Kind Words Work Wonders

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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 find 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. 0:01:30.959 --> 0:01:35.600 Your kind words can break strongholds in people's mind. Your 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:40.240 encouragement can set their dreams into motion. Don't withhold the healing. 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:44.440 Like my plant that needed water, it couldn't water itself. 0:01:44.840 --> 0:01:49.000 I had to step in. Someone needs your water. God 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:52.360 is counting on us to bring the nourishment. You don't 0:01:52.400 --> 0:01:56.160 know how a simple act of kindness can impact a person. Hi, 0:01:56.240 --> 0:01:58.920 this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:01.520 podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:04.000 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:02:04.040 --> 0:02:05.600 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:08.640 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:02:08.680 --> 0:02:13.880 your life. God bless you. It's great to be with 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:16.840 you today, and I hope you'll stay connected with us 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:20.320 during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:24.560 social media. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. I'd like 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:26.840 to start with something funny. And I heard about this 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:30.240 burglar that broke into a house one night, and just 0:02:30.280 --> 0:02:33.400 as he was stealing the stereo, he heard a voice saying, 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:37.520 Jesus is watching you. He froze in his tracks, shined 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:40.640 his flashlight in the corner and saw a parrot. He said, 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.120 did you say that to me? The parent said yes, 0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:46.200 I'm just trying to warn you. The burglar said, warned me? 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:49.760 What are you talking about? Who are you? The parent said, 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:53.400 my name is Moses. The burglar laughed, said what kind 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:56.880 of crazy people would name a parent Moses. The parent 0:02:57.000 --> 0:02:59.720 said the same kind of people that would name a 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:04.480 one one hundred and fifty pounds rockweler. Jesus say it 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:07.560 like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:10.040 what it says I am. I have what it says 0:03:10.080 --> 0:03:12.560 I have. I can do what it says I can do. 0:03:12.960 --> 0:03:15.959 Today I will be taught the word of God. I'll 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:20.120 boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:24.160 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:27.760 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:32.840 how kind words work wonders. When you say something kind, 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:36.040 you give a compliment, you tell your spouse that you 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:39.360 love them, you encourage your neighbor. It can seem like 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:43.000 a simple thing, no big deal, but those words have 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:48.600 incredible power. Proverb sixteen says kind words are like honey, 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:53.120 sweep to the soul and healthy for the body. You 0:03:53.160 --> 0:03:57.400 can make someone healthier by speaking kind words. Just a 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:01.160 simple compliment, you look beautiful today, you did great on 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:06.040 that presentation. That's not just being nice, You're nourishing their soul. 0:04:06.880 --> 0:04:09.920 When you tell your spouse I love you, I'm blessed 0:04:09.920 --> 0:04:12.800 to have you in my life. That's not only going 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:16.200 to keep your relationship stronger, but it's making the other 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:21.560 person more secure, more confident. It's nourishing them. When you 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:24.560 call the friend that's down, say I'm thinking about you, 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:27.440 I care about you. You mean the world to me. 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:32.320 That's not just encouraging them, it's bringing healing to their body. 0:04:33.120 --> 0:04:37.840 Don't miss opportunities to bring nourishment the people around you need. 0:04:37.880 --> 0:04:41.719 What you have. Your kind words can be what pushes 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:46.599 them into their destiny. Your compliments, your encouragement. That's making 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:50.560 them healthier, stronger. That's how they're going to become all 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:53.920 they were created to be. Now, maybe you weren't raised 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:57.840 like this, with people saying nice things, telling your family 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:01.599 you love them, giving compliments. You didn't see that model 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:04.320 growing up. You can be the one to start it. 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:08.240 Without your nourishment, it will make it more difficult on 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:12.440 your family, on your children. The reason some people aren't 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:16.320 flourishing is no one is nourishing them. They never hear 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:21.040 any compliments, any encouragement. But God created us to need 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:24.920 each other. You have something that will cause your spouse 0:05:25.000 --> 0:05:28.640 to blossom, your children to bloom, your loved one to 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:31.960 feel more secure. It's not your money, it's not your 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:36.680 hard work, not your accomplishments. It's your kind words. They 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:39.680 need to hear how much you love them, how much 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:42.680 you believe in them, how great you think they are. 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:46.160 Don't let a day go by that you don't say 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:49.320 something kind to the people God put in your life. 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:53.200 It's not enough to just think it. Your thoughts don't 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:57.720 nourish anyone. A blessing is not a blessing until it's spoken. 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:02.360 They need to hear it. Love you, I'm proud of you. 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:05.320 You're beautiful, You're going to do great things. Make it 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:09.920 a habit of speaking good at these days it's more 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:13.520 needed than ever. So many voices trying to push down 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:18.440 people saying harsh things, being rude, demeaning. They have no 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:22.200 problem speaking their mind in a negative way. We need 0:06:22.240 --> 0:06:24.880 to be just as bold and speak our mind in 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:29.159 a positive way. God is counting on us to be healers, 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:33.400 to be lifters, to be encouragers. Let's make it our 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:37.800 business to nourish people's souls, to bring healing and wholeness. 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:42.400 I've told Victoria thousands of times how beautiful she is. 0:06:43.040 --> 0:06:46.719 Now realize she already knows that she's beautiful. People have 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:49.040 been telling her that her whole life. Do you know 0:06:49.120 --> 0:06:52.400 what's funny, She's never once said, Joel, stop telling me 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:56.160 I'm beautiful. You know why we like to hear good 0:06:56.200 --> 0:07:00.680 things over and over because it's nourishing our soul. It's 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:04.840 keeping us strong and Healthyw's going up. I would hear 0:07:04.880 --> 0:07:07.479 my parents tell me how proud they were of me, 0:07:07.800 --> 0:07:11.040 again and again every night before bed Joel, we love 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:15.200 you and we're proud of you. Those words brought confidence, 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:19.920 security because they believed in me. I believed in myself. 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:23.480 There are people in your life. When they know you 0:07:23.600 --> 0:07:27.120 believe in them, they'll start believing in themselves in a 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:32.440 new way. They need your validation, your encouragement, your blessing. 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:36.480 That's what will push them into their destiny. This should 0:07:36.480 --> 0:07:40.400 start with your family. Don't take for granted the people 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:43.680 that are closest to you. You may think, oh, they're strong, 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:46.800 they don't need my blessing. They know I'm proud of them. 0:07:47.000 --> 0:07:50.560 They know they're beautiful. Know something happens when they hear 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:54.360 you say it. Those kind words get down into their spirit, 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:59.320 bring a new level of confidence, talent, boldness. When I 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:02.880 worked in them television department here at Lakewood, my father 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:05.800 would bring guests by it during the week. He would 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.680 tell them, you have to meet my son Joel. He's 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:11.960 so talented and so much better looking than his brother Paul. 0:08:12.240 --> 0:08:16.120 He can produce. He can produce television like nobody else. 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:19.920 He would brag on me so much. I'd be embarrassed. 0:08:20.560 --> 0:08:24.200 But Daddy knew the power of kind words. He didn't 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:27.680 grow up with people encouraging him. He had loving parents, 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:32.000 but they weren't vocal about their love. They expressed themselves 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:35.480 when they saw something negative, something they were displeased with. 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:39.160 And yes, we have to correct our children, but they 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:42.880 shouldn't only hear what they're doing wrong. They need to 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:46.880 hear words of affirmation, how valuable they are, how much 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:49.800 you love them, talk to them about what they're good. 0:08:49.800 --> 0:08:53.520 At all those times my father bragged on me, I 0:08:53.600 --> 0:08:55.960 may have acted like I didn't like it. The truth 0:08:56.040 --> 0:08:58.600 is I did like it. It made me believe in 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:02.440 myself in a great away. You have to call out 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:05.640 the seeds of greatness in the people God put in 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:09.480 your life. Most of the time, that greatness won't come 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:12.280 out on its own. They have to hear it again 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:15.800 and again. My mother sent me a birthday card the 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.559 other day, said Joel, I am so proud of you, 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:22.480 and I know Daddy would be so proud too. Eighty 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.680 eight years old and she's still speaking the blessing over 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:29.800 her children. No wonder, I've been able to go places 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:33.080 I've never dreamed. I didn't think this was in me, 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:36.960 but people around me kept calling it out, telling me 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:40.880 what I could become their kind words nourished my soul, 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:44.559 made me more confident, more secure, helped me to step 0:09:44.600 --> 0:09:48.360 into my destiny. I wouldn't be half of who I 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:52.280 am today without Victoria. She saw things in me that 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:55.800 I couldn't see. Here's the key she took time to 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:59.680 tell me. She spoke words of faith, words of victory 0:10:00.280 --> 0:10:03.720 once but over and over. Joel, you can do anything. 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:08.120 You're amazing. You're so talented. One time we bought this 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:10.800 old house and had it torn down. We're going to 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:13.600 build a new one. I called the builder we had 0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:16.280 used a couple of years earlier. He built a house 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:18.760 we really liked for us. She said, why are you 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:21.760 calling him? We don't need a builder. You can build 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:25.079 a house, said Victoria. I am not a builder. I 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:27.120 don't know how to build a house. She said, sure 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:30.240 you do. You just watched him build our last house. 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:32.920 You're as smart as he is. You can build this house, 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:36.160 I said, Victoria, I had surgery on my knee. I 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:40.120 watched the surgeon, but I can't do surgery. She said, 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:43.240 that's different. She talked me into it. I built the 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:45.800 house and turned out pretty good. I forgot the plumbing, 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:49.280 but other than that, it was great. Ten years before 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:51.560 my father went to be with the Lord. We would 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:53.880 sit on the front row when Daddy was up there 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:57.959 ministering on Sunday nights, and Victoria would lean over and say, Joel, 0:10:58.120 --> 0:11:01.080 one day you're going to pasture the church. I thought, 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:03.680 I have her so fulled. I may be able to 0:11:03.679 --> 0:11:06.120 build a house, but I cannot get up and speak 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:08.520 in front of people. I would tell her there's no way. 0:11:08.720 --> 0:11:10.720 She say, yes, I can see it. I know you 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:14.640 can do it. And when my father passed, one reason 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:17.240 I believe I was able to step up and past her, 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:20.559 even though I had never ministered, is because I'd had 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:23.480 heard Victoria tell me I could do it hundreds and 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:29.359 hundreds of times. Those words nourish my soul, gave me confidence, 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:33.480 brought talent out that I didn't know I had. How 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:36.839 much further will the people that God put in your 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:40.280 life go? If you will speak kind words, if you 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:42.559 will tell them what they can to come, if you 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:46.240 will call out their seeds of greatness. Thinking about it 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:49.599 doesn't do them any good. Speak it over them. And 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:53.480 here's the key. Be generous with your compliments and be 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:57.440 stingy with your complaints. We can all focus on things 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:00.680 we don't like about someone, how they don't measure up, 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:04.480 how they should do better. Don't spend more time telling 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:07.480 people what you don't like, what they can't do, than 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:10.160 you do telling them what you do like what they 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:13.720 can do. You have the power to push them into 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:17.920 their destiny. Many times, you can see things in people 0:12:18.240 --> 0:12:22.240 that they can't see in themselves. Your kind words can 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:25.840 be the seed that causes them to blossom. Because you 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:30.360 spoke faith, you encourage, you lifted, they'll step into levels 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:33.559 that they couldn't get to on their own. Now. There 0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:35.679 may be people in your life now and you kind 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:38.680 of put out with why can't they be more disciplined? 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:42.600 Why won't they go further? Maybe all they need is 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:47.520 some nourishment. Maybe your kind words, your encouragement is going 0:12:47.559 --> 0:12:50.680 to give them the strength, the confidence, the faith to 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:54.120 rise up and blossom into who they were created to be. 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:57.800 We have this small plant in a pot on our 0:12:57.840 --> 0:13:00.240 back porch, and we were out of town for a 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:03.319 couple of weeks and didn't water it. When we came back, 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:07.520 the plant was all wilted over, leaves were brown, dried up, 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:10.319 looked like it was dead. I was about to take 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:13.560 it to the trash. Vizoria said, no, Joe, it's not dead. 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:16.400 Just put some water in it. I thought, man, she 0:13:16.480 --> 0:13:19.040 has more faith than me, because there's nothing in this 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:23.120 plant that looks alive. I watered it. The next morning 0:13:23.280 --> 0:13:25.760 the plant had stood up tall. I thought, this is 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:29.240 a miracle, this is a resurrection. Two days later the 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:32.560 leaves had turned green. A couple of weeks later there 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:37.600 were beautiful flowers. The whole plant was blossoming, blooming, prettier 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:40.959 than ever. I thought it was dead. All it needed 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:45.080 was some nourishment. And the reason some people are wilted, 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:50.520 not blossoming, not reaching their potential is their lacking nourishment. 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:54.800 They need someone to speak life into them. You have 0:13:55.000 --> 0:13:58.760 what they need. If you'll encourage them, let them know 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.600 that you believe in them them, call out their seeds 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:04.880 of greatness. Just like this plan, you'll see them come 0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:07.800 to life. Gifts will come out that they didn't know 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:11.880 they had. Their passion will come back. Before long, they'll 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:16.680 be blossoming, blooming, stepping into new levels. It wasn't something 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:19.640 they could do on their own. They needed what you had. 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:24.680 Your kind words are nourishment to their soul, and this 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:28.200 is not something that's complicated, doesn't take a lot of time. 0:14:28.520 --> 0:14:31.480 In twenty seconds, you can give a compliment. You can 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:35.640 send a text, I'm thinking about you. I appreciate your friendship. 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:39.680 You're really amazing. You just nourish their soul. You just 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:43.840 lighten their load, made their life a little easier. You 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:47.240 don't know what people are going through. They may smile 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:51.160 on the outside, everything seems fine, but on the inside, 0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:55.080 they're hurting. They're trying to keep it together. One thing 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:59.200 I've learned is everyone is fighting a battle. Everyone is 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:02.120 dealing with something. They may not show it, but there's 0:15:02.160 --> 0:15:05.520 a load they're carrying, their thoughts telling them how it's 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:08.560 not going to work out. They're concerned about a child, 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:13.280 worried about their health, struggling in their career. If they 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.360 were sick and we had the medicine, we had the cure, 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:19.320 none of us would withhold it. We'd be quick to 0:15:19.360 --> 0:15:21.400 give it to them. We want to see them get better. 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:25.640 What I'm saying is we have some medicine. We have 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:29.640 something that will not only nourish their soul, soothe their emotions, 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:33.840 calm their fears, but our kind words bring healing to 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:37.320 the body. When you tell someone it's going to be okay, 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:39.920 it's going to work out. God has you in the 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:43.960 palm of his hand. That just made them stronger. Their 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:48.240 immune system will function better, their cells will work more efficiently, 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:52.440 their blood pressure will improve, all because you took time 0:15:52.680 --> 0:15:57.480 to be a healer. Proverb says a word of encouragement 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:02.120 works wonders and pray for signs and wonders. And I 0:16:02.200 --> 0:16:05.520 believe in that. But what if some of those wonders 0:16:05.760 --> 0:16:09.160 are in our kind words? What if the miracle was 0:16:09.160 --> 0:16:12.720 in something simple, telling someone that they're going to make it, 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:17.320 Telling your spouse every day I love you, giving your coworker, 0:16:17.520 --> 0:16:22.000 your friend a compliment, encouraging them. Don't discount the power 0:16:22.320 --> 0:16:26.520 of a kind word. It can work wonders. My mother 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:29.760 had polio as a child. One of her legs is 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:33.040 much smaller than the other. She's always walked with a limp. 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:36.840 They used to really bother her. She was self conscious 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:39.680 about it, thinking people are looking at me, thinking what's 0:16:39.680 --> 0:16:42.040 wrong with you? And she'd try to cover up the 0:16:42.080 --> 0:16:46.680 small leg wearing longer dresses. One day, a minister friend 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:49.640 was speaking for us at the old church. He and 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:52.480 my father were walking together and my mother was a 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:55.840 few feet in front of them, he saw my mother walking. 0:16:56.440 --> 0:16:58.920 He turned to my father and said, John, look at 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:04.359 Dodie like a princess. My mother had never heard anything 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:07.639 positive about how she walked, but when she heard that, 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:11.959 it changed her whole perspective. She stopped being embarrassed by it. 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:16.080 She started walking with confidence, knowing that she's made in 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:19.600 the image of Almighty God. That was over forty years ago, 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:24.800 but she remembers it like it was yesterday. One compliment, 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:29.120 one kind word, can have an impact for a lifetime. 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:32.280 What if that minister would have just thought about it, 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.560 never said it, maybe my mother would still be bothered 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:40.920 by it. But a word of encouragement works wonders. Your 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:46.080 kind words can break strongholds in people's mind. Your encouragement 0:17:46.320 --> 0:17:50.000 can set their dreams into motion. Don't withhold the healing. 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:54.160 Like my plant that needed water, it couldn't water itself. 0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:58.760 I had to step in. Someone needs your water. God 0:17:58.840 --> 0:18:02.120 is counting on us to bring the nourishment. You don't 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:05.600 know how a simple act of kindness can impact a person. 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:09.480 Seems ordinary to us, but to that person is something 0:18:09.520 --> 0:18:12.320 that will affect them for the good for years to come. 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:17.159 When I first started ministering. I was so insecure. I 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:20.760 hadn't been trained to do this. I'm naturally more quiet 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:24.280 and reserved, and all these thoughts said to me, nobody's 0:18:24.280 --> 0:18:26.920 going to listen to you. Joel, it's a big mistake. 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:30.040 You better change your mind and go back behind the scenes. 0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:33.840 I was fighting all these internal battles, trying to keep 0:18:33.880 --> 0:18:38.480 moving forward, unsure of myself. One day, about two months in, 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:41.840 when I was at a critical point, I received a 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:44.959 letter in the mail from a very well known and 0:18:45.080 --> 0:18:49.680 well respected minister and business leader. I'd never met him. 0:18:50.240 --> 0:18:52.480 I didn't know that he knew who I was. I 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:56.000 started reading the letter so nervously, not knowing what to expect. 0:18:56.560 --> 0:18:59.440 He said, Joel, want you to know I've been watching you, 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:03.119 and I can't tell you how great you're doing. Listed 0:19:03.200 --> 0:19:05.720 all these things I was doing right on and on, 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:10.240 so encouraging and so uplifting. When he sent that letter, 0:19:10.640 --> 0:19:13.280 he had no idea what I was fighting. He had 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:15.919 no way of knowing what kind of impact it would have. 0:19:16.760 --> 0:19:19.960 But he took time to nourish my soul. He took 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:22.399 time to let me know that he cared that it 0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:25.639 was for me that he believed in me. That letter 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:28.760 was a big part of me moving forward and pushing 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:32.400 through the doubt, through the naysayers, through my own negative thoughts. 0:19:33.400 --> 0:19:38.080 Proverbs says, when it's in your power, don't withhold the good. 0:19:39.080 --> 0:19:41.600 This has taught me to live my life as a healer, 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:45.480 to be free with kind words, to lift people, to 0:19:45.560 --> 0:19:48.439 speak life to their dreams, to tell them what they 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:52.520 can become. Several times a week when I'm at home, 0:19:52.880 --> 0:19:55.880 instead of watching television, I'll get my cell phone out 0:19:56.200 --> 0:19:59.520 and think, who can I encourage tonight? Who can I bless? 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:03.280 Who can nourish like that man did for me? God 0:20:03.320 --> 0:20:06.280 will cause you to speak a word in due season. 0:20:07.240 --> 0:20:11.440 There are people all around us work, the grocery store, 0:20:11.520 --> 0:20:15.560 the mall, the gem. They need nourishment. Life has pushed 0:20:15.560 --> 0:20:18.920 them down. They're trying to decide, like I was, should 0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:22.360 I go back, give up on this dream, this marriage, 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:26.639 this child. They're starting to wilt, to dry up. The 0:20:26.680 --> 0:20:30.679 good news is you have the water. You have the nourishment. 0:20:31.480 --> 0:20:36.720 Your kind words, your encouragement, your text, your compliment can 0:20:36.760 --> 0:20:40.680 be what causes them to come back to life. Well, Joel, 0:20:40.720 --> 0:20:43.160 I need someone to nourish me. Man. I have all 0:20:43.200 --> 0:20:46.840 these challenges. I'm carrying a heavy load. The scripture says, 0:20:47.359 --> 0:20:51.520 your own soul is nourished when you're kind. When you're 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:54.920 kind to others, you're not only nourishing them, but you're 0:20:54.960 --> 0:20:58.040 being nourished. You're going to get stronger, you're going to 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:02.080 get healthy, You're going to have more fail Isaiah said, 0:21:02.440 --> 0:21:05.560 say to the righteous, all will be well with you. 0:21:06.520 --> 0:21:09.640 It didn't say go pray for the righteous, although that's good, 0:21:10.280 --> 0:21:12.679 go tell the righteous how to get out of their problems. 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:16.359 It simply says, say to the righteous, it's going to 0:21:16.440 --> 0:21:20.080 work out. Everything's going to be okay. Just a word 0:21:20.160 --> 0:21:23.760 of encouragement. Just let them know that you care. Just 0:21:23.840 --> 0:21:27.120 remind them that God's still on the throne. You don't 0:21:27.160 --> 0:21:29.720 have to have all the answers. I used to be 0:21:29.760 --> 0:21:35.680 intimidated because sometimes the situation was so complicated, different people involved, 0:21:35.800 --> 0:21:39.040 there's been lost. I'm not sure what to tell them. 0:21:39.240 --> 0:21:42.440 I've learned I don't have to solve the problem. That's 0:21:42.480 --> 0:21:45.720 God's job. My part is to just nourish their soul. 0:21:46.400 --> 0:21:49.679 Just let them know I care about you, I'm standing 0:21:49.760 --> 0:21:53.600 with you. You're going to make it. Those kind words are 0:21:53.640 --> 0:21:57.639 what put people back on their feet. Here's ago. A 0:21:57.760 --> 0:22:00.720 minister friend of mine went to a tough time. He 0:22:00.760 --> 0:22:04.120 was accused of doing things that weren't true. People blew 0:22:04.119 --> 0:22:06.840 them out of proportion and made it a really big deal, 0:22:06.880 --> 0:22:10.920 and his ministry and reputation went down to nothing. He's 0:22:10.960 --> 0:22:13.200 a good man, he just made the mistakes, got a 0:22:13.240 --> 0:22:17.119 little off course. It's easy to be judgmental. He knew better. 0:22:17.359 --> 0:22:20.719 It's his own fault. He's getting what he deserves. But 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:24.120 a true friend doesn't run away. When people are in trouble, 0:22:24.280 --> 0:22:27.840 you run to them. You pour oil on their wounds. 0:22:28.040 --> 0:22:31.359 You help them to get better. Have enough people pushing 0:22:31.400 --> 0:22:35.040 them down their own thoughts are making them feel badly enough, 0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:38.280 Why don't you be a healer? Why don't you use 0:22:38.320 --> 0:22:41.640 your words to nourish their soul. You can help love 0:22:41.720 --> 0:22:45.439 them back into wholeness. The mercy we show others is 0:22:45.480 --> 0:22:48.440 the mercy God's going to show us. I don't want 0:22:48.440 --> 0:22:51.159 to be a condemner, a fault finder. I told you so. 0:22:51.640 --> 0:22:54.560 I'm going to live my life as a healer. The 0:22:54.600 --> 0:22:58.000 scripture says the enemy is the accuser of the brethren. 0:22:58.720 --> 0:23:03.440 Anytime you're at tempted to be horsh judgmental, condemning, recognize 0:23:03.680 --> 0:23:06.960 you're on the wrong side. I hadn't spoken to this 0:23:07.040 --> 0:23:09.719 friend in several months since all the news hit, and 0:23:10.000 --> 0:23:12.520 it's like the whole world had turned against him. And 0:23:12.600 --> 0:23:15.240 I called him on his cell phone. He answered in 0:23:15.320 --> 0:23:19.120 the weakest, most faint voice you could imagine. I could 0:23:19.160 --> 0:23:23.840 barely hear him say hello. He's a very outgoing, dynamic person. 0:23:24.640 --> 0:23:26.960 I told him how much I loved him, how this 0:23:27.119 --> 0:23:29.680 is not the end, and how God knows how to restore. 0:23:30.400 --> 0:23:34.600 The line went silent. Could tell he was weepy. He said, Joel, 0:23:34.760 --> 0:23:37.800 I don't have any fight left in me. I said, 0:23:37.800 --> 0:23:41.080 that's okay, We're going to fight for you. I didn't 0:23:41.119 --> 0:23:43.080 have the solution. I didn't know how it was going 0:23:43.160 --> 0:23:45.200 to work out, but I let him know that God 0:23:45.280 --> 0:23:48.200 still had a purpose for him, that he was not finished, 0:23:48.560 --> 0:23:51.159 and that we're going to keep praying for him. It 0:23:51.280 --> 0:23:53.960 was a five minute phone call. I couldn't tell it 0:23:54.000 --> 0:23:56.720 made any difference, but at least he knew that we cared. 0:23:57.560 --> 0:24:00.159 Two months later, he called me in told him how 0:24:00.160 --> 0:24:01.960 he had already made up his mind to get out 0:24:02.000 --> 0:24:04.840 of the ministry. He's going to formally resign and go 0:24:04.920 --> 0:24:07.480 do something else. But he said, Joel, when I heard 0:24:07.520 --> 0:24:11.119 your voice that day, something came alive on the inside. 0:24:11.440 --> 0:24:14.040 I kept hearing what you told me that God still 0:24:14.080 --> 0:24:17.440 has a purpose for me. He quit dwelling on his failures, 0:24:17.640 --> 0:24:21.879 he quit listening to the accusing voices, got his passion back. Today, 0:24:21.880 --> 0:24:24.679 he's back in the ministry, stronger than ever, making a 0:24:24.720 --> 0:24:29.600 greater difference than before. On your journey in life, you're 0:24:29.640 --> 0:24:32.320 going to meet people like this, people that are wilted. 0:24:32.880 --> 0:24:36.280 Life has thrown them a curve. They feel overwhelmed. People 0:24:36.320 --> 0:24:39.800 are judging them. God put them in your path so 0:24:39.840 --> 0:24:43.520 you can nourish them. Your kind words can put them 0:24:43.560 --> 0:24:47.040 back on their feet. They don't need more judgment. They 0:24:47.080 --> 0:24:50.159 need a healer. They need someone that will pour oil 0:24:50.240 --> 0:24:53.080 on the wounds. There are a lot of tears in 0:24:53.119 --> 0:24:56.439 our world today, a lot of heartache, a lot of pain. 0:24:57.119 --> 0:24:59.880 When we get to heaven, the scripture talks about how 0:25:00.080 --> 0:25:02.919 God will wipe away the tears. There will be no 0:25:03.000 --> 0:25:06.240 more tears, no more loss, no more pain. But while 0:25:06.240 --> 0:25:09.800 we're here on earth, God is counting on us to 0:25:09.880 --> 0:25:13.680 wipe away the tears, to lift the fallen, to nourish 0:25:13.760 --> 0:25:17.280 the Wilton to encourage those that are down. You can 0:25:17.359 --> 0:25:21.400 breathe life back into their spirits. Your kind words can 0:25:21.440 --> 0:25:25.399 set their dreams into motion. Your encouragement can be what 0:25:25.480 --> 0:25:29.359 causes them to step into their purpose. Read about a 0:25:29.400 --> 0:25:32.800 five year old little boy named Michael. His mother had 0:25:32.840 --> 0:25:35.520 just found out that she was pregnant with the little girl. 0:25:35.880 --> 0:25:38.280 He was so excited he couldn't wait to see his 0:25:38.359 --> 0:25:41.840 little sister. All through the day, Michael would come over 0:25:41.920 --> 0:25:45.159 to his mother's tummy and sing to his baby's sister, 0:25:45.720 --> 0:25:49.680 you are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Week after week, 0:25:49.800 --> 0:25:53.639 month after month, hundreds of times he kept singing. The 0:25:53.680 --> 0:25:57.119 mother finally went into labor and there were complications with 0:25:57.200 --> 0:25:59.960 the delivery. She had to be rushed to the operator 0:26:00.200 --> 0:26:05.200 room for an emergency CEA section. Unfortunately, the baby didn't 0:26:05.200 --> 0:26:09.400 fare well. She was alive, but doctors told the parents 0:26:09.560 --> 0:26:12.959 there was very little chance she would survive. The baby 0:26:13.040 --> 0:26:17.080 was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit. All the while, 0:26:17.160 --> 0:26:20.240 Michael kept asking, when can I see my baby sister. 0:26:21.080 --> 0:26:24.480 Several days went by, word came that the baby would 0:26:24.520 --> 0:26:27.359 probably not make it through the night. The mother knew 0:26:27.359 --> 0:26:29.920 if Michael didn't see his sister right away, he may 0:26:29.960 --> 0:26:33.920 not ever see her alive. When the head nurse wasn't watching, 0:26:34.200 --> 0:26:38.560 she snucked Michael into intensive care. He was taken aback 0:26:38.600 --> 0:26:41.560 by all the tubes and monitors on his little sister. 0:26:42.119 --> 0:26:44.920 About that time, the nurse saw Michael told the mother 0:26:45.040 --> 0:26:48.160 that he had to leave right now. Without his mother 0:26:48.320 --> 0:26:53.040 saying a word, Michael started singing, you are my sunshine, 0:26:53.320 --> 0:26:56.840 my only sunshine. You make me happy. When Scott's regragged, 0:26:57.600 --> 0:27:01.480 the nurse noticed the baby's rap but breathing begin to 0:27:01.520 --> 0:27:04.280 slow down to normal. She looked at little Michael and 0:27:04.320 --> 0:27:07.879 said keep seeing. As he stood there and sang for 0:27:07.920 --> 0:27:11.240 a few minutes. The nurse watched in amazement as the 0:27:11.240 --> 0:27:14.639 baby's heart rate became normal, the blue color began to 0:27:14.640 --> 0:27:17.600 go away. Instead of being shaky and jitterly, there was 0:27:17.640 --> 0:27:20.919 a calmness over the baby. It was like those words 0:27:20.960 --> 0:27:24.439 from a five year old boy were releasing healing and 0:27:24.520 --> 0:27:29.919 wholeness into his baby's sister. Against all odds, the baby 0:27:29.920 --> 0:27:36.000 got better today. She's perfectly healthy and whole. Kind words work, wonders. 0:27:36.840 --> 0:27:41.080 Are you using your healing powers? Are you nourishing anyone's souls? 0:27:41.680 --> 0:27:45.480 Don't let the day go by without encouraging someone, giving 0:27:45.480 --> 0:27:49.320 a compliment, telling your family that you love them, developed 0:27:49.359 --> 0:27:53.960 the habit of speaking kind words. The Scripture says, encourage 0:27:53.960 --> 0:27:57.360 one another daily. This is not a one time thing 0:27:57.359 --> 0:28:00.399 and you're done. This should be a lifestyle. Be on 0:28:00.440 --> 0:28:03.639 the lookout. Who can I encourage today? Who can I text? 0:28:03.720 --> 0:28:06.800 Who can I call? There are people God has put 0:28:06.840 --> 0:28:10.560 in your path that need your nourishment. Remember when you're 0:28:10.640 --> 0:28:14.280 kind to others, your own soul is nourished. If you'll 0:28:14.280 --> 0:28:17.600 do this, I believe and declare, as you help them, 0:28:17.960 --> 0:28:21.119 you're going to rise higher. New doors are going to open, 0:28:21.480 --> 0:28:26.240 healing will come, favor, breakthroughs, the fullness of your destiny 0:28:26.680 --> 0:28:29.600 in Jesus' name, And if you receive it, can you 0:28:29.680 --> 0:28:33.840 say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity to 0:28:33.920 --> 0:28:36.840 make Jesus the Lord. If you're lying, would you pray 0:28:36.880 --> 0:28:42.040 with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. 0:28:43.400 --> 0:28:47.520 Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. 0:28:49.040 --> 0:28:51.280 If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:51.320 --> 0:28:54.080 born again. We'd love to send you some free information 0:28:54.200 --> 0:28:56.160 on your new walk with the Lord. Just text the 0:28:56.240 --> 0:28:59.000 number or go to the website. I hope you'll get 0:28:59.000 --> 0:29:02.240 into a good bye Bible based church and keep God 0:29:02.360 --> 0:29:06.120 the first place. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:29:06.240 --> 0:29:09.040 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:29:09.040 --> 0:29:12.560 podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:12.720 --> 0:29:14.920 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:14.920 --> 0:29:18.400 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:18.520 --> 0:29:21.120 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:21.200 --> 0:29:21.719 us today. 0:29:21.960 --> 0:29:24.400 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:24.520 --> 0:29:27.320 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:27.400 --> 0:29:30.480 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:29:30.480 --> 0:29:31.320 see you next time.