Know What To Ignore

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See terms and conditions at 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 --> 0:01:40.800 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:43.840 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:57.960 your life. Will God bless you? It's a joy to 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:00.840 come into your homes. We love you. We know God 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:03.880 has good things in store. If you're ever in our area, 0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:05.800 please stop buying and be a part of one of 0:02:05.800 --> 0:02:08.440 our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:11.000 at home. But thanks for tuning in today, and thanks 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:13.560 again for coming out. I like to start with something 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:16.800 funny each week. And I heard about this pastor. He 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:19.640 was raising money for a new auditorium. He said to 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:23.760 the congregation, anyone who will give a thousand dollars can 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:25.560 pick out the next three hymns. 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:27.280 A little old lady in. 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:29.680 The back stood up and said, Pastor, I'll do it. 0:02:30.040 --> 0:02:33.040 He was so excited. He said, thank you, Now, which 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:36.000 three hymns would you like? She looked over the congregation 0:02:36.160 --> 0:02:40.800 said I'll take him and him and him hold up 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.640 your bibles. Say it like you mean it. This is 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.799 my Bible. I am what it says. I am. I 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:49.280 have what it says I have. I can do what 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:52.040 it says I can do. Today I will be taught 0:02:52.120 --> 0:02:56.120 the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, 0:02:56.480 --> 0:02:59.400 my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:04.040 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:08.280 to you today about knowing what to ignore. If you're 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.679 going to live in victory, you have to be very 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:14.040 selective as to what you give your time and attention 0:03:14.200 --> 0:03:18.000 to You have to know what thoughts to ignore, what 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:22.040 comments to ignore. And I say this respectfully, what people 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:26.560 to ignore. Every battle that comes across our path is 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:30.400 not a battle we're supposed to fight. Many battles are 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:34.840 simply distractions to try to lure us off course. If 0:03:34.840 --> 0:03:38.560 that battle is not between you and your god given destiny, 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:39.400 it's a battle. 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:40.360 You should ignore. 0:03:41.200 --> 0:03:44.360 That person at the office that's always getting on your 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:48.560 nerves making sarcastic comments. You can either get in there 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:51.080 and try to fight that battle and straighten them out. 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:55.680 If you do, you are wasting valuable time and energy 0:03:56.120 --> 0:04:01.600 that you should be using to pursue your dreams. Ignore it. 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.560 That family member that never gives you any credit. They 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:09.320 celebrate everybody but you. You could either let that upset 0:04:09.360 --> 0:04:13.240 you and live frustrated, or you can dismiss it and say, 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:16.120 no big deal. I don't need their approval. I have 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:19.960 Almighty God's approval. It's very freeing when you realize you 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:22.560 don't have to fight every battle. You don't have to 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:25.960 straighten people out, you don't have to pay somebody back, 0:04:26.360 --> 0:04:28.039 you don't have to be offended. 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:28.760 Because what they said. 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:32.360 You could ignore it and live life happy now. I'm 0:04:32.400 --> 0:04:35.600 convinced we would enjoy life a whole lot more if 0:04:35.640 --> 0:04:39.440 we would get good at knowing what to ignore. A 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:42.679 reporter asked me not long ago what I thought about 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:44.800 these two men he called their name. 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:47.479 I didn't know who they were. I'd never heard of them. 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:50.400 I thought about it, and I finally said, I'm sorry, 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:53.679 I don't know them. He began to laugh and laugh. 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:56.240 He thought that was so funny. I thought I was 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:57.520 missing out, and I said, well. 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:57.920 Who are they? 0:04:58.400 --> 0:05:02.640 He said, Joel, they are your two most outspoken critics. 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:05.920 They're always talking about you. He couldn't believe that I'd 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:08.960 never heard of them. But see, I've learned this principle. 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:13.520 I don't waste time engaging in conflicts that don't matter. 0:05:14.120 --> 0:05:16.160 I've learned the critics. 0:05:15.720 --> 0:05:17.520 Cannot keep you from your destiny. 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:22.440 What they say about you doesn't define who you are. 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:26.839 What somebody does or doesn't give you doesn't determine your 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:29.919 worth and value. You are a child of the most 0:05:29.960 --> 0:05:34.440 High God, the creator of the universe. Breathe life into you. 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:37.880 You have seeds of greatness on the inside. You've been 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:42.480 crowned with favor. God has already equipped and empowered you 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:46.360 with everything that you need. Now. Don't waste your valuable 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:49.719 time trying to play up to people, trying to win 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:52.800 over all your critics, trying to prove to someone that 0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:57.040 you're important. Those are battles that you're probably never going 0:05:57.120 --> 0:06:01.000 to win. You have to accept the fact some people 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:03.960 are never going to celebrate you. They're never going to 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:08.680 recognize your gifts. That's okay, don't get distracted. God has 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:11.960 already lined up the right people that will celebrate you, 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:14.840 the right people that will cheer you on and help 0:06:14.880 --> 0:06:19.040 you fulfill your destiny. One time Jesus was in the temple. 0:06:19.360 --> 0:06:22.000 It was on the Sabbath, their day of rest, and 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:24.760 he saw a man with a withered hand, and Jesus 0:06:24.760 --> 0:06:28.479 simply said, stretch forth your hand, and immediately the man 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:32.920 was healed. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, were there, and 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:36.440 they didn't like Jesus, they didn't understand him. They got 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:40.160 together and said, yes, Jesus did do something good. He 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:42.640 did heal a man, but you know what, he did 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:45.239 it on the wrong day. He shouldn't have been working 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.599 on the Sabbath. Some people, no matter what you do, 0:06:48.920 --> 0:06:51.479 they're not going to be for you. Even if you 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:55.159 changed and met all their demands and did everything they're asking, 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:58.520 they'd still find something you're doing wrong. You could go 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:01.640 buy them a brand new cattle hand in the car keys, 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:05.520 they say, you know what I really wanted, alexis they'll 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:08.960 overlook the goods and find some kind of fault. Let 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:10.800 me give you a secret, save you a lot of 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:12.680 heartache and pain. Ignore it. 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:15.680 You don't need their approval. You don't have to have 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:16.600 them cheering you on. 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:19.560 They may try to make you look bad, but if 0:07:19.600 --> 0:07:22.200 you'll stay on the high road and let God fight 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:24.920 your battles, the more they talk, the more God will 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:27.680 bless you. They may try to take you down. God 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:31.480 will use it to take you up. The key is 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:34.800 to not get distracted. It's very easy to want to 0:07:34.840 --> 0:07:38.760 fight every battle and pay every person back and think, well, Joel, 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:41.680 what they said was wrong. I'm gonna prove to them 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:44.920 that I'm right. I'm gonna get in there and defend myself. Now, 0:07:44.960 --> 0:07:48.240 you have to ask yourself, if you get involved and 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:51.800 you do win the battle, what is the prize. Is 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:54.720 it going to advance you further, is it towards you 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:58.400 and your destiny? Or is it just a distraction to 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:02.080 steal your time and energy. I think we'd be amazed 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:05.200 at how many battles we get engaged in that really 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:08.880 don't matter. Is it really worth ruining an evening with 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:12.800 your spouse arguing over what channel to watch on the television, 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:14.480 or do like Victoria and I. 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:15.480 Get two TVs? 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:21.040 Is it really worth getting upset because somebody cuts you 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:24.960 off in traffic or because the boss was rude. Life 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:28.400 would not only be much more enjoyable, but we would 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:30.280 accomplish much more. 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:32.200 If we would learn what to ignore. 0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:36.520 The energy we spend arguing about things that don't matter, 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:40.160 trying to prove to someone we're important, trying to win 0:08:40.200 --> 0:08:43.280 over all of our critics, that's energy we're not going 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:46.920 to have to pursue our god giving goals and dreams. 0:08:47.520 --> 0:08:50.280 I talked to a very well known minister a while back. 0:08:50.640 --> 0:08:53.199 He's really respected, been in the ministry for. 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:54.280 A long long time. 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:57.640 I ask him, if you had to do it over again, 0:08:57.960 --> 0:08:59.079 what would you change? 0:08:59.200 --> 0:09:00.360 What would you do differently? 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:03.760 Give me some advice without missing a beat, he said, 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:07.800 I would ignore a lot more. I wouldn't respond to 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:11.120 every critic, I wouldn't waste time arguing about things that 0:09:11.200 --> 0:09:14.320 didn't matter. I wouldn't spend so much energy trying to 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:18.520 make everybody understand me and make everybody accept me. Now, 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:20.960 I believe many of us would see our life go 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.839 to a new level if we would just start ignoring 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:28.680 things that weren't important. In First Samuel, chapter ten, Saul 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:31.680 was chosen to be the next king of Israel. The 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:35.120 prophet Samuel annointed his head and called him up in 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:36.920 front of all of the people and said he's going 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:39.679 to be our next king. Most of the people were 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:44.200 very excited, and they congratulated Saul. But when Saul got 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:47.360 back home, the people that knew him the most, some 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:51.320 of his long time friends, they didn't like Samuel's choice. 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:55.320 They began to laugh and mock and ridicule. They said, 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:58.200 Saul is not our king, he's not a leader. He 0:09:58.240 --> 0:10:01.559 doesn't have what it takes the truth be known. They 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:06.240 were jealous of Saw. They were so insecure, so intimidated, 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:08.240 they had to try to push Saw. 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:09.720 Down so they would look bigger. 0:10:10.559 --> 0:10:14.240 Remember this phrase, when people be little you, they are 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:19.840 being little. Small minded people won't celebrate you. Small minded 0:10:19.880 --> 0:10:23.640 people will be jealous, be gossipers, and try to make 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:24.360 you look bad. 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:25.200 Here's a key. 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:30.040 Don't ever fight battles with small minded people. Your future 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:33.520 is too big to get distracted by somebody the small. 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:37.960 They're not going where God is taking you. Friends, you 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.800 are called to be an eagle, you are called a 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:44.720 sword to do great things. But in life we will 0:10:44.760 --> 0:10:48.880 all have some crows crowing at us, some chickens pecking 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:51.840 at us, some hawks trying to fight with us, trying 0:10:51.840 --> 0:10:56.040 to bait us into conflict. Don't get drawn into those battles. 0:10:56.440 --> 0:10:59.840 You have an advantage. You're an egle. You can fly 0:11:00.240 --> 0:11:04.000 heights that no other birds can fly. Eagles have been 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:07.199 spotted as high as twenty thousand feet in the air 0:11:07.880 --> 0:11:10.800 now red where a crow is known to try to 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:14.320 pester the eagle. Even though the eagle is much larger. 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:17.480 The crow is much more agile. It can turn and 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:20.560 maneuver a lot quicker, and at times the crow will 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.760 come behind the eagle and just follow it, trying to 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:26.000 pester it, annoy it, aggravate it. 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:28.360 But the eagle knows this secret. 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:31.640 It can fly at altitudes that the crow cannot fly, 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:34.400 and so instead of getting all upset and trying to 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:37.199 pay that crow back, the eagle simply. 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:39.439 Rises higher and higher and higher, and. 0:11:39.440 --> 0:11:45.280 Eventually the crow falls off. So when someone is pestering you, 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:48.000 when they're being jealous, when they're trying to make you 0:11:48.040 --> 0:11:50.640 look bad, don't be a crow. Get in there and 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:52.760 fight with them, trying to pay them back. No, you're 0:11:52.800 --> 0:11:55.920 an eagle, Rise above it. Don't let it bother you. 0:11:56.240 --> 0:12:00.640 Don't respond to every criticism. Don't waste your valuable energy 0:12:01.040 --> 0:12:03.200 fighting battles that are not necessary. 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:05.520 All you've got to do is come up higher. 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:09.120 And the crows and the chickens and the turkeys they 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:13.280 can't soar where you're able to soar. I'm asking you 0:12:13.320 --> 0:12:16.920 today to ignore some things. Some of you have gotten 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:21.800 all worked up over something insignificant. You're allowing small minded 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:24.720 people to steal your joy and keep you from what's 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:25.520 really important. 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:26.920 Get your focus back. 0:12:27.480 --> 0:12:29.560 May you say, Joe, if he would quit talking about me, 0:12:30.040 --> 0:12:32.600 then I wouldn't be so stressed out. Now, let me 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:35.840 give you a newsplash. If he quits talking, somebody else 0:12:35.840 --> 0:12:39.360 will start talking. Somebody's always talking about us, we just 0:12:39.400 --> 0:12:42.920 may not realize it. Don't let it bother you. After all, 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:46.440 God hears what they're saying. And if you'll stay in faith, 0:12:46.559 --> 0:12:50.040 God will make it up to you. Quit being frustrated 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:54.679 because somebody's not celebrating your gifts. Use your energy to 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:56.880 improve your skills. 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:58.000 To be the best that you can be. 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:01.000 And as I said, God will bring the people across 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:04.880 your path that will celebrate you. Saul could have easily 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:08.040 lost his focus and said to those people that were 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:10.160 making fun of him, what are you talking about? 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:12.880 I am a good leader. I do have what it takes. 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:16.280 He could have gotten distracted and spent all of his 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:19.880 energy trying to prove to them who he was. It 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:24.640 says in verse twenty seven. They despise Saul and refused 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:27.640 to bring him gifts. What did he do? But Saul 0:13:27.880 --> 0:13:33.040 ignored them. One translation says he paid them no mind. 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:37.080 My message to you today is pay no mind to 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:40.800 jealous people. Pay no mind to people that don't celebrate you. 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:43.360 Pay no mind to people that try to make you 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:49.360 look small. Ignore their comments, ignore their insults, Ignore the naysayers. 0:13:49.600 --> 0:13:51.239 They don't control your destiny. 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:52.079 God does. 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:55.760 They are simply distractions to try to keep you from 0:13:55.760 --> 0:14:01.199 God's best. Saul understood this principle. He knew not everybody 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:03.520 is going to be for me, but I'm not going 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:07.080 to waste my time trying to convince them. If you're 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:10.560 going to fulfill your destiny, you got to do like Saul, 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:13.680 instead of playing up to people, trying to win over 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:16.360 all your critics, trying to prove to everyone that you 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:20.440 are important. Know the key is just ignore it. Don't 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:23.360 lose any sleep over somebody that is not for you. 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:25.600 Don't give your attention to. 0:14:25.600 --> 0:14:29.680 Somebody that doesn't value who you are. If Saul would 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:32.840 have gotten engaged in this conflict of trying to win 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:34.680 over his naysayers, he would. 0:14:34.520 --> 0:14:36.320 Have never been who God called him to be. 0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:41.000 And friends, your destiny is too great to get distracted 0:14:41.040 --> 0:14:45.520 by jealous, critical, small minded people. If you focus on 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:49.120 what they're saying about you and how Joel, they are 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:52.080 doing me wrong, they're not giving me any respect. No, 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:55.760 that poison will get on the inside. Before long, you'll 0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:58.520 end up fighting a battle that you were never supposed 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:03.000 to fight. Ignore the comments, pay no attention to their insults, 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:06.200 set your face like a flint, and run your race. 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:09.360 Don't look to the left nor to the right. Just 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:11.960 stay focused and do what God's called you to do. 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:15.880 After all, when we come to the end of our lives, 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:18.080 We're not going to have to give an account to 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:18.560 the critic. 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:20.720 We're not going to have to answer to. 0:15:20.680 --> 0:15:23.800 The naysayer, to the jealous person, to the person that didn't. 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:24.240 Believe in you. 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:26.800 We're going to have to give an account to Almighty God, 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:29.760 the creator of the universe. And when we can stand 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:33.800 before him with our head held high and say, God, 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:37.840 I did my best iren my race, I finished my course. 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:42.120 I became who you created me to be. That's true fulfillment. 0:15:42.560 --> 0:15:45.680 That's when you're going to receive your reward. And this 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:49.520 was difficult for me because my personality type is to 0:15:49.520 --> 0:15:52.200 want everybody to like me. Now. I used to do 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:55.240 everything I could to convince people that I really am 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:58.760 nice and you really should be my friend. But one 0:15:58.840 --> 0:16:02.240 day I realized that was keeping me from rising higher. 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:06.040 I was spending all my time and energy trying to 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:09.320 win over people, some of which were never going to 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.960 be for me. I had to ask myself, Joel, are 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:15.240 you going to live to please people or are you 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:18.200 going to live to please God. I had to accept 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:21.520 the fact that not everybody is gonna like me, not 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:26.480 everybody's gonna understand me, but that's okay. They didn't understand Jesus, 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:29.760 they didn't celebrate King Saul. I'm gonna do what he did. 0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:34.240 I'm gonna pay them no mind. I become a professional ignorer. 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:37.520 I've gotten good at it. And don't get me wrong, 0:16:38.280 --> 0:16:42.600 I'm all for treating every person with respect, being kind 0:16:42.640 --> 0:16:46.760 and considerate. But I'm saying, don't waste your valuable time 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:49.560 trying to win over people that are never going to 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:53.120 be one over. If somebody doesn't celebrate you, move on. 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:56.400 If they're not for you, be kind, be considerate, but 0:16:56.960 --> 0:17:00.280 shake the dust off your feet. Don't waste one ounce 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.720 of your energy trying to convince them to like you. 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:05.680 When my father went to be with the Lord back 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:08.360 in nineteen ninety nine and I stepped up to pasture 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:12.639 the church, I was very concerned because I didn't minister 0:17:12.880 --> 0:17:17.280 exactly like my father. My personality is more laid back, easygoing. 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:19.119 If you knew my father, he was a little bit 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:21.800 more firing. My father had been at the church for 0:17:21.800 --> 0:17:25.560 forty years, and there was this underlying pressure to be 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:28.679 like my dad. And at first I tried to minister 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:31.320 like him, and tried to run the church like he did, 0:17:31.359 --> 0:17:34.920 and tried to do everything the same way, I realized, 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:38.119 I'm wearing myself out trying to be something that I'm not. 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:41.560 I'm not pursuing what God put in my heart. I'm 0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:44.800 too busy trying to keep everybody happy. After all, I 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:48.560 didn't want to lose anybody. I finally decided, I'm just 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:50.960 going to be myself and do it the way God's 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:54.560 leading me. Ninety nine zero point nine percent of the 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:58.120 people were totally behind me, very loyal, but there were 0:17:58.160 --> 0:18:01.080 a few that I could tell were for me anymore. 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:04.159 They didn't like the way I ministered, or maybe they 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:06.800 didn't like the way I was leading the church. I 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:10.639 felt this pressure so strongly to fit into their mold 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:14.200 and become who they wanted me to be. But friends, 0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:16.960 there is an anointing on your life, not to be 0:18:17.119 --> 0:18:23.480 somebody else. You are anointed to be you. When you 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:27.560 let people squeeze you into their mold and bow down 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:30.520 to their pressure and try to please all the critics, 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:34.240 it takes away your power, It takes away your uniqueness, 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:38.040 It lessens God's favor. And I stepped into my own 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:40.960 anointing and I made those changes, and few of the 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:43.400 people didn't like it. Some of them had been here 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:47.080 a long time they started talking. I did what I'm 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:50.639 asking you to do. I ignored it. They didn't celebrate me, 0:18:50.960 --> 0:18:54.000 but I paid them no mind. I didn't lose any sleep. 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:56.960 I didn't try to win them over. I didn't say here, 0:18:57.080 --> 0:18:59.720 just hear my heart. No. I just ran my race 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:03.520 with purpose, with focus, with integrity. I saw God give 0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:07.760 me his favor more and more. Eventually those people left. 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:10.359 They didn't stick around. But can I tell you, God 0:19:10.359 --> 0:19:13.040 brought me a lot more people, some forty thousand more. 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:16.080 When you do it God's way, you never lose out. 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:21.240 When you stay focused and do what God's put in 0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:24.359 your heart, you don't get distracted by the critics and 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:29.000 the naysayers, and you ignore the jealous, cynical, small minded people. 0:19:29.400 --> 0:19:31.200 Listen, all the forces of. 0:19:31.200 --> 0:19:34.000 Darkness cannot keep you from where God wants you to go. 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:36.879 Some of you today you need to break free. 0:19:37.520 --> 0:19:39.680 You're not annointed to keep everybody happy. 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:43.240 You're annointed to run your race. You say, Joel, if 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:45.720 I do this, they may not be my friend anymore. 0:19:45.960 --> 0:19:48.840 That's okay. God will bring you some new friends. And 0:19:48.920 --> 0:19:51.240 let me tell you, God will bring your true friends, 0:19:51.560 --> 0:19:54.639 not people that have to manipulate you and try to 0:19:54.640 --> 0:19:56.840 make you do it the way they want. God will 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.879 bring you people that celebrates you, people that will let 0:19:59.880 --> 0:20:03.399 you to be who He's called you to be. If 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:06.280 you're going to do anything great in life, there will 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:09.200 be critics. If you're going to be a great business person, 0:20:09.359 --> 0:20:13.240 a great coach, a great student, a great leader, there 0:20:13.280 --> 0:20:16.719 will be opposition and people that judge, and people that 0:20:16.760 --> 0:20:20.040 get jealous. I've heard it said, if you get kicked 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:22.679 in the rear, it means that you're out in front. 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:26.520 In other words, when people come against you and they're 0:20:26.600 --> 0:20:29.520 jealous and critical, take it as a compliments because you're. 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:30.200 Making a difference. 0:20:31.040 --> 0:20:33.840 In a big race, Nobody is focused on who's in 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:37.280 twentieth place, in twenty first and twenty second. All the 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:39.879 eyes are on the front runners first place, second place, 0:20:39.920 --> 0:20:43.320 third place. The majority of the attention is on the winners. 0:20:43.680 --> 0:20:46.240 And I know today I am looking at a group 0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:49.280 of winners. I am looking at people that are making 0:20:49.320 --> 0:20:54.840 a difference. I'm looking at people that are pursuing their 0:20:54.880 --> 0:20:57.280 God giving goals doing great things in life. 0:20:57.680 --> 0:20:58.520 But here's a point. 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:03.080 The sess you have, the more opportunities there will be 0:21:03.160 --> 0:21:07.200 for distractions. Here's why the higher you go, the more 0:21:07.240 --> 0:21:10.320 haters will come out. When you start stretching to a 0:21:10.320 --> 0:21:12.960 new level and pursuing what God's put in your heart. 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:17.119 The jealous people, the critical people, the small minded people, 0:21:17.280 --> 0:21:20.440 they'll come out of the woodwork and start making negative comments, 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:22.840 start judging you. That's when you've got to dig your 0:21:22.880 --> 0:21:26.080 heels in, set your face like a flint, and say. 0:21:25.920 --> 0:21:28.680 I will not get distracted. I will not get. 0:21:28.560 --> 0:21:31.840 Drawn into battles that don't matter. I will not quit 0:21:32.160 --> 0:21:35.080 because somebody is talking about me. I will not give 0:21:35.200 --> 0:21:38.040 up because my good friend God jealous. I will not 0:21:38.200 --> 0:21:41.480 get discouraged because someone's not celebrating me. No, I'm not 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:43.640 a people pleaser. I'm a God pleaser. 0:21:43.800 --> 0:21:45.120 I'm gonna run my race. 0:21:45.119 --> 0:21:49.960 I'm gonna finish my course. The more God promotes you, 0:21:50.400 --> 0:21:53.920 the better you have to become at ignoring. You got 0:21:53.960 --> 0:21:55.960 to get to the point where you won't even think 0:21:56.040 --> 0:21:59.560 twice about getting involved in a conflict unless you know 0:21:59.760 --> 0:22:03.560 it's between you and your God given destiny. Your time 0:22:03.840 --> 0:22:07.720 is too valuable to waste it being distracted. Life is 0:22:07.800 --> 0:22:11.400 too short to be upset because somebody's talking about us, 0:22:11.880 --> 0:22:14.960 or to be offended because a jealous coworker is trying 0:22:15.000 --> 0:22:18.560 to make us look bad or go around frustrated because 0:22:18.560 --> 0:22:22.119 a family member doesn't celebrate us. Don't get drawn into 0:22:22.119 --> 0:22:25.959 those battles. Do like King Saul, ignore it, pay it 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:29.480 no mind, run your own race. I don't know about you, 0:22:29.520 --> 0:22:32.080 but I don't have time to sit around and think 0:22:32.080 --> 0:22:35.119 about all the people that don't like me. I realize 0:22:35.160 --> 0:22:38.080 every day is a gift from God. Now our time 0:22:38.200 --> 0:22:41.080 is way too valuable to try to figure out how 0:22:41.119 --> 0:22:43.920 we can please everybody and how we can win over 0:22:43.960 --> 0:22:47.480 every critic. Now, get up in the morning, search your 0:22:47.520 --> 0:22:50.360 own heart, make sure you're doing what you know God 0:22:50.440 --> 0:22:52.880 wants you to do. Then go out during the day 0:22:53.000 --> 0:22:55.320 and be your best, and then let the chips fall 0:22:55.359 --> 0:22:58.760 where they may. But I know people, they think more 0:22:58.800 --> 0:23:01.720 about what other people are saying about them then they 0:23:01.760 --> 0:23:05.200 do pursuing their own goals and dreams. When I first 0:23:05.240 --> 0:23:08.480 started ministring, I was very insecure, and if I heard 0:23:08.520 --> 0:23:12.040 one negative comment, I would get discouraged. I could have 0:23:12.080 --> 0:23:14.359 two hundred people come up to me after the service 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:16.320 and tell me, Joel, that was a great message. I 0:23:16.400 --> 0:23:20.399 really got something out of it. But one person would say, Joel, 0:23:20.440 --> 0:23:23.280 I didn't understand that point. It just wasn't for me today, 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:26.960 and I'd drive home all depressed. I so badly needed 0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:33.639 everyone's approval. Listen, I have come a long way, baby, people. 0:23:36.480 --> 0:23:39.400 People can say anything they want, and I drive home 0:23:39.520 --> 0:23:44.480 just as happy and free as convened. In fact, when 0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:46.480 I walk off the platform each week, I go in 0:23:46.520 --> 0:23:48.960 the back and look at myself in the mirror and say. 0:23:48.920 --> 0:23:53.560 Joel, that was great today. I've learned to incorrige myself. 0:23:55.800 --> 0:23:58.880 Quit dwelling on the negative things people have said about 0:23:58.920 --> 0:24:03.040 you on the internet and read something bad that somebody 0:24:03.080 --> 0:24:05.640 wrote about you. All that's going to do is poison you, 0:24:05.960 --> 0:24:08.119 and before long you're going to be defensive, trying to 0:24:08.200 --> 0:24:11.040 prove to everybody that you're really okay. Now, you've got 0:24:11.040 --> 0:24:13.520 to be so secure in who God made you to 0:24:13.560 --> 0:24:16.120 be that those comments bounce off of you like water 0:24:16.160 --> 0:24:19.040 off of a duck's back. You've got to be so 0:24:19.359 --> 0:24:22.720 confident in your calling that you don't have to have 0:24:22.800 --> 0:24:26.080 everybody's cheering you on. You don't have to have everyone's approval, 0:24:26.160 --> 0:24:29.400 You have God's approval. I think about in the scripture 0:24:29.640 --> 0:24:33.720 when people criticized Jesus and they came against him many times. 0:24:33.800 --> 0:24:38.200 It says Jesus answered them not a word. He didn't 0:24:38.240 --> 0:24:41.080 respond to his critics, He didn't try to convince them 0:24:41.119 --> 0:24:44.439 to change their minds. Jesus didn't get upset because somebody 0:24:44.520 --> 0:24:45.360 was talking about him. 0:24:45.520 --> 0:24:46.560 He just ignored it. 0:24:47.240 --> 0:24:49.760 When people come against you and jealous try to make 0:24:49.800 --> 0:24:53.080 you look bad, remember you're in good company. Jesus was 0:24:53.080 --> 0:24:56.000 probably criticized more than anyone else, and I love the 0:24:56.040 --> 0:24:59.080 fact he didn't try to explain himself. He didn't try 0:24:59.119 --> 0:25:02.000 to make everyone under stand him. He just stayed focused 0:25:02.119 --> 0:25:05.199 and ran his race. And some of you today, you 0:25:05.240 --> 0:25:07.880 could step into a new freedom. You could see your 0:25:07.920 --> 0:25:10.280 life go to a new level if you would just 0:25:10.400 --> 0:25:15.280 quit fighting battles that don't matter. So somebody's talking about you, 0:25:15.560 --> 0:25:16.359 join the crowd. 0:25:16.520 --> 0:25:17.080 Ignore it. 0:25:17.640 --> 0:25:19.840 So somebody lied about you, join the crowd. 0:25:19.920 --> 0:25:22.880 Ignore it. So somebody's not celebrating you. 0:25:23.119 --> 0:25:26.160 Ignore it. Let me make it more practical. So somebody 0:25:26.200 --> 0:25:30.640 parked in you're parking spot, ignore it. Crensy, you don't 0:25:30.680 --> 0:25:31.919 have to fight every battle. 0:25:32.320 --> 0:25:34.240 You don't have to respond to every critic. 0:25:34.640 --> 0:25:37.000 You don't have to be offended because what they said 0:25:37.400 --> 0:25:40.320 you can do. Like King saw and ignore it. You're 0:25:40.320 --> 0:25:43.439 not a crow, You're an eagle. You can rise above it. 0:25:43.680 --> 0:25:47.359 You can soar at new heights. This is what Neamiah did. 0:25:47.720 --> 0:25:50.840 God called him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and 0:25:50.880 --> 0:25:53.400 he and his men got started. But he had two 0:25:53.560 --> 0:25:59.240 main critics, sand Ballot and Tobias. They were constantly criticizing him, 0:25:59.480 --> 0:26:03.400 spreading trying to make him look bad. They said, Niamiah 0:26:03.480 --> 0:26:06.080 is not a builder. He doesn't know what he's doing. 0:26:06.400 --> 0:26:09.359 If a fox runs on this wall, it's gonna fall down. 0:26:10.160 --> 0:26:12.800 The whole time Neamiah and his men had to listen 0:26:12.800 --> 0:26:16.520 to these two men belittle them, ridicule them, making fun 0:26:16.560 --> 0:26:20.399 of them. What did Neamiah do. He ignored them. He 0:26:20.480 --> 0:26:22.400 let it go in one ear and out the other. 0:26:22.920 --> 0:26:25.360 When that didn't work, they went to the city leaders 0:26:25.400 --> 0:26:26.720 and started spreading lies. 0:26:27.119 --> 0:26:28.240 They said, Neamiah is. 0:26:28.200 --> 0:26:30.879 Not building this wall for our good, He's just building 0:26:30.920 --> 0:26:35.080 a kingdom under himself. They started questioning his motives. 0:26:35.560 --> 0:26:36.080 Don't you know. 0:26:36.480 --> 0:26:39.800 Niamiah was tempted to come down off that wall and say, guys, 0:26:39.840 --> 0:26:41.720 I'm gonna shut you up. I'm gonna show you who 0:26:41.760 --> 0:26:45.160 I am. Now, he was smart enough to realize they 0:26:45.160 --> 0:26:48.960 were a distraction. He chose to ignore it, and he 0:26:49.000 --> 0:26:52.919 went on to build that wall in record time. Anytime 0:26:52.960 --> 0:26:56.000 God puts a dream in your heart, you start pursuing 0:26:56.040 --> 0:26:59.320 your goals, you can be sure that the sand balance 0:26:59.480 --> 0:27:03.080 and the biases will show up. The mark of a 0:27:03.160 --> 0:27:07.159 true champion is knowing what battles to fight like. In 0:27:07.200 --> 0:27:11.840 this case, many battles should be ignored. Nea Mine knew 0:27:11.880 --> 0:27:14.359 if he came down off the wall, spend his time 0:27:14.400 --> 0:27:16.880 and energy. Sure he could have defeated those two men. 0:27:17.119 --> 0:27:19.399 Sure that would have made him feel good, but that 0:27:19.440 --> 0:27:22.640 would have not advanced him toward his destiny. That would 0:27:22.680 --> 0:27:26.280 have not helped the wall get built any quicker. Bottom line, 0:27:26.480 --> 0:27:29.280 he chose to be an eagle. He chose to rise 0:27:29.320 --> 0:27:32.400 above it. I'm asking us to do the same thing. 0:27:33.080 --> 0:27:35.600 Be selective as to what you give you attention to. 0:27:36.320 --> 0:27:37.600 Don't get caught up in. 0:27:37.600 --> 0:27:38.760 Battles that don't matter. 0:27:39.240 --> 0:27:42.560 Let's learn to do like Nehemiah and ignore the sand, 0:27:42.640 --> 0:27:44.000 ballots and to biases. 0:27:44.440 --> 0:27:45.520 Do like King Saul. 0:27:45.680 --> 0:27:47.960 Ignore the people that are not celebrating you. 0:27:48.440 --> 0:27:49.400 Do like Jesus. 0:27:49.680 --> 0:27:53.920 Don't respond to your critics, Pay no mind to jealous, critical, 0:27:54.160 --> 0:27:57.840 small minded people. Friends, if you'll get good at knowing 0:27:57.880 --> 0:28:00.680 what to ignore and not get distract acted by things 0:28:00.680 --> 0:28:03.160 that don't matter. Let me tell you God will fight 0:28:03.240 --> 0:28:06.400 your battles, just like with Nehemiah. The more they talk, 0:28:06.480 --> 0:28:09.680 the more God will promote you. You'll accomplish your dreams 0:28:09.720 --> 0:28:13.439 in record time. You'll overcome every obstacle, defeat every enemy. 0:28:13.600 --> 0:28:16.960 Now I believe in declare you will become everything God's 0:28:17.000 --> 0:28:19.439 created you to be. Amen. Do you receive it today? 0:28:21.160 --> 0:28:24.000 We never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:28:24.040 --> 0:28:26.880 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:27.160 --> 0:28:28.080 Would you pray with me? 0:28:28.640 --> 0:28:33.520 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins, Come 0:28:33.520 --> 0:28:38.760 into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:28:38.760 --> 0:28:41.160 if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:41.160 --> 0:28:44.360 born again. Get in a good Bible based church. Keep 0:28:44.400 --> 0:28:45.360 God first place. 0:28:45.640 --> 0:28:48.000 He's going to take you places that you've never dreamed of. 0:28:48.800 --> 0:28:52.240 Thank you for listening to the Juelos Deine podcast. Help 0:28:52.320 --> 0:28:55.040 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:55.160 --> 0:28:57.640 all over the world. Visit joelus dein. 0:28:57.520 --> 0:29:00.800 Dot com slash give hope to give a gift today. 0:29:02.080 --> 0:29:05.000 Thanks so much for listening to today's message, I hope 0:29:05.000 --> 0:29:08.400 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:08.480 --> 0:29:11.680 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:11.840 --> 0:29:14.320 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:14.360 --> 0:29:14.880 next time.