Joel Osteen - You Have a Defender (03/30/2017)
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Drawing from stories of Jesus, Mordecai, David, and Nehemiah, this message encourages us not to waste energy defending ourselves against critics and detractors but to trust God as our Defender—who protects our reputation, fights our battles, and vindicates us far better than we ever could.
Don’t Fight Unnecessary Battles
I want to talk to you today about «You Have a Defender». We all have people that come against us, make negative comments, trying to discredit us or belittle us. Human nature is to get in there and try to straighten them out, prove to them how they are wrong. We think we have to defend ourselves. After all, that is our reputation.
But the problem with this approach is, as soon as you get one person straightened out, three more will pop up. There will always be somebody that is against you, somebody that is trying to make you look bad. And if you are constantly trying to defend yourself, you will get distracted fighting battles that you were never supposed to fight.
It is easy to get baited into conflict, thinking, «Did you see what they said about me on social media? I am going to show them who they are messing with.» Do you know how much energy it takes to try to pay somebody back, to try to prove to them that you really are a nice person? You are spending emotional energy that you need for your dreams, for your goals.
God Is Your Defender
Here is the key: you do not have to defend yourself. God said He will defend you. He will protect your reputation. Quit worrying about the chatter, the negative comments—those are all distractions. That is the enemy trying to bait you off course so you waste your time and energy involved in battles that do not matter.
«Well, Joel, I am upset because I am a good person. What they are saying about me is not true.» It does not matter how good you are, how loving, kind, upstanding—somebody is not going to like you. Somebody is going to try to discredit you.
It happened with Jesus. When He was on this earth, He went around healing the sick, lifting the fallen, encouraging those that were down. He did nothing but good, but He was falsely accused; He was misunderstood. How did He defend Himself? How did He protect His reputation?
Jesus Left It to God
It says in 1 Peter: even though He had never sinned or done any wrong, He did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God.
I wonder how much more peace you would have, how much more you would enjoy your life if you would start leaving your cases in the hands of God. We spend too much time trying to defend ourselves, trying to prove to people who we are, worried about what they think. Why do you not put your reputation in God’s hands?
I can assure you, God can vindicate you better than you can vindicate yourself. You do not have to retaliate. You do not have to try to pay people back, convince them to change their mind. The truth is, some people are never going to be for you. No matter what you do, they are not going to like you. They are intent on misunderstanding you. They do not want to see your point of view. They do not want to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Leave It in God’s Hands
Now, do not go the next five years frustrated because they are negative toward you, engaged in a battle that you are not supposed to be engaged in. It is time to leave that case in the hands of God. Quit worrying about what they think. Quit reading what they say about you on social media. Quit getting all riled up thinking about how you can retaliate, how you can pay them back.
Well, as long as you are defending yourself, then the true Defender, the Most High God, will step back. He will let you do it your way. But when we make this decision—"God, I am turning this over to You. I am not going to spend my life worried about what somebody is saying, wasting my energy trying to change their mind, upset because they do not like me. God, I know You are my Defender. I know You are fighting my battles"—that is when the Creator of the universe will go to work.
When people try to push you down, God will lift you up. When they try to make you look bad, He will turn it around and cause you to look good; He will cause you to shine.
Mordecai’s Vindication
This is what happened in the scripture to Mordecai. He was a good man, doing the right thing, honoring God, but a man named Haman did not like him. Mordecai was a Jew. He would not bow down to Haman and follow the traditions of his people. So Haman was constantly trying to discredit Mordecai, push him down, make him look bad.
Mordecai did not get upset. He did not try to pay him back. He understood this principle that he had a Defender. He left that case in the hands of God.
In the natural, Haman had an advantage. He worked for the king in the palace, had a prestigious, influential position. What could Mordecai ever do? But one night this king could not sleep. He asked his assistant to bring him one of the books that had the city’s history recorded in it.
It just so happened the king read about a good deed that Mordecai had done. The king was so impressed. The next morning he called Haman in, said, «Haman, what do you think we should do to honor a man that has done a good deed and served the king with excellence?»
God Protects Your Reputation
Why, Haman was so self-centered he thought the king was talking about himself, so he played it up big. He said, «King, I think we should put a royal robe on this man, have a big parade, march him up and down the streets announcing what a great man he is.» The king said, «Haman, I love that idea. Now go find Mordecai and do just what you said. You march him up and down the streets and you announce how great he is.»
What am I saying? God knows how to protect your reputation. Why do you not put that case in His hands? Quit spending all your time trying to defend yourself. You have a Defender. God can do it better than you. He knows how to bring justice. He knows how to vindicate you.
This is what Jesus did. He was disrespected; they called Him a fraud, a cheat, an imposter. But the scripture says He made Himself of no reputation. That means He did not worry about His reputation. He knew He would be misunderstood. He knew people would be negative, critical, finding fault.
Run Your Race
He did not waste His time trying to prove to His critics that He was the Son of God. He did not go around upset because religious leaders did not believe in Him. He just kept running His race, being His best, trusting His Father to settle His cases.
If you are consumed with what other people think—"Why will they not respect me? I have got to convince them to believe in me"—then you will get distracted and miss your destiny. Why do you not let your Defender go to work? God said He will fight your battles. He will take care of your critics.
God will deal with those coworkers that are spreading rumors about you. He will take care of that friend that is trying to make you look bad. God knows how to settle your case.
David put it this way in Psalm 69: «Those who hate me without a cause are too many to count. They attack me with lies; they make fun of me. I am the favorite town gossip.»
People Dislike Without Cause
It is the same way today. People can dislike you without a cause. They do not even know you. They just pass you by at the office. They have never been to lunch with you, never heard your story. It would be one thing if they knew you and did not like you, but they judge you from a distance.
They do not like you because you are happy, because you are successful, because you are talented, because you are a different nationality. Like with David, they will attack you behind your back, trying to belittle, discredit you.
These are tests that we all must pass. Are you going to get offended and try to straighten them out? Are you going to take that bait and get involved in a battle that you are not supposed to fight? Stay on the high road. They do not control your destiny. They are a distraction trying to lure you off course, to get involved in something that is not between you and your destiny.
One of the best things we can learn to do is ignore it. Do not pay it any attention. That is how you leave it in the hands of God.
David Kept Praying
And this is what David did. He went on to say, «They hate me, they attack me, they make fun of me, but I keep right on praying to You.» He was saying, «I do not give it the time of day. I just keep on praising.»
«Well, Joel, what they are saying is not true. What if they tarnish my reputation?» I am asking you to put your reputation in God’s hands. He said that He would protect it.
The more successful you are, the higher you go, the more people will come against you. Like with David, they will talk about you without a cause. Everybody loved you until you got that promotion, till you moved into that new house, till you married that beautiful girl. Now the critics have come out of the woodwork.
You have to let your Defender go to work. You have to be still and know that He is God.
God Will Be Your Lawyer
It is easy to get all stirred up, thinking about how you can pay them back, what the best strategy is to get even. Can I tell you what it is? Be still. Leave that case in God’s hands.
God said in Jeremiah, «I will defend you. I will be your lawyer. I will take on your case.»
Years ago Victoria and I were in a legal situation. Somebody accused us of something we did not do. We knew that we were in the right, but they filed a lawsuit, and we had to go to court. We hired the best attorney we could possibly find. We did not want somebody average, middle of the pack. We wanted somebody to represent us that was exceptional, that had a great track record, a lot of experience, very skilled.
We found a man that was just that. We went to court. Victoria and I did not have to get up and argue our case, try to prove to the other side we were right, convince them of our innocence. We just sat back and let our attorney do all the work.
The Best Defender
He argued for us. He objected when he heard something he did not like. He rebutted the other testimony. He was our defender. We had done our part, given our deposition. Now it was in his hands. It was our case, but it was his battle. We did not have to fight. Our job was to be still. While he defended us, we rested; we stayed in peace.
In a few days it was all over, ruled in our favor. Here is what I am saying: you have a Defender—not somebody that is average, not somebody that is mediocre. The Most High God is representing you. He said, «I will be your lawyer. I will plead your case. I will take on those battles.»
Now I had a great attorney here in the city. But can you imagine having the Creator of the universe defending you? You do not have to try to prove to people who you are, worry night and day about your reputation. You can stay in peace; you can relax, knowing that it is not your battle. It is your case, but the battle belongs to the Lord, the battle belongs to your Defender.
Can I tell you, He has never lost a case. Instead of living worried, stressed out, why do you not sit back and let your Defender do His job.
God Hears the Gossip
Numbers chapter 12: Moses’s sister and brother started speaking against Moses. Miriam and Aaron—they did not like the wife that Moses had chosen. He married somebody from a different nationality. I can hear them telling people, «Why did he marry her? That was not right. He should have known better.» On and on, stirring up trouble, trying to make Moses look bad.
Verse 2 says, «The Lord heard what they were saying.» When people are talking about you, do not worry—God hears it. You may not even know it is happening, but God knows it is happening. He is your Defender.
It goes on to say, «The anger of the Lord blazed against Miriam and Aaron.» Why was God so mad? Had they killed someone, lied, cheated, committed adultery? No, it was because they had spoken against the reputation of one of His children.
Instantly Miriam’s skin was white with leprosy. God takes it seriously when somebody tries to discredit you, belittle you. You do not have to get upset. God sees what is happening. He does not sit idly by and think, «Oh, too bad. They are just ruining their reputation.» No, God goes to work. He knows how to get people’s attention.
A Table Before Enemies
And sometimes He will cause them to be quiet, change their mind. Other times He will let them keep talking and just keep promoting you. The more they talk, the higher you will go. They think they are hurting you. The truth is they are helping you. God is paying you back for what they are saying by taking you to new levels.
It is what the scripture says: «God will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.» The very ones that try to disrespect you, hold you down—they will see you in a position of honor, promoted, respected, with greater influence. That is your Defender at work.
I talked to a gentleman here in the lobby a while back, and he was very upset because his boss was against him, was always trying to hold him down. I told this man what I am telling you—that God is your Defender. People cannot keep you from your destiny.
Do not live frustrated trying to straighten your boss out. Just keep being your best. You are not working unto people; you are working unto God. Leave that case in His hands.
The Boss Becomes the Employee
This man went back to the office with a new attitude. On several occasions he should have been promoted, but because of this unfair boss, he got passed over. One day the CEO of the whole company was in town. This man had to make a presentation. The CEO was very impressed with his work.
About a year later a position came available that should have gone to his boss, but the CEO bypassed the boss and offered the position to this man. Now instead of having to work for this boss that is hard to get along with, unfair—the tables had turned; the boss is working for him.
God knows how to settle your case. He knows how to protect your reputation. It says in Psalms, «Touch not My anointed.» You are His anointed.
You may be in a situation where there is disrespect, people pushing you down, trying to hold you back, and it has been that way a long time. You do not think it is ever going to change. Get ready—your time is coming.
Vindication Is Coming
God has heard every negative word spoken against you. He has seen every person that has tried to hold you back. Like with this man, vindication is on the way. Promotion is coming. New levels are coming. God is going to make things happen that you could never make happen. He is preparing that table right now in the presence of your enemies. He is going to settle that case.
Now quit living frustrated trying to win somebody over that is never going to be for you. Your goal should not be to try to change somebody’s mind, convince them to like you. Take this in the right sense—some people are sent to dislike you.
Judas was sent to betray Jesus. If Saul had not disliked David, David would have never taken the throne. Everybody is not supposed to be for you. You may be trying to win somebody over that is never going to be won over. Let God be your Defender. You do not have to try to pay them back, get even.
Like with Moses, God will take care of your critics. You are not the judge. You do not have to straighten people out. Just run your race with purpose, with integrity, with joy, and let the negative bounce off of you.
Critics Are Distractions
Sometimes we think, «Ah, Joel, if I can just get this person to stop talking about me, then I could be happy again, then I could enjoy my life again.» I do not mean to be negative, but somebody is always going to be talking about you. Somebody is always going to be jealous, trying to discredit you.
The good news is that is not your battle. You do not have to defend yourself—you have a Defender. How much freer could you live if you would start leaving those cases in the hands of God? Not fighting battles that you are not supposed to fight, not worried about your reputation all the time—instead trusting God to protect your reputation.
I can tell you this firsthand because being in the public eye, you have a lot of critics. The more influence you have, the more exposure, the more of the negative that comes as well. But the truth is I never think about the critics. I am happy; I enjoy my life; I am grateful to be alive.
See, I have learned this principle—that I have a Defender. As long as you are honoring God, being your best—no person can stop you, no group, no organization. Promotion does not come from people; it comes from the Lord.
Jesus Ignored Critics
It is interesting—when Jesus was here, the people who were the most against Him were the religious people. But Jesus did not try to convince them, to change their minds. He did not spend hours arguing doctrine. He ignored His critics and just ran His race.
One time they criticized Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath. He did the right thing, but they said He did it on the wrong day.
Some people, no matter what you do, are not going to be for you. You have to accept the fact that not everyone is going to accept you, not everyone is going to like you or understand you. If you are going to reach your highest potential, you have to be comfortable being controversial.
If you want everybody to like you, you will get stuck. Jesus was the most controversial person that has ever lived. Two thousand years later people are still arguing about Him. He had more critics than anyone, but the scripture says He answered His critics not a word. He did not waste His time trying to convince people who He was.
Don’t Waste Energy on Critics
How much time are you spending worried about what they are saying, upset because of what they wrote about you on social media, trying to pay that friend back for making you look bad? You do not have time for all that pettiness. It is a distraction; it is not between you and your destiny.
Let it go in one ear and out the other, and use that energy to move toward your God-given dreams. You do not have enough energy to answer your critics and fulfill your purpose at the same time.
Whatever you are spending trying to pay people back, trying to prove to them you really are a nice person—that is emotional energy you are not going to have for the fullness of your destiny.
Nehemiah Stayed Focused
Nehemiah understood this principle in the scripture. He was up on a hill rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. There were two people at the bottom of the mountain—Sanballat and Tobiah. They did not want the wall rebuilt, so they were constantly yelling insults at Nehemiah, trying to bait him into conflict, making fun of him, saying things like, «Nehemiah, if a little fox walked on that wall, it would fall down. You do not know what you are doing. You are not a builder.»
Day and night they kept pestering him. I am sure Nehemiah was tempted to go down there and give them a piece of his mind, but he was smart enough to realize they were a distraction. What they said did not affect his destiny. Their critical words did not make the wall any weaker. They were trying to deceive him into losing focus so he would get involved in something that was not important.
The truth is we all have Sanballats and Tobiahs. Most of the people that come against us are simply distractions. The negative comments, the disrespect, the insult—those are bait trying to lure us off course.
The good fight of faith is not to try to straighten them out. The real fight is to keep your focus, not get distracted, and entangled in things that do not matter.
Stay on the High Road
If Nehemiah would have come down off the wall with all of his men, spent a few days dealing with Sanballat and Tobiah and all their people, he may have won the battle, but the wall would not have been any further along.
You have to ask yourself: if I engage in this conflict, if I prove my point, if I win them over—am I going to be any further toward my destiny, or have I just fed my ego? Have I just made my flesh feel good?
Stay on the high road. Your time is too valuable, your destiny too important, your assignment too great to get involved in battles that do not matter.
There will always be Sanballats yelling insults, always be Tobiahs trying to get under your skin, agitate you. Do not worry—you have a Defender. «Be still and know that He is God.» Let Him fight those battles. God will take care of your critics.
Declaration of Vindication
It is interesting—when Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall, he was up on the mountain; the critics were down at the bottom. The principle is: anytime you start answering your critics, you have to go down. When you start defending yourself, trying to prove to people who you are—you are leaving the high place and going down to their level.
When you realize you have a Defender, when you know God will fight your battles, then you will do like Jesus and not answer your critics. You will do like Nehemiah and stay on the mountain so you can focus on what is really important.
Maybe today you need to go back up on that mountain. The critics will always be there—people that do not understand you, people that are never going to be for you. I am asking you to let God be your Defender. Put your reputation in His hands.
God has already lined up the right people who will be for you, the right people who will celebrate you and help push you into your purpose.
Here is the whole key: do not waste your time trying to convince the wrong people. Just run your race, keep honoring God, being your best. If you will do this, I believe and declare God is about to settle your cases. Right now He is preparing that table in the presence of your enemies. He is going to vindicate you, promote you, and take you into the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name.