Protect Your Peace

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See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:35.240 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:38.319 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:41.720 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.760 --> 0:01:44.800 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.840 --> 0:01:45.640 ministry going. 0:01:46.080 --> 0:02:00.160 Enjoy the message. 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:03.560 Well, God bless you and it's a joy to come 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:06.520 into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, 0:02:06.560 --> 0:02:08.600 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:11.720 our services. I promise you we'll make it feel right 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:14.600 at home. I like to start with something funny, and 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:17.400 I heard about this single man. He was sitting on 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:21.519 an airplane next to a beautiful single lady. They struck 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.360 up a conversation and he asked her what kind of 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:28.160 men she liked. She said, well, I like Native American 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:32.040 men with their high cheek bones and golden tan skin. 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:36.639 Plus I like Jewish men, they're so brilliant and successful. 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:39.480 And I like good old boys from the South with 0:02:39.560 --> 0:02:43.120 their long Southern drawl. What's your name, he said, My 0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:49.679 name is Geronimo Bernstein, but my friends call me Bubba. 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:52.600 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:55.480 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:58.040 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:02:58.040 --> 0:03:00.840 I can do. Today I will be talk the word 0:03:00.880 --> 0:03:05.080 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:09.560 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:13.239 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:17.360 about protect your peace. We should get up each morning 0:03:17.520 --> 0:03:21.840 believing for a good day, expecting favor, knowing that God 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:25.519 is directing our steps. At the same time, we should 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:30.200 realize everything may not go perfect. Every person may not 0:03:30.320 --> 0:03:33.920 treat us right. Our plans may not stay on schedule. 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:36.800 There may be some bumps in the road and things 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:39.880 that we didn't see coming. If you're only going to 0:03:40.080 --> 0:03:43.600 enjoy the day, if your plans work out, then you're 0:03:43.640 --> 0:03:47.720 setting yourself up for disappointment. In our cars, we have 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:51.840 a spare tire. When I drive somewhere, I'm not expecting 0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:55.120 to have a flat. I'm not expecting to hit a pothole. 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:59.360 I'm expecting to get to my destination as planned. But 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:03.080 even though I'm expecting things to go my way, I've 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:07.760 made provision in case it doesn't. I've taken steps ahead 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:11.240 of time in case the tire goes flat. In the 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:14.880 same way, even though you're expecting your plans to work out, 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:18.760 even though you're expecting good breaks, you need to have 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:22.680 your spare tire. You need to make provision in case 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:23.680 things don't. 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:24.760 Go your way. 0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:27.400 Well, how do you get your spare tire at the 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:30.440 start of the day. You need to make a decision 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:33.719 that no matter what comes against you, you're not going 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:37.279 to get upset. No matter what someone says, You're not 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:42.440 going to be offended. No matter what delays, disappointments, bad breaks, 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.640 You're not going to be sour. You've already made up 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:49.320 your mind to stay in peace. That's making sure you 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:53.040 have your spare tire. If someone is rude to you, 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:56.440 your attitude is no big deal. I'm not gonna sit 0:04:56.560 --> 0:04:58.920 on the side of the road and salt. I'm gonna 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:02.520 put my spare tire on and keep moving forward. If 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:06.880 you hit a pothole, something unexpected happens, your loved one 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:10.000 has an illness, your child for good is homework, the 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:14.240 loan didn't go through. You could be upset worried, but 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:17.880 you have your spare tire. You decided ahead of time 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:21.640 to stay in peace, and the people in your life, 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.040 as good as they are. There are no perfect people. 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:29.800 There is no perfect boss, no perfect friend, no perfect neighbor, 0:05:29.839 --> 0:05:33.480 no perfect spouse. Victoria says that I am, but I 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:37.479 know she's either lying or saying it by faith. Give 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:42.400 people room to be human. Quit expecting them to perform 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:46.600 perfectly all the time. Well they hurt my feelings. If 0:05:46.640 --> 0:05:49.680 you have your spare tire, you forgive them and move on. 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:56.120 Don't have unrealistic expectations That person that loves you so much, 0:05:56.279 --> 0:06:01.040 no matter how good they are at times, to disappoint you. 0:06:01.480 --> 0:06:04.240 They're going to say things that they shouldn't. Don't be 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:08.279 easily offended. Well, my spouse didn't tell me he loved 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:11.560 me today. This neighbor doesn't invite me over like she 0:06:11.720 --> 0:06:16.039 used to. My coworkers didn't congratulate me on my big presentation. 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:19.440 You don't know what's going on in their lives. Don't 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:23.919 take it personally. Here's the key. Your happiness is not 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:29.240 someone else's responsibility. You are responsible for your own happiness. 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:34.040 Too often we're counting on other people to keep us 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:39.400 cheered up, encouraged, feeling good about ourselves. That's putting too 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:43.200 much pressure on the people in your lives. Let them 0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:47.240 off the hook. Nobody can keep you fixed except our 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:50.880 heavenly Father. Don't go to people for what only God 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:55.440 can give. Are you going through life without a spare tire? 0:06:56.120 --> 0:06:59.880 Only happy if things go your way? The problem is 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:05.839 the roads are bumpy. There will be some potholes, unexpected challenges. 0:07:06.360 --> 0:07:09.440 Without a spare, you'll get stuck on the side of 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:14.040 the road, bitter over a breakup, upset because a coworker 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:18.280 left you out, stressed over the traffic. Life is too 0:07:18.400 --> 0:07:23.360 short to live offended upset, discouraged. This day is a 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:26.640 gift from God. We are not always going to be here. 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:29.480 You have to put your foot down and say, I 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.800 am not going to let these same things keep upsetting me. 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:35.960 I am going to stay in peace, even if the 0:07:36.000 --> 0:07:40.120 boss is unfair, even if my spouse is grumpy, even 0:07:40.160 --> 0:07:43.400 if my flight is delayed, even if the medical report 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:46.440 isn't good. This is the day the Lord has made. 0:07:46.840 --> 0:07:49.240 I have made up my mind. I'm gonna enjoy it. 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:56.920 When we go around offended, upset, discouraged, really it dishonors God. 0:07:57.760 --> 0:08:01.960 He's entrusted us with life. He could have chosen anyone 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:06.320 to be here, but before time began, in his great mercy, 0:08:06.680 --> 0:08:10.800 he handpicked you. He not only chose you, but he 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:15.000 created you in his own image. He's planned out your days. 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:19.160 He's crowned you with fever. Now he's directing your steps. 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:22.240 The way to honor God is to get up each 0:08:22.360 --> 0:08:26.640 day with passion, being your best, pursuing what He put 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:30.880 in your heart. Don't get stuck in the potholes of life. 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:36.200 Shake off the offenses, shake off what somebody said, shake 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:41.320 off self, pity, bitterness. God saw everything that happened to you, 0:08:41.920 --> 0:08:44.880 He knows what was unfair, He knows how you were treated. 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:48.760 Nothing is a surprise to him. If you'll keep moving forward, 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:53.200 he'll not only bring you out, he'll bring you out better. Well, Joel, 0:08:53.200 --> 0:08:55.720 I would do this, but these people at work don't 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:58.520 treat me right. They're unfair. They get on my nerves. 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:01.959 You can't control what other people do, but you can 0:09:02.120 --> 0:09:06.599 control what you do. If you let them upset you, 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:09.720 you are giving away your power. You are letting them 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:13.840 control you. The scripture says God has given us the 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:19.240 power to remain calm in times of adversity. You don't 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:22.800 have to let the same things keep upsetting you. Quit 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:25.640 telling yourself I can't help it. They just know how 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:29.960 to push my buttons. Try a new approach. Decide ahead 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:32.720 of time that you're going to stay in peace, and 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:36.920 you'll tap in to that power to remain calm. A 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:39.720 man was walking down the street with his friend to 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:43.680 buy a newspaper. They came to the corner store where 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:47.679 the man bought the paper every day. The clerk behind 0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:52.840 the counter was as unfriendly as can be, cold, inconsiderate, 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:56.319 acted like the man was bothering him. The man bought 0:09:56.320 --> 0:09:59.400 the paper smiled and said, I hope you have a 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:03.400 great day. The clerk didn't even look up, didn't even 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:07.880 acknowledge that he said anything. His friend said, man, what 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:11.360 was wrong with that clerk? Is he always that rude? 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:15.520 The man said every morning? The friend said, are you 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:19.760 always that nice? He said every morning. The friend looked 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:22.760 kind of puzzled and said why. The men said, I've 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:25.560 made up my mind. I'm not going to let another 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:30.640 person ruin my day. He was saying, I have my 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:35.280 spare tire. Yes I hit this pothole every morning, but 0:10:35.360 --> 0:10:38.960 I'm not going to get stuck here arguing, being rude, 0:10:39.320 --> 0:10:43.080 letting him ruin my morning. There may be people you 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:46.600 see every day that have the gift of getting on 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:50.680 your nerves. They feel like it's their calling in life 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:54.840 to make you miserable. The good news is you're in control. 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:59.160 They can't make you unhappy unless you allow them to. 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:04.040 They can't make you be frustrated. It's your choice. Now. 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:07.360 Don't go the next thirty years letting the same things 0:11:07.480 --> 0:11:11.840 upset you, giving away your power. Make a decision like 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:14.760 this man. You are not going to let another person 0:11:14.960 --> 0:11:17.840 ruin your day, not the guy that cuts you off 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:21.080 in traffic, not the clerk that's rude, not the family 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:27.120 member that's disrespectful. And when someone is critical, condescending, rude, 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:32.400 they have issues that they're not dealing with. They've become poisoned, 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:36.400 and now that poison naturally comes out. The key is 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:40.640 don't let their poison get into you. Don't let their 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:45.880 bad attitude sour your day. You overcome evil with good. 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:50.480 You don't overcome evil with more evil. If you join in, 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:54.840 you rude, back, you argue, then you've allowed their poison 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:58.839 to contaminate you. But when you take the high road, 0:11:59.440 --> 0:12:03.000 when you above it and you're kind to those that 0:12:03.080 --> 0:12:08.160 are unkind, you're respectful when people are disrespectful, you're being 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:11.280 an eagle. God will take you to heights that you've 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:15.720 never imagined. Years ago, I promised a friend that works 0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:19.160 in local news that I would be on their morning program. 0:12:19.800 --> 0:12:21.640 I had to be at the station at six point 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:24.760 thirty on a Monday morning. I woke up that day 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:28.480 and I was tired. I didn't feel like going. It 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:31.880 was cold and raining, but I made the commitment. I 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.920 was told to park inside the fence close to the 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:39.560 main doors. I pulled in, dark outside, and nobody was there. 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:42.680 I was about to park and get out. This lady 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:47.120 came running over a security guard, waving both of her 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:51.079 arms like I had committed a major crime. She said, 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:55.200 what are you doing? You cannot park here. This is 0:12:55.280 --> 0:12:59.200 reserved for our special guest. I thought, God, I'm gonna 0:12:59.200 --> 0:13:02.560 need three spare for this lady. She's like a wrecking ball. 0:13:03.400 --> 0:13:05.920 I said, ma'am, I'm on the program this morning. I 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:08.600 was told to park here. She said, did you hear 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:12.000 what I said? You cannot park here. I had to 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:15.360 remind myself, Joe, you're a pastor. Your church is right 0:13:15.400 --> 0:13:19.480 across the freeway. I smiled and said, that's fine, went 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:22.120 and parked in the neighborhood a couple hundred yards away. 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:26.040 Still raining had to run to the building. I did 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:30.200 the program. She must have seen it, because afterwards she 0:13:30.400 --> 0:13:34.040 came running up and said, old Pastor Ostein. If I 0:13:34.040 --> 0:13:36.160 would have known that was you, I would have let 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:39.640 you park there. Do you have time to pray for me? 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:44.840 I thought I would if I didn't have to walk 0:13:44.880 --> 0:13:48.680 so far. I said, sure, I will. I wanted to 0:13:48.720 --> 0:13:53.440 pray God deliver her from that meanness. What am I saying? 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:57.600 Don't let another person ruin your day. Don't let a 0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:01.560 grouchy boss make you grouchy to where you come home 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:04.640 and be sour with your family. You can't keep it 0:14:04.640 --> 0:14:07.440 from happening, but you can keep it from getting on 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:12.199 the inside. You have to guard your heart. Jesus said 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:17.040 offenses will come. He didn't say they might come if 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:20.160 you're a good person, if you're kind enough, if you 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.200 quote enough scriptures, then you won't have to deal with 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:27.080 grouchy people. You won't have to hit any potholes. Now, 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:30.600 he said, they will come on a regular basis. You 0:14:30.640 --> 0:14:35.800 will have opportunities to get upset, live bitter, offended, arguing, 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:39.840 trying to pay people back. The word offenses in the 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:44.240 scripture comes from a Greek word that means bait. It's 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:47.320 used in reference to how they would catch animals. It 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:50.760 was actually the bait that lured the animal into the trap. 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:56.040 When you're tempted to be offended, somebody says something derogatory, 0:14:56.560 --> 0:15:00.320 they leave you out. Recognize the enemy is all offering 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:03.960 you the bait. He's trying to deceive you into the trap. 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:08.800 Come on, get upset, be bitter, argue back. Many people 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:13.520 take the bait. They go around bitter, upset, offended. Next 0:15:13.560 --> 0:15:16.960 time that happens, instead of letting those same things upset, 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:20.400 you just say no, thanks. I'm not taking that bait 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:22.800 and not falling into that trap. I'm going to enjoy 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:27.280 this day. But it's easy to get baited into conflict, 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:31.840 argue with people, try to prove our point. You have 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:36.120 to be selective which battles you fight. You're not supposed 0:15:36.160 --> 0:15:40.200 to engage in every conflict. If that battle is not 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:44.520 between you and your god given destiny, you should ignore it. 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:49.400 Most of the things that come against us are simply distractions. 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:54.200 Ask yourself, if I win this battle, how what benefit me? 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:57.880 What will it accomplish that person that cut me off 0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:00.840 in traffic? If I rush up and cut them off, 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:04.200 what did it gain me? I don't even know the person. 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:08.280 It's a distraction. If I'm rude back to the person 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:11.680 that sold me the paper, yes it makes the flesh 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:14.560 feel good, but it doesn't put me further down the road. 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:18.760 It's a distraction. You need to choose your battles wisely. 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:23.000 If you make the mistake of engaging in every conflict, 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:27.400 straightening out coworkers, proven to people who you are, you 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:30.200 won't have time to fight the battles that do matter. 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:33.720 When David was a teenager, he was out working in 0:16:33.760 --> 0:16:37.440 the shepherd's fields. His father asked him to take lunch 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:41.280 to his brothers. They were in another city, serving in 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:46.800 the army. When David arrived, he saw Goliath taunting the Israelites, 0:16:47.040 --> 0:16:50.200 making fun of them. He asked the men there, what 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:53.880 is the prize for the man that defeats this giant. 0:16:54.480 --> 0:16:57.720 They said, the reward is that person will get one 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:01.080 of the king's daughters in marriage. Plus they won't have 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:05.440 to pay taxes. Well, that got David's attention. He realized 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:09.080 that was a battle worth fighting. There were spoils, there 0:17:09.119 --> 0:17:14.480 were benefits. But when David's older brother Eliab heard him 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:19.800 inquiring about fighting Goliath, he tried to embarrass David. He said, 0:17:19.840 --> 0:17:22.239 in front of all of the people, David, what are 0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:25.080 you even doing here? And what have you done with 0:17:25.160 --> 0:17:28.199 those few sheep you're supposed to be taken care of. 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:32.720 He's trying to make David feel small, saying, David, you're unimportant, 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:36.800 You'll never do anything great. Now David had killed a 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:40.560 lion and a bear with his bare hands, I have 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:44.239 no doubt he could have taken care of Eliab, But 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:48.840 the scripture says David turned and walked away. One reason 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:53.000 David did great things is he knew which battles to fight. 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:58.320 He could have gotten into strife arguing trying to prove 0:17:58.400 --> 0:18:01.520 to Eliab that he was important. But if he would 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:04.760 have engaged in that conflict, if he would have taken 0:18:04.800 --> 0:18:09.159 the bait, he would have gotten distracted, wasted time, and 0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:13.840 who knows, maybe he would have never faced Goliath. Are 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:17.399 you fighting battles that don't matter, that are keeping you 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:20.760 from battles that do matter. You have to learn to 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:25.600 walk away from things, walk away from petty arguments, walk 0:18:25.640 --> 0:18:30.800 away from disrespect, walk away from jealous people. Proverb says 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:35.760 avoiding a fight is a mark of honor. Not winning 0:18:35.800 --> 0:18:39.399 a fight, but walking away from a fight. That's not 0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:43.160 being weak. That takes a strong person. That's a mark 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:46.959 of honor. In your marriage, you need to do what 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:51.800 you can to stay in unity. It's easy to argue 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:57.320 over every little thing, live bitter offended. The problem is 0:18:57.840 --> 0:19:00.640 there will be some big giants that you and your 0:19:00.640 --> 0:19:04.199 spouse have to face on the way to your destiny. 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:07.800 There will be Golias. That's how we go to New levels. 0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:12.520 But if you're distracted arguing over little things, you won't 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:15.919 be able to defeat those big giants. You have to 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:20.280 pass the test of biting your tongue walking away when 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:24.080 you feel like telling somebody off overlooking an a fence. 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:27.960 The scripture says one can chase one thousand, two can 0:19:28.000 --> 0:19:31.320 put ten thousand to flight. When you're in agreement with 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:36.159 your spouse, you are ten times more powerful. When elieb 0:19:36.359 --> 0:19:40.960 insulted David, David was able to bite his tongue. Wonder 0:19:41.000 --> 0:19:46.800 why David prayed in Psalm one, Lord, take control of 0:19:46.840 --> 0:19:50.200 what I say. Help me to keep my lips sealed. 0:19:50.840 --> 0:19:53.520 He was saying, God, help me to not say things 0:19:53.560 --> 0:19:56.679 I shouldn't. Help me to walk away from rude people. 0:19:57.160 --> 0:20:00.520 Help me to stay on the high road. Yes, it's 0:20:00.560 --> 0:20:03.119 good to pray for favor, it's good to pray for 0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:07.439 wisdom for protection. But I wonder how much further we 0:20:07.480 --> 0:20:11.399 would go if we would do like David and start praying, God, 0:20:11.960 --> 0:20:15.920 help me to shut my mouth. That's a powerful prayer. God, 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:19.399 help me to not say hurtful things. Help me to 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:23.560 not be critical, Help me to not argue. When God 0:20:23.640 --> 0:20:27.280 can trust you to walk away from the eliabs, the 0:20:27.359 --> 0:20:30.960 people that are disrespectful, people that try to bait you 0:20:31.040 --> 0:20:34.720 into conflict. Then he can trust you with the golias. 0:20:35.320 --> 0:20:38.720 You will come into destiny moments where you will defeat 0:20:38.800 --> 0:20:43.600 giants that catapult you ahead. As I've become more known, 0:20:44.000 --> 0:20:47.080 I've had more critics, and some of them were people 0:20:47.119 --> 0:20:52.160 that had large followings. When you hear negative things, especially 0:20:52.200 --> 0:20:55.240 that are not true or where it's taken out of context, 0:20:55.480 --> 0:20:59.040 it's tempting to respond. But by the grace of God, 0:20:59.080 --> 0:21:01.760 I've always been real good of letting it go. It's 0:21:01.760 --> 0:21:04.320 never bothered me in the least bit. I've learned when 0:21:04.320 --> 0:21:07.320 I stay on the high road and when up not 0:21:07.440 --> 0:21:09.640 try to prove to people who I am, not live 0:21:09.720 --> 0:21:12.720 defensively that God will get me to where I'm supposed 0:21:12.720 --> 0:21:16.040 to be. But some of the people that were so 0:21:16.359 --> 0:21:20.960 against me today they don't have their platforms, they don't 0:21:21.000 --> 0:21:24.399 have their followings. Things have happened where it didn't last, 0:21:24.880 --> 0:21:27.879 and I'm not happy about it. My point is God 0:21:27.920 --> 0:21:31.280 will take care of the eliabs. God will deal with 0:21:31.359 --> 0:21:34.760 the people that are trying to discredit you. It's not 0:21:35.040 --> 0:21:38.480 your job to straighten them out. Walk away from them 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:43.200 and let God fight those battles. David said, God prepares 0:21:43.240 --> 0:21:46.720 a table for us in the presence of our enemies. 0:21:47.359 --> 0:21:50.439 When you have an enemy, that means God has a 0:21:50.480 --> 0:21:54.520 table for you. When someone's coming against you, When you 0:21:54.600 --> 0:21:58.080 have an eliab somebody at work trying to discredit you, 0:21:58.880 --> 0:22:03.600 recognize there's a table there. You can go argue with them, 0:22:04.040 --> 0:22:06.240 be rude back to those that are rude to you, 0:22:06.760 --> 0:22:10.280 or you can sit at the table that God prepared. 0:22:11.040 --> 0:22:14.040 When you sit, you're saying, God, I'm trusting you to 0:22:14.119 --> 0:22:17.639 fight this battle. It's not between me and my destiny. 0:22:18.040 --> 0:22:20.680 So I'm not gonna worry about these people at work 0:22:20.960 --> 0:22:23.040 that are trying to make me look bad. I'm going 0:22:23.119 --> 0:22:26.520 to keep honoring you, being my best, and I know 0:22:26.920 --> 0:22:30.440 while I'm seated at the table you prepared, while I'm 0:22:30.520 --> 0:22:33.560 in peace, you will take care of what's coming against me. 0:22:34.600 --> 0:22:38.560 The Apostle Paul did this. He had all kinds of opposition. 0:22:39.320 --> 0:22:43.040 Religious leaders didn't accept him. The government thought he had 0:22:43.080 --> 0:22:46.200 too much influence. People lied about him. He was put 0:22:46.240 --> 0:22:51.119 in prison. He had plenty of opportunities to live bitter offended. 0:22:51.760 --> 0:22:55.600 One place we see his attitude, he said Alexander the 0:22:55.680 --> 0:23:00.600 Coppersmith has done me great wrong, but God will repay him. 0:23:01.160 --> 0:23:03.879 He was saying, that battle is not between me and 0:23:03.920 --> 0:23:07.080 my destiny. I'm not gonna take de bait. I'm not 0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:10.600 gonna get distracted. I'm gonna sit at the table and 0:23:10.680 --> 0:23:15.000 let God fight my battles. Are you fighting where you 0:23:15.040 --> 0:23:19.359 should be sitting trying to straighten somebody out, prove to 0:23:19.400 --> 0:23:23.000 them who you are. That's not your battle. That battle 0:23:23.160 --> 0:23:26.280 is the Lord's. You don't have to pay people back, 0:23:26.720 --> 0:23:29.800 you don't have to get even. God is your vindicator. 0:23:30.080 --> 0:23:32.320 He will make up for the wrongs that were done 0:23:32.520 --> 0:23:35.480 to you. If you will stay in faith, stay in 0:23:35.560 --> 0:23:39.240 peace on that high road. God will vindicate you better 0:23:39.280 --> 0:23:43.320 than you can vindicate yourself. First Samuel, chapter ten, the 0:23:43.400 --> 0:23:47.440 prophet Samuel chose Saul as the next king of Israel. 0:23:47.920 --> 0:23:52.040 Most people were happy and congratulated Saul. But when Saul 0:23:52.080 --> 0:23:55.359 returned to his hometown, some of the people that knew 0:23:55.400 --> 0:23:59.840 him the most weren't happy with Samuel's decision. They begin 0:23:59.880 --> 0:24:03.320 to laugh and make fun Saul will never be our king. 0:24:03.680 --> 0:24:06.920 He doesn't have what it takes. The truth is they 0:24:06.920 --> 0:24:11.520 were jealous of Saw. They were so insecure, so small, minded. 0:24:11.840 --> 0:24:14.560 They thought they had to push Saul down so they 0:24:14.560 --> 0:24:19.560 wouldn't look bad. Don't ever fight battles with small minded people. 0:24:20.240 --> 0:24:23.840 Don't waste your time with people that are jealous, people 0:24:23.880 --> 0:24:27.760 that don't value who you are, people that don't respect 0:24:27.760 --> 0:24:31.040 the anointing, the favor, the talent on your life. They 0:24:31.080 --> 0:24:34.840 are not between you and your destiny. If you engage 0:24:34.920 --> 0:24:38.320 in those conflicts, it will keep you from becoming who 0:24:38.400 --> 0:24:42.280 you were created to be. Verse twenty seven says they 0:24:42.320 --> 0:24:46.760 despise Saul and refuse to bring him gifts, but Saul 0:24:46.960 --> 0:24:50.760 ignored them. If you're going to fulfill your purpose, you 0:24:50.840 --> 0:24:55.560 have to get good at ignoring things. Ignore negative comments, 0:24:56.040 --> 0:25:01.399 ignore disrespect, Ignore the naysayers. They don't control your destiny. 0:25:01.640 --> 0:25:05.320 They are distractions to try to keep you from God's best. 0:25:06.080 --> 0:25:10.600 Instead of being upset over who's not for you, frustrated 0:25:10.640 --> 0:25:13.760 over who's trying to make you look bad, do like Saul, 0:25:14.119 --> 0:25:18.359 ignore it. Jealous people can't keep you from your destiny. 0:25:18.720 --> 0:25:23.280 Small minded people cannot stop your purpose. When Niemiah was 0:25:23.320 --> 0:25:26.880 rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem, there were two men at 0:25:26.880 --> 0:25:30.359 the bottom of the mountain, sand Ballad and Tobias that 0:25:30.480 --> 0:25:35.879 didn't like Neemiah. They were constantly criticizing him, spreading rumors, 0:25:36.040 --> 0:25:40.600 trying to ruin his reputation. All day they would shout insults, 0:25:40.920 --> 0:25:45.640 making fun trying to debate Namiah into coming down. When 0:25:45.720 --> 0:25:48.840 Naomiah could have come off the mountain and defeated them, 0:25:49.240 --> 0:25:52.320 he could have shut them up. But he knew as 0:25:52.359 --> 0:25:55.240 long as he was fighting with them, he wouldn't be 0:25:55.280 --> 0:25:58.399 making progress on the wall. He knew they were not 0:25:58.520 --> 0:26:02.399 between him and his destiny. He didn't get upset, he 0:26:02.440 --> 0:26:05.680 didn't try to straighten them out. He simply ignored them. 0:26:06.359 --> 0:26:08.760 He went on to finish the wall in record time. 0:26:09.640 --> 0:26:12.440 When God puts a dream in your heart, there will 0:26:12.480 --> 0:26:18.960 always be sand balants and tobiases, people that are critical, jealous, disrespectful, 0:26:19.200 --> 0:26:22.240 people that try to get you riled up. Don't take 0:26:22.320 --> 0:26:25.480 the bait. That is not a battle you have to fight. 0:26:26.119 --> 0:26:29.480 They are a distraction to try to get you off course, 0:26:29.760 --> 0:26:34.359 so you miss your purpose. Dolight Nehemiah, learn to ignore 0:26:34.520 --> 0:26:39.000 the sand balants and tobiases. Your assignment is too important 0:26:39.280 --> 0:26:44.080 to be distracted by jealous, small minded people. In the scripture, 0:26:44.520 --> 0:26:47.600 it tells us to put on the whole armor of God, 0:26:48.040 --> 0:26:51.680 part of that armor is the shoes of peace. It's 0:26:51.720 --> 0:26:56.000 interesting that God chose our feet for peace. It implies 0:26:56.080 --> 0:26:58.919 everywhere we go we're going to have to choose to 0:26:59.000 --> 0:27:02.199 stay in peace. Because you can have your helmet of 0:27:02.280 --> 0:27:06.399 salvation on, your shield of faith, your belt of truth. 0:27:07.080 --> 0:27:09.439 But if you don't put your shoes of peace on, 0:27:10.119 --> 0:27:12.400 if you don't make this decision that you're not going 0:27:12.440 --> 0:27:15.680 to get upset, you're not going to live offended, you're 0:27:15.680 --> 0:27:17.679 not going to get baited into conflict. 0:27:17.960 --> 0:27:20.439 Then even though you have all the other armor on, 0:27:21.119 --> 0:27:25.480 without peace, it's not effective. Every morning. You need to 0:27:25.520 --> 0:27:28.840 make sure you put on your shoes a peace. Too 0:27:28.880 --> 0:27:33.800 many people go through the day barefooted, offended, discouraged, upset. 0:27:34.240 --> 0:27:36.720 But when you make this decision at the start of 0:27:36.800 --> 0:27:40.399 the day that nothing is going to upset you. Really, 0:27:40.520 --> 0:27:43.840 you're putting your shoes on, You're saying, God, I trust you, 0:27:44.359 --> 0:27:47.399 I know you're directing my steps, and even if things 0:27:47.480 --> 0:27:50.960 don't go perfectly today, I believe all things are going 0:27:51.040 --> 0:27:54.199 to work out for my good. When you're in peace, 0:27:54.560 --> 0:27:59.320 you're in a position of power. When you're upset, discouraged, offended, 0:27:59.600 --> 0:28:02.359 just the opposite, you won't have the strength you need. 0:28:03.160 --> 0:28:07.040 Next time you're tempted to be offended, recognize what's happening. 0:28:07.400 --> 0:28:11.920 Don't take that bab when someone says something derogatory, instead 0:28:11.920 --> 0:28:15.119 of trying to pay them back, ignore them. Take a 0:28:15.160 --> 0:28:18.840 seat at the table God. Prepare when you walk away 0:28:18.880 --> 0:28:22.240 from the eliabs, the battles that don't matter, you will 0:28:22.240 --> 0:28:26.080 come into your golias, opportunities that will thrust you ahead. 0:28:26.560 --> 0:28:30.160 I'm asking you to protect your peace. If you'll do this, 0:28:30.600 --> 0:28:34.119 I believe and declare You're not only going to enjoy 0:28:34.200 --> 0:28:37.200 your life more, but God is going to take care 0:28:37.400 --> 0:28:40.440 of what's coming against you. He's going to vindicate you, 0:28:40.760 --> 0:28:44.480 promote you, and take you to new levels of your destiny. 0:28:44.840 --> 0:28:47.640 In Jesus's name, And if you receive it, can you 0:28:47.680 --> 0:28:51.280 say in then today, well, I'd like to give you 0:28:51.320 --> 0:28:54.560 an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:54.920 --> 0:28:59.280 Would you pray with me, Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:28:59.440 --> 0:29:04.560 repent of sins. Come into my heart. I'll make you 0:29:04.680 --> 0:29:08.720 my lord and savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, 0:29:08.800 --> 0:29:11.720 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:29:11.760 --> 0:29:14.560 Bible based church, keep God first place. 0:29:15.640 --> 0:29:19.320 Thank you for listening to the Jolusteine podcast help us 0:29:19.360 --> 0:29:22.200 continue to share the message of hope with those all 0:29:22.240 --> 0:29:26.320 over the world. Visit jolostein dot com slash give Hope 0:29:26.480 --> 0:29:27.680 to give a gift today. 0:29:28.960 --> 0:29:31.880 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:31.880 --> 0:29:35.240 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:35.320 --> 0:29:38.520 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:38.720 --> 0:29:40.400 I know God's best is still ahead. 0:29:40.680 --> 0:29:41.720 We'll see you next time. 0:29:49.040 --> 0:29:53.640 Nice funs, soft, fluffy and ultralow net carbs Discover hero 0:29:53.800 --> 0:29:58.040 Bread the delicious ultralow net carbbread with incredible taste and texture. 0:29:58.320 --> 0:30:00.720 Hero Bread has zero grams of s and is under 0:30:00.760 --> 0:30:04.040 one hundred calories per serving, plus high end fiber and 0:30:04.200 --> 0:30:07.080 up to ten grams of protein per serving. 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