0:28:08.600 waste it on things that don't matter. Don't spend it 0:28:08.640 --> 0:28:11.159 trying to win people over that are never going to 0:28:11.160 --> 0:28:14.480 be one over. Use it for your own goals, your 0:28:14.520 --> 0:28:17.800 own dreams. If you will keep those walls up, and 0:28:17.960 --> 0:28:21.640 like David, walk away from a fence, and I believe 0:28:21.920 --> 0:28:26.120 and declare no weapon formed against you will ever prosper. 0:28:26.440 --> 0:28:30.360 You will rise above every challenge, overcome every obstacle, and 0:28:30.400 --> 0:28:34.280 become everything God's created you to be in Jesus' name 0:28:34.880 --> 0:28:37.680 or we never like to close our broadcast without giving 0:28:37.720 --> 0:28:40.800 you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:41.000 --> 0:28:45.440 Would you pray with me, just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:28:45.560 --> 0:28:50.320 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:28:50.360 --> 0:28:53.880 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:28:53.960 --> 0:28:57.280 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:28:57.320 --> 0:29:00.560 a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. He's 0:29:00.600 --> 0:29:02.840 going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:03.600 --> 0:29:07.040 Thank you for listening to the Joel Lostine podcast. Help 0:29:07.080 --> 0:29:09.880 Let's continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:09.960 --> 0:29:13.840 all over the world. Visit joelostein dot com slash give 0:29:13.960 --> 0:29:15.640 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:16.920 --> 0:29:19.840 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:19.840 --> 0:29:23.200 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:23.280 --> 0:29:26.480 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:26.680 --> 0:29:29.120 I know God's best is still ahead. 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