Joel Osteen — It's the Heart that Matters
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I want to talk to you today about it's the heart that matters. All of us have areas that we struggle in, we make mistakes, and do things that we know we shouldn't. We told ourselves we weren't going to give in to that temptation anymore, but we did it again. We lost our temper, didn't keep our word, maybe compromised with some friends. It's easy to go around feeling guilty and condemned, wrong on the inside, thinking, "I can't believe I'm still struggling in this same area". Voices will whisper, "God's never going to bless you. You can't get it right. You don't deserve it. Just sit on the sidelines".
We think we have to have a perfect performance for God to bless us. Once we get rid of all these weaknesses, once I overcome in these areas that I'm struggling in, then I'll have God's favor, then I'll feel good about myself. But the scripture says God searches the earth to show himself strong in people whose hearts are turned perfect toward him. God is not looking for people who have a perfect performance, perfect behavior, people who never make a mistake. He's looking for people who have a perfect heart turned toward him.
That means you may make mistakes, but you have a desire to please him. Deep down, you want to honor him with your life. It's your heart that matters. God looks on the inside. He is more pleased with someone with a right heart that makes mistakes every once in a while than someone with a wrong heart and performs perfectly all the time.
We see this in the scripture, the pharisees kept all the religious rules. They prayed at the right time, gave the exact amount required, went to great lengths to perform the religious ceremonies exactly like they were supposed to. They had the performance part down, the problem was their heart wasn't right. They were self-righteous, proud, critical, and even though they performed perfectly, Jesus said to them, "You're like a bunch of white-washed tombs. You look good on the outside, but on the inside, there's a major problem".
When Jesus chose his 12 disciples, it was just the opposite. He didn't choose people who had it all together, he chose a tax collector. They were known for being dishonest. He chose fishermen, they used bad language, lived a rough lifestyle. He chose Thomas, a doubter. It looked like he'd made a mistake. These weren't the most qualified, disciplined, upstanding people. These were people who had flaws and weaknesses, people who came out of dysfunction, people who were not raised in a religious background.
But what God can see that others cannot see is the heart. People look on the outside at the performance, the behavior, the background. God looks beyond all that. He knows it's the heart that matters, and he said to these disciples, "I chose you not because you have it all together, not because you performed perfectly. No, I handpicked you because I can see your heart is turned toward me". God is saying the same thing to you. You wouldn't be here, you wouldn't be listening if you didn't have a heart turned toward God.
Your performance may not be perfect, your behavior, your attitude, your character may need some improvement, we all do. But just like with the disciples, God is saying, "I handpicked you because your heart is sincere. Your heart is to do the right thing. Your heart is pliable and moldable, so I'm going to show myself strong in your life".
Now, the key is you have to learn to accept yourself while you're in the process of changing. Doesn't do any good to go around beating yourself up because of flaws and weaknesses, living guilty and condemned because you're not where you think you should be in life. The scripture says God changes us from glory to glory. You may not realize it, but you're in a phase of glory right now. Learn to enjoy the glory that you're in while God is changing you and taking you to the next level of glory.
Too often, we're not going to feel good about who we are until our behavior gets better, until we break the bad habit, till we control our temper. Then we'll start accepting ourselves. The problem with this approach is there will always be something that's not right. There will always be some reason to feel wrong about who we are. You have to accept yourself right where you are, faults and all.
You are not a finished product. God is the potter, you are the clay, he's still working on you. He goes at his own pace, nothing you can do to make it happen any faster. He knows what's best, and the sooner you say, "God, my life is in your hands, not just my goals and dreams, but my flaws, my weaknesses, these areas that I struggle in. God, I know only you can give me the grace to overcome. I'm going to do my best, I'm going to work with you, but in the meantime, I'm going to accept myself and enjoy the glory that I'm in," and I've learned if you'll keep your heart turned toward God, your performance will catch up.
The disciples started off rough, they had a lot to overcome, but they ended up men of great character who touched the world. Peter had a problem with cursing, using bad language. He didn't change overnight. I'm sure there were plenty of times he got upset, fell back into that bad habit. Remember it happened the night before Jesus was crucified. A young lady saw him and said, "That's a disciple. I saw him with Jesus". Peter started cursing her out, let her have it, went right back into his old ways. He had been a disciple for a long time, but he still wasn't perfect.
You would think God would say, "Peter, you're a headache, man. You make me work overtime. I'm going to find somebody else". No, as long as your heart is turned toward God, he's going to keep working with you. God does not expect us to be perfect, but he does expect us to keep trying, to keep growing. You have to stay pliable, be willing to change. When you make mistakes, don't stay down on yourself, get back up and go again.
Peter blew it big time, but he repented, asked for forgiveness, and kept moving forward. He had to fight off the guilt, the condemnation, the voices telling him he was a failure, that he was never going to change. He didn't believe those lies. He knew he was on the potter's wheel, and God was making him and molding him, he was in a process of changing. Here's the key, Peter accepted himself even though he had some issues. His performance wasn't perfect, but he kept his heart perfect, turned toward God.
Why don't you stop beating yourself up because you don't perform perfectly all the time, and start accepting yourself because your heart is right? When you live guilty and condemned, feeling wrong on the inside, it only makes you do worse. It takes a mature attitude to say, "I am happy with who I am even though I'm not where I want to be. I still got these issues, I still struggle in some areas, but I know I'm growing. I know I'm improving. My heart is turned toward God, so I'm not going to beat myself up. I'm going to enjoy where I am while I'm in the process of being changed".
But too many people, they go around feeling wrong on the inside. They're so focused on their flaws, their weaknesses, what they're not. They don't like who they are. If you don't like yourself, nobody else is going to like you. You project on others the way you feel about yourself. If you feel guilty, lousy, condemned, mad at yourself because you're not far enough along, that's not only going to hold you back, you're not going to have good relationships.
Quit taking inventory of everything that's wrong with you. You may have a lot wrong, but you have a lot more right with you. When God made you, he wasn't having a bad day. You are not a mistake, you have been fearfully and wonderfully made. In fact, when God created you, he stepped back and said, "That was good". He calls you a masterpiece. Quit living like you're ordinary, mediocre, average, when in fact you're one of a kind. You're a prized possession, you're wearing a crown of favor.
Paul said in Ephesians, "Put on the breastplate of God's approval". Every day, you need to say, "Father, thank you that you approve me. Thank you that you are proud of me". When you put on this approval, chains of inferiority, of low self-esteem, guilt, and condemnation, those chains are broken. There's a freedom when you know you've been approved by God. You're his prized possession. He created you in his own image. Don't go through life being against yourself.
"Well, Joel, God doesn't approve me. I done make a lot of mistakes and I don't do everything right. I'm still struggling with my temper". You're not a finished product. God is still working on you. He doesn't say, "I'll approve you when you perform perfectly. I'll approve you when you get it all together". No, he approves you right where you are. He may not approve all of your behavior, but he approves you. God said you were good before you did one good thing.
You don't have to keep working trying to gain God's approval, you already have it, and you may make mistakes, we all do. You may fail from time to time, but here's the key, that's what you do, that's not who you are. We get our performance mixed up with our identity. You ask someone, "Who are you"? Often they'll say, "I'm a business person. I'm a firefighter. I'm a pastor, I'm a coach, I'm an architect". The truth is that's what you do, that's not who you are. Who you are is a child of the Most High God.
That's where your value, your worth comes from, from your WHO, not your DO. Because you may do things that are not who you are. "Well, Joel, I'm an alcoholic. I got this problem with drinking". That's what you do, that's not who you are. "Well, I failed in business, I guess I'm a failure". Failure is an event, it is not a person. Nothing you can do changes your value. Your who has been set by the Creator.
But the enemy would love for us to go around like we don't deserve God's blessings. He's called the accuser. Constantly whisper in your ear, "You're still struggling with that bad habit? God's never going to bless you, you can't get anything right". Don't believe those lies. Your who never changes, and every morning when you get up, no matter how many mistakes you've made, no matter how many weaknesses you have, you have to put on the breastplate of God's approval. "God, I want to thank you that you approve me. You accept me. You are proud of me".
See, the breastplate covers your heart. It has to do with how you think about yourself. If you think you've made too many mistakes, you don't deserve God's goodness, I'm so disappointed in where I am now, that's going to keep you from your destiny. You have to shake off the disapproval and remind yourself, "I've been approved by the One who matters most". Not approved when you perform perfectly, not approved when you overcome the bad habit, no, you are approved right where you are.
Our son Jonathan, when he was a toddler, he would fall down while he was learning to walk. Sometimes he would throw food from his highchair, and bite his baby sister, color on the walls. It's interesting, none of that changed his name. No matter how many mistakes he made, how many times he failed, he was still an Osteen. Nothing he could do back then, nothing he can do now can change his who. His who has been set. He's been born into our family.
When you gave your life to Christ, you were born into a new family. You were given a new name, child of the Most High God. Now, you may make some mistakes, you may fall down, have weaknesses. The good news is none of that changes your name. Nothing you do can change your who. It has been said by the Creator of the Universe. God said in Jeremiah, "Before you were born, I knew you and I approved you".
Something powerful happens when you have the boldness to say, "God, I know you approve me, so I'm going to approve myself. I am happy with who I am". Voices will scream out on the inside, "You're a hypocrite. You've got issues. You made a mistake last Tuesday, you didn't keep your word". Just answer back, "I'm not approved because I'm perfect. I'm approved because of the family I belong to. My Heavenly Father created the whole universe, and you know what? He's crazy about me. I'm the apple of his eye. I'm his most prized possession, and yes, I may still have some issues, but I'm on the potter's wheel. I'm growing, I'm improving. God is still working on me".
Friends, you can enjoy the glory that you're in while God is preparing you for the next level of glory. I want you to feel good about who you are. When you are positive towards yourself, you are in agreement with God. "Well, Joel, what about the mistake I made last week? What about that failure I made last year"? The moment you repented and asked God to forgive you, he not only forgave you, but he doesn't remember it anymore. Quit remembering what God has forgotten. Quit letting the accuser tell you everything that you're not. Your performance may not have been perfect, but your heart is perfect. That's what matters to God, and I'm not saying to use this as an excuse to live sloppy, mediocre, do whatever you want. I'm talking about not letting guilt and condemnation keep you from your destiny.
Bottom line, God is not keeping a record of all of our mistakes. Sometimes we think God must be up in the heavens sitting as his computer, closely watching, waiting for us to fail. "Uh-oh, I saw that mistake. Let me write it down. I heard that comment. Gabriel, put a star by it, that was a bad one. They missed church last Sunday, let me withhold my blessings this week". No, God is not waiting for you to perform perfectly before he can show you his goodness. He is looking for hearts that are turned perfect toward him.
When you say, "God, I love you. I need you. I can't do this on my own. Help me to make good decisions," when you show your dependency on him like that, you go through the day talking to him under your breath, thanking him for life, and health, and family, and opportunity, you go to bed with a grateful attitude saying, "Lord, thank you for another beautiful day," when your heart is turned toward God, he'll not only give you the grace to overcome things that are holding you back, he'll give you the favor to reach your highest potential.
Years ago, my father went to a high school football game with a good friend of ours. His son played on the defensive side, so normally he never got to touch the ball. But during this game, there was a short punt, and his son caught the ball. This father right up there next to my dad, his eyes got so big, he was so proud. His son took a half a step this way, a half a step that way, and then got clobbered by about 10 guys. I mean, he did not move one inch forward, he was annihilated. My dad was kind of feeling sorry for this father 'cause his son had just got wiped out. About that time, he turned to my father and said, "Hey pastor, did you see those two good moves"?
Only a father can see the two good moves and not the fact that his son just got tackled by most of North America. That's the way our Heavenly Father is. He's not looking at the times you got knocked down, the times you failed, the times you didn't measure up. He's looking at your two good moves. He's focused on the fact that you're still in the game, you got back up again, you're here today, you have a desire to please him. That's what God is looking at.
It's your heart that matters, and when you have the right image of God, you realize that he is for you, that he is not basing his goodness on your perfect performance, then all the guilt, the condemnation, the feelings that something is wrong on the inside, they don't stand a chance. You'll put your shoulders back, hold your head up high knowing that just like the disciples, God handpicked you, not because you were perfect, but because he could see your heart.
Friends, God is pleased with you. He is not disappointed in where you are. He is not shaking his head thinking, "When are they ever going to grow up"? You are right on schedule. He has you on his potter's wheel, he's making you and molding you. Now, do your part, stay positive towards yourself. Keep your heart turned toward God. He's going to show himself strong in your life.
When Jonathan was a little boy, I had this black sports car that I took very good care of. I would wash it by hand once or twice a week, and polish it, make sure that it was perfect. I kept all my towels, and sponges, and polish in a bucket at the front of the garage, and one day, I had just spent 2 hours cleaning the car and I had buffed the paint, it looked like glass. I could see my reflection in it, and I was so proud of it.
A couple of hours later, Jonathan came running in my room very excited. He was 4 years old, he had been in the backyard with Victoria while she worked on another project. He said, "Daddy, daddy, I just washed your car for you". My heart sunk. I thought, "Surely he did not touch that car that I had spotless". He said, "I found your towels and your sponges. Do you want to come see it"?, and I thought, "Not really, I'm already depressed". But I went and looked at it, he'd taken my old dirty towels and gone all over that car.
It looked terrible. But I didn't say anything to him about it. I didn't chew him out and say, "Jonathan, can't you see the car was clean? You made it look worse". I knew his heart was right, so I just got the hose out, cleaned up the mess, didn't say a word to him about it. I wonder how many times God does that with us. We make the mess, but because our heart is right, God causes it to all work out, never says anything about it. We made a wrong turn, we got involved in something we had no business being involved in, but God looked at our heart, didn't hold it against us. He cleaned up the mess.
The scripture says in James, "God will give you wisdom without finding fault". God is not a fault-finder. He doesn't go around accusing, saying, "I told you so. You should've known that was going to happen. You're on your own now". No, God is full of mercy. We deserve judgment, we deserve having to deal with our own problems. But because your heart is right, God will show you favor that you didn't deserve. He'll help you clean up a mess that you made, and on top of that not even condemn you for it.
We see this principle in the scripture. Jesus was at a Pharisee's house about to have dinner. A lady came in by the name of Mary. The scripture says she was a notorious sinner. She spent all of her time in the red light district, that's how she made her money, and she poured this expensive jar of perfume on Jesus' feet and washed them. She dried them with her own hair. The pharisees, the religious leaders, they began to complain. They said, "If this man is really a prophet, he'll know what kind of profession that she's really in. He'll know she doesn't have a good reputation around here at all".
They looked on the outside. They judged her performance. Her performance said she's not valuable, she'll never amount to anything. Her performance was poor, but deep down, this lady had a heart turned toward God. She'd made lots of mistakes, but she took this unusual step to pour this oil on Jesus' feet. The religious leaders were watching closely, what's he going to do? Condemn her, throw her out? Is he a real prophet? Jesus began to tell a parable about how when you've been forgiven much, you will love much. He looked at the lady and said, "Ma'am, your sins are many, but they are forgiven".
Notice the lady made the mess. She spent years making wrong decisions, but when she took one step toward God, he didn't condemn her, he didn't chew her out, he showed her mercy. He cleaned up the mess and never said anything about it, never talked about her past.
That's the God we serve. It's not your performance, it's your heart that matters. Maybe you too have made a mess of things, you're not where you thought you would be in life, and you brought the trouble on yourself. You're thinking, "Oh Joel, God's never going to help me. It's my own fault". But God is not judging you based on what you've done. He is not looking at past mistakes, past failures, he's looking at your heart. The real question today, is your heart turned toward God? If you'll do like this lady, instead of running away from God, run to God and say, "God, I need you in my life. I want to do what's right. God, help me to become who you've created me to be," when you take one step toward God, he'll come running toward you.
The scripture says, "Draw close to God and he'll draw close to you". He won't disappoint you. He'll turn situations around. He'll help you get back on the right path. He'll even clean up a mess that you made. Jesus admonished the religious leaders. They did everything right, but their heart was wrong. This lady, he forgave, showed her mercy even though her actions were wrong.
Friends, it's your heart that matters. If God's goodness was only based on our perfect behavior, none of us would have a chance because we all fall short. We all have flaws and weaknesses, but when your heart is turned perfect toward God, you may make mistakes, you may get off course, but when you make one move to come back, God won't say, "I don't think so. I've seen how you've been living. You don't deserve my goodness". No, because your heart is right, God will show himself strong in your life. That means he'll forgive you when you don't deserve it. He'll show you favor even though you didn't earn it. He'll clean up a mess that you made.
Don't go through life feeling wrong on the inside. You may have made mistakes. Good news, none of that changed your name. You are still a child of the Most High God. He has already approved you, now get up every morning and start approving yourself. Put on that approval, shake off the guilt, the condemnation, keep your heart turned toward God. If you'll do this, I'll believe and declare God is going to show out strong in your life. You are going to see favor, healing, restoration, mercy. Like this lady, he's going to turn the mess around, set you on a new path toward the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name.