Peace With Yourself

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It's time 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:02.200 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:04.840 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:07.119 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:10.280 and career. Make it count with Purdue Global Produce online 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:14.920 university for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:19.240 Welcome to the Joe Lostine Podcast. Help let's continue to 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.160 share the message of hope with those all over the world. 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:26.240 Visit joeloostin dot com slash give hope to give a 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:35.240 gift today. 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:40.320 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.240 your homes and if you're ever in our area, please 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:45.640 stop buy be a part of one of our services. 0:01:45.800 --> 0:01:48.320 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:01:48.720 --> 0:01:50.880 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:01:50.880 --> 0:01:54.320 about this senior citizen. He was driving down the freeway 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:58.800 in his brand new Corvette with the top down, going 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:02.600 eighty miles an hour when he saw flashing red lights 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.840 from a state trooper in his rearview mirror. Without thinking 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:08.600 about it, he floored it took off to one hundred 0:02:08.680 --> 0:02:12.120 miles an hour. He heard the sirens behind him. He 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:15.680 finally pulled over. It said officer, I'm so sorry. I 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:18.880 don't know what I was thinking. The state trooper said, listen, 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:23.120 it's Friday, four o'clock. My shift is over in thirty minutes. 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.680 If you tell me a reason why you're speeding that 0:02:25.760 --> 0:02:28.640 I've never heard before, then I'll let you go. The 0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:32.360 man thought about it, said officer. Years ago, my wife 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:34.720 ran off with a state trooper, and I thought you 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:40.120 were bringing her back. The officer said, have a great weekend. 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:44.280 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:46.840 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:49.240 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:51.960 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:56.000 of God. I'll boldly confess my mind is alert, my 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:59.240 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In 0:02:59.400 --> 0:03:03.600 Jesus God bless you. I want to talk to you 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:08.640 today about peace with yourself. Too many people go around 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:12.359 feeling wrong on the inside. They don't really like who 0:03:12.400 --> 0:03:17.120 they are. They focus on their faults, weaknesses. They're constantly 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:21.760 critical toward themselves. That recording of everything they've done wrong 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:25.960 is always playing in their mind. You're impatient, you blew 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:30.000 your diet, yesterday, you lost your temper. You're still struggling 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:33.480 with that addiction. You should be ashamed of yourself. They 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:37.320 wonder why they're not happy. It's because they have this 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:41.640 war going on on the inside. You're not supposed to 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:46.440 go through life feeling wrong about yourself. Quit focusing on 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:51.440 your faults. Quit over analyzing your weaknesses. Quit beating yourself 0:03:51.560 --> 0:03:54.040 up because you're not where you thought you would be. 0:03:54.760 --> 0:03:58.600 Here's the key. You're not a finished product. God is 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:02.640 still working on you. The scripture says God changes us 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:06.720 from glory to glory. You have to learn to enjoy 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:10.240 the glory that you're in right now. You may have 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:13.760 some weaknesses. We all do. There may be some areas 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:17.000 where you know you need to improve, but being down 0:04:17.080 --> 0:04:19.640 on yourself is not going to help you do better. 0:04:20.400 --> 0:04:23.839 Having that nagging feeling telling you you don't measure up. 0:04:24.240 --> 0:04:27.120 God's not pleased with you. You'll never get it right. It's 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:29.880 not going to help you move forward. You have to 0:04:30.040 --> 0:04:34.960 accept yourself. Write where you are, faults and all. God 0:04:35.040 --> 0:04:38.120 is the potter, We are the clay. He's the one 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:41.800 making you and molding you. It may not be happening 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:45.480 as fast as you like but you don't control the timetable. 0:04:46.080 --> 0:04:49.720 Will you trust him in the process? Will you accept 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:53.159 yourself in the glory that you're in right now? The 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:57.320 problem with not liking yourself is you're the only person 0:04:57.640 --> 0:05:00.480 that you can never get away from. You can get 0:05:00.480 --> 0:05:03.159 away from your boss, you can get away from your neighbor, 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:06.040 you can get away from that crazy uncle, but you 0:05:06.040 --> 0:05:09.880 can never get away from you. You wake up with you, 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:12.280 you take a shower with you, you go to work 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:15.920 with you, you even go on vacations with you. If 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:20.200 you don't like you, life is going to be very miserable. 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:25.280 Don't go around being against yourselves. You may have some 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:27.599 things wrong with you, but can I tell you you 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:30.560 have a lot more right with you. You may have 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:32.960 a long way to go, but if you look back, 0:05:33.200 --> 0:05:37.159 you'll see how far you've already come. Keep your flaws 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:41.320 in perspective. Every person has something they're dealing with. You 0:05:41.400 --> 0:05:45.039 may see someone that look further along. They look like 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:48.359 they've got it all together. They're happy, enjoying their life, 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:52.599 but they're on the potter's whel The reason they're not upset, 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:56.240 the reason they're not down on themselves, is they've learned 0:05:56.279 --> 0:06:00.479 this principle to enjoy where you are while God is 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:04.680 in the process of changing you. We think I'm going 0:06:04.760 --> 0:06:07.799 to feel good about myself as soon as I lose 0:06:07.880 --> 0:06:11.159 this ten pounds, as soon as I break this addiction, 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:15.400 as soon as I control my mouth, then I'll get 0:06:15.480 --> 0:06:19.039 rid of the guilt, the heaviness. I'm asking you to 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:23.000 feel good about yourself right where you are. If you 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:27.640 don't understand this, you will go through life not liking yourself. 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:31.920 Because as soon as you overcome this weakness, you cross 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:34.640 this off your list, God will show us something else 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:36.599 that we need to improve it. It will be a 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:41.359 never ending cycle. I talked to a man recently. He said, Joel, 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:44.799 you're so calm and good natured. Do you ever get upset? 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:48.360 Do you ever lose your temper? This is an area 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:52.240 that I've never struggled in, always been easy going. My 0:06:52.320 --> 0:06:55.440 mother tells people she's never seen me angry a day 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:58.920 in my life. Well, God gives us grace in different areas. 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:02.680 When I told him that, he shook his head and said, man, 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:05.520 I don't know what's wrong with me. I get upset 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:08.960 so easily. I've done this my whole life. I told 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:11.880 him what I'm telling you, as long as you're down 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:15.560 on yourself, feeling like you don't measure up, you can't 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.800 get it right. That's not only going to keep you 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.880 from enjoying your life, but it's going to keep you 0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:26.600 from improving. You have to give yourself a break. You're 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:30.840 on the Potter's will. You can't change yourself. God has 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:33.800 to give you the grace to change. It takes a 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:37.800 mature person to accept who you are to be at 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:41.680 peace on the inside, even though you have some areas 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:44.880 you need to improve in. It's easy to stay negative 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:48.320 toward yourself down you can't get it right. But when 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:52.840 you make this decision to accept yourself false in awe 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:57.000 instead of beating yourself up, you have the attitude. No, 0:07:57.120 --> 0:08:00.000 I'm not perfect, I have some areas I need to improve. 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:03.440 But God, I want to thank you for the glory 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:06.240 that I'm in right now. I know you're the potter. 0:08:06.640 --> 0:08:09.120 I'm going to stay on this whill and keep being 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:13.040 my best, knowing on your timetable that you will change me. 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:17.240 This is what allows God to work, not always beating 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:22.160 yourself up. The scripture says in Hebrews, looking away from 0:08:22.200 --> 0:08:26.320 all that will distract to Jesus, the author and finisher 0:08:26.400 --> 0:08:29.720 of our faith. You have to look away from your faults, 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:34.880 look away from your shortcomings. Focusing on your weaknesses will 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:38.840 distract you from your purpose. Always thinking about how you 0:08:38.880 --> 0:08:42.240 don't measure up will distract you from the good things 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:46.240 God has in store. This doesn't mean we don't try 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:50.320 to improve. It means you don't let that heaviness weigh 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:53.199 you down to where you think that there's something wrong 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.760 with you. One of the worst mistakes you could make 0:08:57.240 --> 0:09:01.720 is to go through life being against yourself. Some people 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:05.560 live with this nagging feeling that's always telling them you're 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:09.480 not attractive enough, you're not disciplined enough. You still have 0:09:09.559 --> 0:09:12.760 that addiction you'll never get it right. They've heard that 0:09:12.920 --> 0:09:16.280 playing in their minds so long that it's become normal. 0:09:17.040 --> 0:09:20.680 Why don't you turn off that negative recording. Why don't 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:24.000 you quit thinking about everything wrong with you and start 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:27.280 thinking about what's right with you. You may have some 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:31.520 areas you still struggle in join the crowd. We all do. 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:35.480 There's not one perfect person in here. What I'm saying 0:09:35.640 --> 0:09:39.240 is it's okay to feel good about who you are 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:43.280 while you're in the process of changing somebody asked me 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:46.360 the other day, what is the one thing I would 0:09:46.440 --> 0:09:49.640 change about myself if I could? And I don't mean 0:09:49.679 --> 0:09:52.600 this to sound arrogant, but I couldn't think of anything. 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:56.080 And yes, there are plenty areas I need to improve in. 0:09:56.240 --> 0:09:59.720 Here's my point. I don't sit around thinking about everything 0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:02.680 wrong with me. I don't have on the forefront of 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:07.080 my mind my flaws. My weakness is my shortcomings. I 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:11.200 don't go through the day reliving my failures, beating myself 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:15.640 up for past mistakes, letting that negative recording remind me 0:10:15.800 --> 0:10:19.319 of everything that I'm not. I say this with humility. 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:23.080 I like myself. I'm happy with who I am. I'm 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:27.080 proud of who God made me to be. Again, I'm 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:30.360 not bragging on me. I'm bragging on the goodness of God. 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:33.960 I know I'm the apple of his eye. I know 0:10:34.040 --> 0:10:37.920 I'm a masterpiece. I know I'm a prize possession, fearfully 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:42.640 and wonderfully made. And yes, I have shortcomings, but I'm 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:46.959 on the Potter's will. I'm a work in progress. God 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:50.720 has his own timetable while he's changing me. I'm going 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:53.400 to feel good about who I am. I'm gonna keep 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:56.360 my head held high and enjoy my life, knowing that 0:10:56.400 --> 0:11:00.200 God will get me to where I'm supposed to be. 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:03.320 Powerful when you can say I like who I am, 0:11:04.160 --> 0:11:07.640 I feel good about myself. I'm proud of who God 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:12.080 made me to be. Most people can't do this. They say, 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:15.320 I would feel good about myself if I didn't have 0:11:15.360 --> 0:11:18.680 these weaknesses. I would be happy with who I am. 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:21.720 If I was a better parent, if I was more patient, 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:25.280 if I wasn't so jealous or joel. I would hold 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:28.079 my head up high, if I hadn't made these mistakes, 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:32.320 if I hadn't blown that relationship. There will always be 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:35.800 some reason why you shouldn't feel good about who you are. 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:40.920 The accuser will make sure to remind you of something 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:44.000 that you're not doing right, some area you're not up 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:47.520 to parr some way that you failed. If you're going 0:11:47.559 --> 0:11:50.040 to live in victory, you have to put your foot 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:54.240 down and say that's it. I'm done being against myself. 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:58.880 I'm done feeling wrong on the inside. I'm done focusing 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:02.079 on my weaknesses. I know I'm a child of the 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:08.000 most tied God, redeemed, restored, forgiven. God is taking me 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:11.360 from glory to glory. So I'm going to look away 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:14.679 from all that distracts, and I'm going to enjoy the 0:12:14.720 --> 0:12:18.320 glory that I'm in right now now. When you do this, 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:23.440 don't be surprised if every voice tells you you're a hypocrite. 0:12:23.720 --> 0:12:26.720 You can't feel good about yourself. Man, you still struggle, 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:29.840 you still have that weakness. This is when you have 0:12:29.920 --> 0:12:33.120 to have the boldness to say, yes, that's true, but 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:37.160 I'm on the Potter's well, I'm growing, I'm changing. In 0:12:37.200 --> 0:12:41.760 the meantime, I feel good about me. Your destiny is 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:46.320 too important to let that heaviness weigh you down. Your 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:50.560 time is too valuable to sit around thinking about everything 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:54.560 that's wrong with you. That's taking your joy, your energy, 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:59.400 your creativity, your anointing. Start looking away from all of that. 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:04.239 You're on the Potter's will. You're not going to change overnight. 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:08.040 It's going to happen little by little. But if you're 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:11.760 always down on yourself because you're not far enough along, 0:13:12.320 --> 0:13:15.240 you're not growing as fast as you would like, you'll 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:19.680 live frustrated. It's very free when you can be happy 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:22.760 with who you are, even though you have some areas 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:25.960 that you still need to improve in think about the 0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:29.360 apostle Paul. He said, the things I want to do 0:13:29.760 --> 0:13:32.280 I don't do. The things I don't want to do 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:36.480 I end up doing. He wasn't perfect. He still struggled 0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:39.720 in some areas. If he would have been down on himself, 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:42.680 thinking why can't I get it right, he wouldn't have 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:46.000 written almost half of the New Testaments. He wouldn't have 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:49.600 become one of the heroes of faith. You don't have 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:52.880 to have it all together in order to do something great. 0:13:53.880 --> 0:13:57.880 If you're waiting till you overcome all your weaknesses till 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:01.120 you perform perfectly and then you're going to feel good 0:14:01.120 --> 0:14:05.480 about yourself, you'll be waiting your whole life. There are 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:09.800 some weaknesses that God leaves on purpose, so we have 0:14:09.880 --> 0:14:13.280 to depend on him. Otherwise we would think we could 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.880 do it all in our own strength. What I'm saying, 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:19.880 why don't you start feeling good about yourself right where 0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:23.040 you are? If Paul can write almost half of the 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:27.160 New Testament with flaws and weaknesses, then you can accomplish 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:30.520 your dreams with what you're dealing with. And when you're 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:34.440 on the Potter's will, you are the most pliable, the 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:38.479 easiest to work with. When you're at peace with yourself, 0:14:39.320 --> 0:14:44.280 not upset angry on the inside, disappointed because you're not 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:47.360 where you think you should be. All that's doing is 0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:51.400 slowing down the process the right attitude. I may have 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:54.720 some things wrong with me, but I'm at peace. I 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:57.840 know I'm on the way. I'm in the process, and 0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:02.760 what God started in my life going to finish. Jeremiah said, 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:06.640 before you were formed in your mother's womb, God knew 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:11.440 you and approved you. Doesn't say he approves you as 0:15:11.520 --> 0:15:14.520 long as you don't make any mistakes. He approves you 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:18.320 as long as you performed perfectly, as long as you 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:22.600 don't have any weaknesses. He approved you before you got 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:27.160 here in your mother's womb. This means he approves you 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:32.960 with those weaknesses. He approves you in spite of those shortcomings. 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.720 You're not a surprise to God. He knows the end 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:40.400 from the beginning. He knew every area you would ever 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:44.040 struggle with. That's why he has you on the Potter's will. 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:48.160 That's why he's changing you from glory to glory. You're 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:52.560 not defective. You're not a mistake. When God created you, 0:15:52.960 --> 0:15:56.560 he called you a masterpiece. He stepped back and said 0:15:56.560 --> 0:16:00.000 that was good, but you may have some flaws in weakness, 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:03.880 those voices will try to convince you to live down 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:07.360 on yourself, thinking God's not gonna bless me. Joel, you 0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:09.960 don't know what I struggle with. I'll never get it right. 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:14.240 Don't believe those lies. Before you showed up on planet Earth, 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:18.640 God already approved you. My challenge is, since God approves you, 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:22.760 why don't you start approving yourself? Why don't you start 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:25.960 feeling good about who you are? A lot of times 0:16:25.960 --> 0:16:29.560 we think we can't feel good about ourselves until we 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:33.680 do everything right. If we resist the temptation, if we 0:16:33.760 --> 0:16:37.520 bite our time, if we're more patient, then we believe 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:41.560 God will approve us, then he'll be pleased. But the 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:45.240 truth is there's nothing you can do to make God 0:16:45.360 --> 0:16:50.520 love you anymore. His approval is not based on your performance. 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:55.680 It's based on your relationship. He hand picked you, He 0:16:55.800 --> 0:17:00.000 chose you before you could choose him. When you understand 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:04.240 that the creator of the universe approves you, you won't 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:07.280 go around down on yourself because you're not where you 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:11.360 thought you should be, trying to gain God's approval by 0:17:11.560 --> 0:17:16.320 performing perfectly, never making a mistake. You know you already 0:17:16.359 --> 0:17:19.960 have his approval. This takes the pressure off. You can 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:23.640 relax knowing that you're on the Potter's will, that he's 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:27.800 making you and molding you. When those thoughts come try 0:17:27.840 --> 0:17:31.000 to push you down, tell you you're not far enough along, 0:17:31.080 --> 0:17:34.199 you should feel bad about yourself, you can say no, thanks. 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:38.080 I know God approves me, so I'm going to approve myself. 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:41.640 I'm going to feel good about who I am. Paul 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:45.640 said in Ephesians to put on the breastplate of God's approval. 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:49.240 Every morning when you get up, you should say Father, 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:52.919 thank you that you approve me, thank you that you 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:55.560 are pleased with me. You have to put it on. 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:59.560 It's not going to automatically happen. Thoughts will try to 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:03.000 convince you that you don't deserve God's blessing. And you 0:18:03.080 --> 0:18:06.719 made that mistake last week. You still struggle with your temper, 0:18:07.040 --> 0:18:11.040 you fail yesterday. If you're not putting this on, you'll 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:16.080 start living guilty, feeling unworthy, like you don't deserve God's blessing. 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:20.120 This is the reason many people live with the heaviness 0:18:20.560 --> 0:18:23.280 that feeling that there's something wrong with them. They're not 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:28.199 putting on the breastplate of God's approval. It's the breastplate, 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:32.240 meaning that it covers your heart, your most important area 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:35.679 where you live out of You may have plenty of 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:39.920 areas that you still struggle in, but being against yourself 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:43.520 is not going to help you do better. Living condemned, 0:18:43.880 --> 0:18:47.720 feeling like you're unworthy, you don't deserve God's blessing. That's 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.760 going to cause you to get stuck. You have to 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:54.720 put on disapproval, talking about in your thoughts all through 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:58.200 the day. God is pleased with me. He's at work 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:02.480 in my life. I'm not, but I'm forgiven. I have 0:19:02.600 --> 0:19:06.040 these weaknesses, but I'm on the Potter's will. He's making me, 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:09.840 he's molding me. I'm coming up higher. Thoughts will say 0:19:10.359 --> 0:19:13.800 you can't feel good about yourself, you still struggle in 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:17.840 that area. Just to answer back, yes, that's true. But 0:19:18.000 --> 0:19:22.040 disapproval is not based on how good I am. It's 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:25.320 based on how good God is. He approved me before 0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:30.080 I showed up. He accepted me in spite of my shortcomings. 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:34.479 So I'm going to start putting on disapproval. Remember when 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:38.639 Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, 0:19:39.280 --> 0:19:42.439 a voice boomed out of the heaven saying, this is 0:19:42.520 --> 0:19:46.760 my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. What's 0:19:46.800 --> 0:19:51.320 interesting up to that point, Jesus hadn't performed one miracle, 0:19:52.040 --> 0:19:55.679 hadn't opened any blind eyes, hadn't turned water into wine, 0:19:56.119 --> 0:19:59.840 hadn't raised Lazarus from the dead. Yet his father said 0:20:00.400 --> 0:20:03.840 I am well pleased with him. It's this same principle. 0:20:04.440 --> 0:20:07.959 God was pleased with him because of who he was, 0:20:08.600 --> 0:20:12.840 and not because of anything he had done. We think, 0:20:13.040 --> 0:20:15.159 if I can get rid of this bad habit, if 0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:17.240 I can bite my tongue and not argue so much, 0:20:17.720 --> 0:20:20.000 if I can be more disciplined in what I watch, 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:23.719 then God will be pleased with me. The fact is 0:20:24.280 --> 0:20:28.320 God is well pleased with you right now. He may 0:20:28.359 --> 0:20:31.080 not be pleased with all your behavior, but he is 0:20:31.160 --> 0:20:36.040 pleased with you. He's already approved you. He's already called 0:20:36.080 --> 0:20:39.680 you a masterpiece. But if you listen to these condemning 0:20:39.800 --> 0:20:43.440 voices you don't think you measure up, you'll never get 0:20:43.480 --> 0:20:48.040 it right. Then you'll start living guilty, condemned, feeling wrong 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:52.680 on the inside. Why don't you start putting on this 0:20:52.880 --> 0:20:57.119 approval knowing that God is well pleased with you. A 0:20:57.119 --> 0:21:00.600 lot of people think just the opposite, God is out 0:21:00.640 --> 0:21:03.280 to get them. He's waiting for you to make the 0:21:03.320 --> 0:21:06.119 next mistake so he can push you down even further. 0:21:06.720 --> 0:21:10.000 That's not how our God is. When you go through 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:13.160 the day saying Father, thank you that you are pleased 0:21:13.160 --> 0:21:16.240 with me, thank you that you have approved me, thank 0:21:16.280 --> 0:21:20.240 you you've already accepted me. Thoughts will tell you who 0:21:20.280 --> 0:21:23.160 do you think you are? Just answer back, a child 0:21:23.320 --> 0:21:28.280 of the most High God, redeemed, restored, accepted and approved. 0:21:29.240 --> 0:21:32.960 Are you putting on your breastplate of approval or are 0:21:33.000 --> 0:21:38.320 you wearing rags of condemnation, unworthiness, guilt. Do you believe 0:21:38.400 --> 0:21:41.639 that God is well pleased with you or you're trying 0:21:41.640 --> 0:21:45.919 to gain his approval by performing perfectly as a parent. 0:21:46.359 --> 0:21:50.119 Our children make mistakes, they have weaknesses, but we know 0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:53.760 they're growing, they're learning, they're making progress. If you were 0:21:53.800 --> 0:21:56.680 to ask me if I was pleased with my children, 0:21:57.000 --> 0:21:59.800 first thing I would do is not make a list 0:21:59.840 --> 0:22:03.120 of all their mistakes. I wouldn't tell you everything they've 0:22:03.119 --> 0:22:06.199 done wrong the last three months. I wouldn't have to 0:22:06.240 --> 0:22:09.399 think twice. I would say, yes, I am very pleased, 0:22:09.440 --> 0:22:12.800 they're great children. I would make a list of everything 0:22:12.840 --> 0:22:17.000 I like about them. They're loving, kind, talented, fun, attractive. 0:22:17.960 --> 0:22:21.440 That's the way God thinks of you. He's not focusing 0:22:21.520 --> 0:22:24.879 on your faults, looking at everything that you've done wrong, 0:22:25.320 --> 0:22:29.160 making a list of your shortcomings. He's focusing on what 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:33.080 you're doing right. He's looking at how you're growing, how 0:22:33.119 --> 0:22:37.680 you're making progress, how you're not where you used to be. Well, Joel, 0:22:38.080 --> 0:22:40.760 what about this weakness. I've had it for many years. 0:22:41.520 --> 0:22:44.840 You're not a surprise to God. He's not thinking, oh boy, 0:22:44.880 --> 0:22:47.679 they're wearing me out. I'm done with them. He's saying, 0:22:48.440 --> 0:22:52.879 that's my beloved son, that's my beloved daughter in whom 0:22:53.080 --> 0:22:56.280 I am well pleased. Why don't you shake off the guilt? 0:22:57.080 --> 0:23:00.720 Why don't you quit feeling wrong on the inside. The 0:23:00.840 --> 0:23:05.359 right attitude is, I'm going to accept myself while God 0:23:05.520 --> 0:23:08.359 is in the process of changing me. I'm going to 0:23:08.400 --> 0:23:11.160 be happy with who I am, even though I still 0:23:11.200 --> 0:23:14.919 have some areas I need to improve in. The enemy 0:23:15.160 --> 0:23:17.920 does not want you to feel good about who you are. 0:23:18.840 --> 0:23:22.119 Nothing he would love anymore than you to go through 0:23:22.160 --> 0:23:26.679 life feeling wrong on the inside. Don't fall into that trap. 0:23:27.280 --> 0:23:30.480 Take off the rags of unworthiness and start putting on 0:23:30.840 --> 0:23:35.600 your breastplate of God's approval. The most important relationship you 0:23:35.720 --> 0:23:39.720 have is your relationship with yourself. If you don't get 0:23:39.760 --> 0:23:42.639 along with you, you won't be able to get along 0:23:42.680 --> 0:23:48.120 with anybody else. It will affect every relationship, including your 0:23:48.160 --> 0:23:52.840 relationship with God. If you're living guilty, condemned, feeling unworthy, 0:23:53.119 --> 0:23:56.080 you won't go to God with boldness. You won't ask 0:23:56.160 --> 0:23:58.320 him for your dreams. You won't ask him for the 0:23:58.400 --> 0:24:02.159 supersized life that belongs to you. And this is the 0:24:02.200 --> 0:24:06.360 reason that many people can't get along. They don't like themselves. 0:24:06.760 --> 0:24:11.440 They're insecure, they're bitter, they're defensive. It spills over into 0:24:11.480 --> 0:24:16.200 every other relationship. Jesus said it this way. Love your 0:24:16.280 --> 0:24:20.679 neighbor as you love yourself. You can't love your neighbor 0:24:20.920 --> 0:24:24.639 if you don't first love yourself, you can't give away 0:24:24.760 --> 0:24:27.840 something that you don't have. And if you don't have 0:24:27.920 --> 0:24:31.399 a healthy respect for yourself, if you're not putting on 0:24:32.080 --> 0:24:36.439 disapproval each day knowing that you're a masterpiece, knowing that 0:24:36.480 --> 0:24:39.480 you're made in the image of God, then you'll start 0:24:39.520 --> 0:24:44.800 focusing on your faults, your shortcomings. You'll end up insecure, inferior. 0:24:44.880 --> 0:24:48.440 That will cause you to struggle in relationships. The scripture 0:24:48.440 --> 0:24:54.280 says our faith is made effective when we acknowledge everything good. 0:24:55.240 --> 0:24:59.320 If you're acknowledging everything you don't like about you, your flaws, 0:24:59.440 --> 0:25:02.600 your shortcut, I means your failures, your faith is not 0:25:02.640 --> 0:25:04.919 going to be effective. That's going to cause you to 0:25:04.960 --> 0:25:09.080 get stuck. You have enough to overcome in life as 0:25:09.119 --> 0:25:14.840 it is. Don't go around against yourself. Quit taking inventory 0:25:15.040 --> 0:25:19.480 of everything you don't like. Sometimes we spend more time 0:25:19.800 --> 0:25:22.600 looking at what's wrong with us than we do what's 0:25:22.680 --> 0:25:26.800 right with us. Should be just the opposite. Start acknowledging 0:25:26.840 --> 0:25:30.159 the good. Let me help you. You came to church today, 0:25:30.359 --> 0:25:33.399 that was good. You turned on the program. That was good. 0:25:34.080 --> 0:25:36.560 You were patient in traffic last week. That was good. 0:25:37.119 --> 0:25:39.640 You were kind to that stranger, you overlooked an insult. 0:25:39.640 --> 0:25:43.359 That was good. There's a lot right about you. Even physically, 0:25:43.840 --> 0:25:46.320 we tend to focus on what we don't like. And 0:25:46.440 --> 0:25:49.280 I'm so old, I'm so wrinkled. I wish I was taller. 0:25:49.480 --> 0:25:53.000 Where did my hair go? Listen? Turn it around. Instead 0:25:53.040 --> 0:25:56.639 of being critical, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I 0:25:56.680 --> 0:26:01.159 am one of a kind. I am a masterpiece, something powerful. 0:26:01.280 --> 0:26:06.000 Happens when you say I like who I am. Not perfect, 0:26:06.520 --> 0:26:10.920 have some shortcomings, but I'm growing. I'm changing, and God, 0:26:11.080 --> 0:26:14.840 since you approve me, I'm going to approve myself. When 0:26:14.840 --> 0:26:18.520 you do this in the unseen realm, chains are broken, 0:26:19.160 --> 0:26:23.800 chains of guilt, chains of low self esteem, chains of inferiority. 0:26:24.200 --> 0:26:27.919 When you are for yourself, you are in agreement with God. 0:26:28.720 --> 0:26:32.520 Some people have never once said I like myself. I 0:26:32.640 --> 0:26:36.360 like my gifts, I like my personality, I like my looks. 0:26:36.480 --> 0:26:40.000 I'm happy with who God made me to be. Well, George, 0:26:40.000 --> 0:26:42.359 I'm not gonna say I like myself. That's weird. But 0:26:42.440 --> 0:26:45.800 if you don't like yourself in a healthy way, other 0:26:45.880 --> 0:26:49.280 people are not going to like you. You project what 0:26:49.359 --> 0:26:54.159 you believe on the inside. If you feel wrong about yourself, 0:26:54.600 --> 0:27:01.480 you project inferiority, unfriendliness, discontentment. I'm asking you to feel 0:27:01.560 --> 0:27:04.880 good about who you are. You may not be where 0:27:04.920 --> 0:27:08.040 you want to be, but you're on the way. God 0:27:08.119 --> 0:27:12.239 is changing you from glory to glory. Start enjoying the 0:27:12.280 --> 0:27:16.120 glory that you're in right now. You may have some weaknesses, 0:27:16.320 --> 0:27:20.359 we all do, Don't you dare go through life against yourself? 0:27:20.600 --> 0:27:24.480 God is saying today you are my beloved son, my 0:27:24.640 --> 0:27:28.480 beloved daughter, and who I am well pleased. Now do 0:27:28.600 --> 0:27:32.680 your part. Start putting on the breastplate of God's approval 0:27:32.800 --> 0:27:36.440 each morning. If you'll do this, I believe and declare 0:27:36.760 --> 0:27:40.359 every chain that's holding you back is being broken. God 0:27:40.440 --> 0:27:43.200 is going to keep making you and molding you. You're 0:27:43.240 --> 0:27:47.080 going to come up higher, overcome those obstacles and become 0:27:47.200 --> 0:27:51.240 everything He's created you to be. In Jesus' name, if 0:27:51.280 --> 0:27:55.200 you receive it, can you stay him in today? I'd 0:27:55.240 --> 0:27:58.080 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:27:58.119 --> 0:28:02.920 lord of your life with me. Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:03.960 --> 0:28:08.960 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:28:09.119 --> 0:28:13.200 make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed 0:28:13.200 --> 0:28:16.360 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get 0:28:16.359 --> 0:28:19.560 in a good Bible based church, keep God first place. 0:28:20.080 --> 0:28:22.320 Victoria and I will be right back to speak a 0:28:22.359 --> 0:28:23.240 blessing over you. 0:28:25.760 --> 0:28:29.800 Now. Rebeilable from New York Times bestselling author Victoria ustein 0:28:30.119 --> 0:28:34.800 her brand new thirty day audio devotional Embracing every Day. 0:28:35.600 --> 0:28:39.800 In this uplifting thirty day audio devotional, you'll be challenged 0:28:39.840 --> 0:28:43.240 and inspired to start living with greater faith and favor 0:28:43.520 --> 0:28:44.120 every day. 0:28:44.440 --> 0:28:47.040 We all desire to enjoy life, to live it to 0:28:47.120 --> 0:28:50.840 the fullest with purpose and fulfillment. Yet sometimes we can 0:28:50.960 --> 0:28:53.840 experience challenges that rob us of our joy. 0:28:54.200 --> 0:28:55.160 But God doesn't. 0:28:54.960 --> 0:28:57.800 Want us to live worried or concerned about what each 0:28:57.880 --> 0:29:01.800 day may bring. You can today experience all the wonderful 0:29:01.800 --> 0:29:03.400 blessings He has for you. 0:29:03.880 --> 0:29:07.160 Request this brand new resource something from Victoria. It's a 0:29:07.200 --> 0:29:10.840 thirty day audio devotional. You'll be inspired and you'll learn 0:29:11.040 --> 0:29:12.680 how to embrace every day. 0:29:13.400 --> 0:29:17.800 Request your copy of Embracing every Day today at Jillelinstein 0:29:17.880 --> 0:29:22.600 dot com slash embracing or come eighteen days, five six seven. 0:29:22.800 --> 0:29:26.760 Joel, your support is changing lives. Thank you for partnering 0:29:26.800 --> 0:29:30.520 with the ministry. Your support, your generosity is making a 0:29:30.560 --> 0:29:33.920 difference around the world. A special thank you to our 0:29:34.000 --> 0:29:36.920 Champion of Hope partners for all you do to make 0:29:36.960 --> 0:29:40.320 the ministry possible. Victoria and I pray for you and 0:29:40.360 --> 0:29:43.720 your family. We're believing you're going to see God's goodness 0:29:43.840 --> 0:29:47.000 in great ways. Don't forget my new book is out. 0:29:47.040 --> 0:29:49.719 It's called Blessed in the Darkness. 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