Joel Osteen - Don't Fight Back (02/11/2018)
Joel Osteen encourages believers not to fight or become frustrated with uncomfortable situations, delays, or difficulties, explaining that God allows them for a divine purpose to develop character and prepare us for greater things, as seen in the Israelites' long route, David’s trials with Saul, and personal stories, concluding that embracing where we are with trust and peace positions us for promotion and the fullness of our destiny.
Facing Uncomfortable Situations
I want to talk to you today about «Don’t fight it.» We all face situations that we do not like. Somebody is not treating us right; business is not going as fast as we had hoped; we are single and still have not met anyone. It is easy to live uptight—all wrought up on the inside. We do not understand why it is taking so long, why this person has not changed, why our prayers have not been answered.
We end up frustrated, fighting against everything that we do not like. But here is the key: Just because it is uncomfortable does not mean it is not where we are supposed to be. God uses difficulties to do a work in us. We grow in the tough times. That is when our character is being developed. God will not allow a difficulty unless He has a divine purpose for it.
If we are going to reach our highest potential, we have to make up our mind: «I am not going to live frustrated because I am uncomfortable. I am not going to be upset because things are not happening on my timetable. I am not going to fight against everything that I do not like.»
Our attitude should be, «God, I trust You. You are in complete control. I may not like this situation, but You would not have me here unless I needed it, so I am going to keep a good attitude and be my best right where I am.» That is how you position yourself for promotion.
The Israelites' Long Route
In the scripture, it says that God did not lead the Israelites the shortest route to the Promised Land. He took them the long way on purpose because they were not prepared for war. God knew if He would have taken them in too quickly, they would have been easily defeated. Their enemies were much bigger, much more experienced.
I am sure they prayed many times, «God, we are uncomfortable out here in the desert. We are hot; we are tired. Let us go in sooner.» But God did not answer that prayer—not because God was trying to make their life miserable, but God knew what was up in front of them. He had to toughen them up and get them prepared so they could step into the fullness.
In the same way, God has already laid out the plan for your life. He knows exactly what you need, when you need it, who you need. He knows the battles you are going to face, the dreams you are going to accomplish. He has got it all figured out.
That is why we cannot pray away every uncomfortable situation. «God, this person at work—they are getting on my nerves. You have got to get him out of my life.» No, God will use that person, like sandpaper, to rub the rough edges off of you. Even if you were to pray them away, God would send you two more people just like them.
I have learned this: God is more interested in changing us than He is in changing our circumstances. God loves you too much to let you stay where you are. It may be uncomfortable, but you have to remind yourself, «This is not working against me; this is working for me. It is getting me in position for the amazing future God has in store.»
God’s Preparation Through Trials
The truth is, some of the things you may be praying about—if God were to remove them right now, you would not be prepared for where God is taking you. You have got to let God do the work in you. In other words, be kind to the people that are not treating you right. Keep being your best even though you are not getting the credit. Pass those tests.
Paul prayed in Colossians 3 that the people would have the strength to endure whatever came their way. He did not pray that God would deliver them instantly, remove the difficulty. He prayed that they would have the strength to go through it with a good attitude. Paul understood this principle—that God uses the tough times to get us prepared for the next level.
Think about David. He was chosen to be king, anointed by God to be the next leader of Israel. Surely God would answer all of his prayers. Surely God would make his life comfortable. No, David had to go through this same process.
For many years, King Saul made David’s life miserable. David had done Saul nothing but good. He would play music when Saul was not feeling well, treated him with respect. But in return, Saul tried to kill David, chased him through the mountainside.
I can hear David praying, «God, You have got to get this man out of my life. God, You know I have not done anything wrong.» Is it not interesting—God did not remove Saul? He did not answer that prayer. Here David was doing the right thing; it was an unfair situation, but God knew what He was doing. He was getting David prepared.
The longer you do the right thing when the wrong thing is happening, the longer you keep a good attitude in an unfair situation, the higher God is going to take you. Do not be discouraged by it.
Passing the Tests
«Joel, I have been doing the right thing in this marriage for years. I am not seeing any results.» «I have been volunteering in the nursery for a long time. Nobody ever says 'thank you.'» «I go to work, do more than I have to. I am not being promoted.» You are right where David was.
Keep being faithful; keep doing the right thing. God is getting you prepared for something amazing. Your future is so big; God has to get your spiritual muscles, your character, your maturity to match the level that God is about to thrust you to.
Now, do not fight it; just keep being your best. God is closely watching you. He sees every time you make a sacrifice, every time you overlook a wrong, every time you take the high road, every time you help someone in need. That does not go unnoticed. God is keeping the records.
He is saying, «Payday is coming. The breakthrough is coming. The reward is coming. The new level is coming.» Just like David, you are going to take your throne and become everything God has created you to be.
But we naturally all like things easier. We would love for God to remove the difficult people, eliminate the hardships, answer our prayers the first time we prayed, but that is not always what is best. Have a new perspective. Those difficulties are not happening to you; they are happening for you.
The people that are hard to get along with—if you will have the right attitude, take the high road, be kind, ignore their negative comments—they are not holding you down; they are polishing you; they are refining you; they are making you shine.
Do not be upset—you could not go where God wants you to go without them. They are doing you a favor. Without that sandpaper, you would stay rough. The next time you see them, instead of thinking, «Oh man, I do not feel like dealing with them,» no, just smile and say, «Thank You, Lord. I am going to be polished a little bit more today. I am going to shine a little bit brighter.»
Could it be that you are fighting what God wants to use? You are spending all your time trying to pray away the difficulty when you should be spending your time honoring God in the midst of the difficulty?
Embracing Where You Are
Instead of fighting where you are, try a different approach. Embrace where you are. It may not be where you want to stay. I am not saying to settle there and accept mediocrity. I am saying to accept where you are, knowing that the Creator of the universe has you in the palm of His hand.
He is directing your steps. Nothing that has happened to you is a surprise to Him, and at the right time, God will change it. In your due season, when you are ready, when it is best for you, God will remove the difficulty and take you to a new level.
But in the meantime, one way we can show God we are trusting Him is by enjoying our life while God is changing the circumstances. Maybe all your friends are married; you are still single—"That is all right. This is where God has me right now. I am at peace. I am happy. I know the right person is already on their way.»
That is how you pass the test. Not every other minute, «God, I am begging You; please send me a man. God, I have been waiting for this.» No, «God, I trust You.»
Maybe you are in an apartment, believing for a nicer place to live. Not, «God, I am so sick and tired of this place,» and «God, Joel said things have shifted, and I have not seen one shift in my life.» No, «God, I trust You. This is where You have me right now. I am content. But God, I know in my future You are going to open the windows of heaven, pour out blessings that I cannot contain. Lord, I want to thank You in advance that it is on the way.»
That is how you see promises come to pass.
The Compaq Center Battle
When we were trying to acquire this facility, the former Compaq Center, it was a three-and-a-half-year battle. The Houston city council voted for us to have the building, but then a large company filed a lawsuit to try to keep us from moving in.
At times it looked impossible. All the odds were against us. Even if we were to win the lawsuit, it could have been tied up for ten years in the court system. I had already told the congregation that it was ours; we were going to renovate it and move in.
Many times I woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, with a voice saying, «What if it does not work out? What if you do not win the lawsuit? You have already put the vision out, Joel. People have given funds. It is going to be a big mess.»
I was tempted to worry, be stressed, beg God, «God, You have got to please make this happen.» No, I did what I am asking you to do: «God, it is all in Your hands. I believe, God, You have promised us this building. But while I am waiting, I am not going to worry. I am not going to live frustrated. I am not going to play out all the what-ifs. God, I trust You. I know You have the final say.»
Instead of fighting it, begging God, I embraced where I was. We are in a lawsuit; it is out of my control. I have done my best; now I am going to stay in faith and trust God to do the rest.
Three and a half years later, God gave us this beautiful facility. Here we are today. But think about this: God could have answered our prayers the first week we prayed just as easily as He did three and a half years later.
He is God; it would have been no big deal. He would not have even had to get up off the throne. He could have just spoken it, and it would have happened. Why did He not do it? One reason, I believe, is God was doing a work in me.
During those three and a half years, I learned to trust God like I had never trusted Him before. Some things you can only learn in the struggle. You cannot learn them in the good times when it is easy, everything is going your way. That does not take any faith.
You can only learn, like David, when you are in the wilderness and you are not being treated right. Do not be frustrated because it is not happening your way, on your timetable. God knows what He is doing. He is getting you prepared.
And here is the key: Your destiny is bigger than you think. You are going to go further than you can imagine. God can see the new levels in front of you. He knows what is up there. Now keep passing those tests.
Stay in faith even when it is difficult. Keep doing the right thing even when the wrong thing is happening. Do not fight it, begging God every other minute, «Please God, You have got to change it.» That is just going to frustrate you.
Learn to embrace where you are. It is okay to be honest and say, «God, I do not like where I am. I am uncomfortable; it is taking longer than I thought. But God, I trust You. I know this is not happening to me; it is happening for me. It is all a part of Your divine plan.»
When you learn to embrace where you are, it is a freeing way to live. It takes all the pressure off. Hebrews 4:3 says, «Those who have believed enter into rest.» The way to know that you are really in faith is you are at rest. There is a peace.
You may have a problem, believing for a situation to turn around; it is taking a long time. You could easily be discouraged. No, the key is to stay in that place of rest where you know God is in complete control. You are not moved by what you see. You are not worried because it is taking a long time. You are not disappointed because you went through a setback.
Every day you stay in peace, you are one day closer to seeing that situation turn around.
Trusting God’s Better Plan
«Well,» you say, «Joel, I just do not understand why God does not answer my prayers. I am going to church; I am faithful; I help others.» Think about this—maybe what you are praying about is too small. Maybe God has something much better, and He loves you so much that He will not answer that prayer.
But until you enter into this rest and quit being sour, thinking that God is letting you down, it will keep the new thing from happening. Now, a prayer that we should all pray on a regular basis is, «God, not my will, but let Your will be done.»
It is okay to say, «God, this is what I am believing for. God, this is what I want. This is what I am dreaming about. But God, if You have something better, I trust You. You know what is best for me.» If you are only going to be happy if God does it your way, then you are not really trusting.
We can only see a little bit down the road. God can see the big picture. He can see around every curve. He knows where the dead ends are, where the shortcuts are. God knows how to get you to your destination. Why do you not take your hands off the wheel, so to speak, and let God take you where He wants you to go?
In 2001, an executive flew to Houston for an important job interview. It was at a top company, one of the largest in the nation, headquartered right here in Houston. In the natural, it was a golden opportunity—looked like a huge boost for his career.
He was ready to give up his position of nearly 30 years and move his family here to town. He flew in a day early, came to the service, and asked us to pray over the interview. We prayed that God would give him wisdom and favor and cause him to stand out.
He called back the next day so excited—everything had gone great; it looked very promising. Three weeks later, he was invited back for a second interview. Once again, he flew in a day early. We prayed; he went to the interview.
A few hours later they called him back in and said, «We really like you. You are very talented, but we are sorry; you are not going to fit with our organization.» You would have thought that his world had just ended. He was so set on having that position; he felt like God had totally let him down.
I told him what I am telling you—you have got to trust God even when you do not get the answer that you were looking for. You have got to believe that God is in control; He is directing your steps, keeping you on the best plan for your life.
He went back home to his city very, very disappointed. Six months later, the company he was trying to get a position with filed for bankruptcy. It was a big scandal, all over the national news. The company ended up totally folding.
Here is how good God is: He was two years away from his retirement. If he had gotten hired by that company, he would not only not have a job, but he would have lost nearly 30 years of his retirement benefits. Friends, God knows what He is doing.
Quit fighting against what does not go your way. Quit being disappointed because your plans did not work out. You may not understand it now, but one day you will thank God for those closed doors. God’s ways are better than our ways. Do not try to figure it all out.
Thanking God for Closed Doors
«Well, Joel, why did I not get the promotion? I had the seniority; I work the hardest.» Listen—just as God supernaturally opens doors, God will supernaturally close doors. We all thank God for the open doors, and that is good; we should celebrate that.
But I have learned to thank God just as much for my closed doors. What I used to see as a disappointment, now I see as the hand of God. I realized if God closed it, He has something better in store. Why do you not trust Him? Why do you not enter into that rest? «God, You know what is best for me. I do not have to have my way to be happy. I know Your plans are better than my plans.»
A few years back, a young lady came to the altar for prayer, and she was very distraught because her boyfriend had just broken up with her. She was certain he was the man of her dreams and she could not live without him.
We prayed and asked God to restore that relationship. For the next six months, almost every week, she would come back for prayer, and we prayed again and again. I tried to tell her to stay open, trust God to do it His way—He knows what is best for you.
She did not want to hear any of that. She only wanted God to do it her way. But God is so merciful. He loves us so much. If it is not the right thing, God will keep the door closed even though we are trying to pry it open.
We see it as a big disappointment: «God, I cannot believe You let me down. You did not answer my prayer.» The truth is, God was doing us a favor. He was saving us from heartache and pain.
Now, I did not see her for a long time. About five years later, I ran into her in the lobby after the service. She was very happy. She had a handsome young man by her side, a newborn baby—come to find out they were married a couple of years earlier. She was so excited.
I congratulated them, prayed over the little baby. At one point, her husband stepped away. She whispered, «Joel, you remember the young man I used to have you pray about all the time?» I thought, «Yeah, the one you could not live without?»
She told how he has been married and divorced twice already; he is constantly in and out of trouble; he cannot hold down a good job. I will never forget what she said: «I thank God every day that He did not answer those prayers.»
But I wonder how many things are we upset over, wondering why God did not answer that prayer, why the situation did not change, why the door closed? Yet if God were to pull back the curtain and let us see into the future what He can see, we would realize God knows exactly what He is doing. God has our best interest at heart.
Divine Delays and Trust
That promotion you did not get—you were so disappointed—it is because God had something better. That door that closed—we could not understand it. It seemed like a perfect fit for us. But seeing the big picture, we realized that road was a dead end. It was leading to nowhere.
That traffic jam you got caught in—you were so stressed out. It was saving you from an accident. That person that walked out on you—it is very painful. But if they had not left, you would not meet the right person God has in your future.
I am asking you to quit fighting against everything you do not like. It is not happening to you; it is happening for you. When you are at rest, you are passing the test.
A friend of mine went up to the mall recently to return an item. She had her little newborn baby in the back seat. When she pulled into the parking lot, she noticed this lady was about to pull out, and she waited there—and waited, and waited, and waited. The lady was taking forever.
The longer she waited, the more frustrated she became. She thought, «Come on, lady. I know you can see me. What could be taking you so long?» After several minutes, she got aggravated and just drove off—went and parked at the very end of the lot.
She got out, got her little baby, and headed to the store. When she got to the front of the store, she realized she had forgotten the item that she wanted to take back. She was already frustrated. She thought, «This is just not my day. Nothing is going my way.»
She walked all the way back to her car—a long way—with her baby, got the item she needed, turned back, and started walking back toward the store. When she got about halfway there, this car came around in a big rush, rolled down the window, and said, «Hey, do not go in the store. There is a deranged man in there with a gun, taking people hostage.»
In less than a minute, there were a dozen police cars, SWAT team, helicopter surrounding that place, trying to get the people out safely. Without that delay, she could have been in there with her newborn baby, trapped with that deranged man.
What am I saying? Do not fight your delays. Do not fight the inconveniences; do not fight when you get caught by that train. You may not understand it, but God knows what He is doing. He can see the big picture. Dare to trust Him.
Proverbs 20 says, «Since the Lord is directing our steps, why do we try to figure out everything that happens along the way?» You may never know why you had a delay, a disappointment, a setback. But when you really believe that the Creator of the universe has you in the palm of His hand, then you can stay in peace even when you do not understand it. That is what faith is all about.
I know a gentleman that does missionary work in Africa. He was supposed to catch an early morning flight the next day to come back home. The person taking him had car trouble, and he ended up missing that flight.
He was very upset because it was going to take him another week to get home from that small city. He went back to the hotel. A little later that afternoon he flipped on the news—the plane he was supposed to be on had crashed into the mountainside.
Some of the very things that we fight against, the things that frustrate us, God has ordained them to keep us from accident and harm. They are called «divine delays"—your plans are interrupted on purpose.
Since the Lord is directing our steps, do not fight it. It is not always going to make sense.
I turned fifty years old in March of this year, and I was reflecting back over my life, just thinking about what would I have done differently, what could I have done better. I have no big regrets; I have lived a happy, blessed life.
But one adjustment I would have made is I would have trusted God more. I would not have worried about things that I could not change. I would not have been stressed out when my plans did not work out. I would not have stayed awake at night wondering how we are going to raise the funds and what am I going to speak on next week. I would have entered into this place of rest.
Some of you are always fighting—worried, uptight, do not like where you are, do not like the job, do not like the people. Why do you not try a different approach? This will save you a lot of frustration.
Embrace where you are. Even when it is uncomfortable, even when you do not like it—stay in peace. Keep a good attitude. When you do that, God is using it to your advantage. You are growing; you are developing character. It is positioning you for the amazing future God has in store.
If you will enter into this rest and not fight against everything, you will not only enjoy your life more, but I believe and declare, just like David, you are going to step into the fullness of your destiny.
God is going to take you further than you have imagined, opening doors that no man can shut. You are going to overcome every obstacle, accomplish every dream, and become everything that God has created you to be. In Jesus' name.
If you receive it, can you say amen today?