Joyce Meyer - Stop Being Mad at Yourself - Part 2

Now, I had a real problem with guilt. I mean, I was addicted to guilt, because I started feeling guilty in my childhood from the abuse. The devil had me convinced something was wrong with me or my father wouldn’t want to do that to me. And then I knew because it all had to be a secret that it must be some terrible thing. And I started feeling guilty then, and then I just carried that on into my life and into my walk with God. And I honestly felt guilty about something all the time. Matter of fact, I had such a bad case that I didn’t feel right if I didn’t feel wrong. And you cannot enjoy your life or your relationship with God or yourself or anybody else if you’re gonna carry around that sack of guilt all the time.

«There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus». And that is pertaining to sin because Paul was talking about in Romans 7, the thing I wanna do, I can’t do, and the thing I don’t wanna do, I’m always doing. What is my problem? Then he ends up that chapter by saying, «O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death»? Oh! He will! Thank God. «There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus». You see, God sees your heart, and if you want to be set free from something, I mean, you really want to do the right thing, God sees that and he looks at that and he’ll help you change. How many of you have tried to change yourself? Has it worked for anybody?

Sometimes I would try to change myself in some area, and I’d end up acting worse than I did before I tried to change. I don’t even know how to express to you how wonderful it was when I finally got this thing about guilt, that I did not have to feel guilty. Once I had repented, I could walk away from it. I didn’t have to feel bad for half a day, or a quarter of a day, and it just didn’t feel right. I mean, it felt like if I did something wrong, surely I needed to feel bad for a while. Not anymore! I mean, I could walk right off from it. Either Jesus did a good job, or he didn’t and he needs my help. And we know he doesn’t need our help. And he doesn’t do anything halfway. If he did it, he did it all the way.

Philippians 3:12–15, «Not that I have already obtained all this,» and he’s talking about reaching the place of perfection. «Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on…» You know, part of what that means is I just refuse to give up. I just am not going to give up. I wish things came faster sometimes, but if they don’t, I’m just not going to give up. «The righteous man falls down seven times and gets up again». Gets up again, gets up again. I read the other day that a toddler, when they’re learning how to walk, falls down a hundred times every so many hours. And they just get back up. I was watching my great- grandson the other day, and he’s learned how to walk in the last few months. And he fell I don’t know how many times, and he’d just get back up and keep on going.

When they first fall, they cry. But then after a while, they don’t even cry when they fall. They just get back up and keep going. And it’s kind of the same way we are. They don’t give up. I’ve got a sign in my house, «Never, never, never, never, never give up». I’ll tell you what, if you won’t give up, there’s not anything the devil can do. «Not that I’ve already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me». And he took hold of us so we could be completely restored and redeemed and have a life of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost and have purpose. We were talking during the break, and they said the three top things that we get prayer requests for in the office are: #1 healing, #2 marriage, and #3 people wanting to know their purpose. I found that very interesting.

Dick van Dyke in his 90s said, «If you want to be happy, there’s two things you have to have. You have to have somebody to love, and you have to have a purpose». Think about that. You have to have…Didn’t even say somebody to love you. You have to have somebody to love, and you have to have a purpose. We all need a purpose. What’s the point in even getting out of bed if you don’t have a purpose? That’s one of the reasons why I don’t see any point in retiring, because we’ve gotta have a purpose, you know. And things are changing for me. I had to stop flying overseas a few years ago, because the jet lag was just too hard on me. You know, if you know how to watch God’s grace and what it’s on and what it’s not on, you can tell when God’s grace is lifting off you.

For years and years, I had so much favor in foreign countries, it was ridiculous. I mean, I could just go anywhere and they’d let me in and welcome me. We’d have hundreds of thousands of people come out to crusades, and it was marvelous. And then I got blacklisted in India, they wouldn’t let me in anymore. And then we’d plan a crusade somewhere, and the permits would get pulled at the last minute. I did one meeting in Cambodia and all the people were inside the building. The worship leaders were inside the building. Somebody managed to turn the power off. Somebody didn’t want us to have the meeting. I hadn’t gotten in yet, and there was a power gate.

So since there was no power, I couldn’t get through the gate. And I said, there’s got to be a way I can get in this building. And my team said, «Well, if you wanna come around to the back, there’s a big trash dumpster out there. And we can put you up on that, and then lift you over the fence to the other side». I said, «Let’s go». And I jumped over that fence. And the worship team, delirious, was with us. And so I preached over a megaphone. And the thing that was so funny about it was it seemed like such a disaster to us, but it just set the city on fire because they saw what determination will do. And they were so they were just really fired up by seeing that we were not gonna give up no matter what. And I loved going out of the country. I loved doing the outreaches, the feeding programs and things like that. But it wasn’t working anymore. And so I couldn’t do that anymore.

And then at one time I did 36 conferences a year. That was three every month. And I probably preached at least 20 to 25 times every month. A different message every time I preached. I know, I was a little bit out there. Part of it was me just trying to get over my childhood, being a workaholic trying to prove that I had some worth and value. And then eventually we cut it down to 24 meetings, and then eventually 18, and then 12, and then 8. And this happened over a period of a lot of years, and now we’re even lowering it some more, and I’m gonna do more just from my studio at home. And only a fool thinks that they can always do what they’ve always done. Amen?

And so, you have to be willing to change, but you always have to have a purpose. Even if your purpose changes, you need to have a purpose. And I don’t worry about what’s gonna happen if this, and what’s gonna happen if that. I’m just going one day at a time, and as long as I got a mouth, I can keep doing what I’m doing. I can do it sitting down. I can do it standing up. I could even do it laying down if I had to. Amen? And if God ever wants me to retire, he’ll let me know that. «Brothers and sisters,» verse 13 in Philippians 3. «I don’t consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:» «One thing I do: forgetting what is behind…» Now, right there it is.

Are you still mad at yourself because of something you did 20 years ago? It’s not helping you. God forgave you a long time, he forgave you the first time you asked him. You don’t need to keep asking forgiveness for the same thing over and over and over again. I did that for a while, and God whispered one night, «I forgave you the first time you asked me. Now, you need to forgive yourself». Somebody needs this today. And somebody watching TV needs this. «Forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make it clear to you».

So, he’s basically saying, just let the burden lift off of you. And when you sin, repent, receive God’s forgiveness, and go on. And if there’s something else God wants to tell you or talk to you about, or there’s something you’re doing wrong, God will let you know. Don’t always assume you’re doing something wrong. Just wait for God to tell you if that’s what the case is. And how many of you know he knows how to tell you? Amen? «Amen, amen, amen». You waste your time being self-critical. Stop finding fault with yourself, and you’ll stop finding fault with other people. Matter of fact, I say a lot of times in the morning, «God, I love you. I love me. I love people. I love my life. This is gonna be a good day». Amen? Try having a positive attitude for a change.

Now, the Bible does tell us to examine ourselves, but not unto condemnation, not with a critical spirit, just sit before God and just ask him, is there anything you wanna show me? You know, God has shown me two or three things in the last three months. And one of 'em, my daughter, I said something about somebody, and she said, «Do you know there’s two people that every time you talk about 'em, you always say something negative». It’s just so much fun when your kids correct you. Especially if you know they’re right, and you remember that scripture that says, «Only a fool hates correction». «Well, thank you for reminding me of that».

And you know what? She was right. But I wasn’t even aware I was doing it. And sometimes if you’re not seeing it, you’re not hearing from God, he’ll send somebody else. Maybe today he’s sending me to you. This is a little more comfortable than one of your kids telling you. Because I can tell you from here, and you can sit out there and act like you don’t really need it. «Well, she doesn’t know it’s me she’s talking to». Our guilt or innocence is not based on how we feel. Paul said, «My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me». God loves us, and he’s not surprised by our weaknesses or our failures. Psalm 139:1-4, «You have searched me, Lord, you know me». You know me.

You know, if somebody said to you, «Have you ever heard of Joyce Meyer»? You might say, «Oh yeah, I know her.» 'cause you came to one of my conferences, now you know me. Only one person that knows me, and that’s Dave. And then there’s even things he don’t know. There’s things I don’t know. But God knows it all. So when he says, «He knows you». He knows you! And isn’t it amazing with the way we are, and what God knows about us, that he still loves us unconditionally? Wow! «You know when I sit and you know when I rise: you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down: you’re familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you know it altogether».

Hmm, Jeremiah 1:5, «Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,» get that. «Before you were born I set you apart: and I appointed you as a prophet to the nations». But you know that wasn’t a positively, Jeremiah had to get with the program. And at first he was resisting it, «I’m too young and nobody’s gonna listen to me,» and blah blah blah. Do you know that you are handpicked by God? «The apple of his eye». You know how it is if you go to buy an apple? Say you’re hungry and you just go in the store and you wanna buy one apple. Well, you’re not gonna, you know, you’re gonna look for the prettiest one there. I think God looks for the one that’s bruised. Maybe even the one that’s got a wormhole in it, I don’t know.

Ephesians 1:4, «Even as [in his love] He chose us [actually picked us out for himself as his own] In Christ before the foundation of the world». And this scripture is not talking about the doctrine that I don’t agree with, that God decides who’s gonna go to heaven and who’s gonna go to hell. I don’t like that, because the Bible says that, God would that all men would come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. All men. He wants all men to be saved. So, this does not mean that. But he picked us out. Every one of us, he picked us out. Everybody say, «He picked me out».

Now, you need to go home and think about some of this stuff. He picked you out, you’re special, you’re precious, you’re valuable, you have a purpose. I’mma look over here at «Smiley» again, because you’re looking sad some more. Brother you should give smiling lessons. Every day for 25 years, God bless you. I’ve talked a lot in my life. You know, in the world, we are often picked out to be picked on. But in God’s kingdom, we’re picked out to be picked up. I made that up, isn’t that good. You’ll see a quote on the internet before long. Once in a while I’m looking up quotes for a book and I run into mine. I’mma say it again, «It’s time to stop being mad at yourself». You understand me?

We have a lot of prisoners that watch our program. It’s time for you to stop being mad at yourself, for what you did that got you into the situation where you’re at. If you wanna have a relationship with Jesus you can have, all you need to do is repent. And that means to be sorry for what you did, and be willing to turn around, and go in a new direction. You say, «Well, I’m in prison for life, Joyce, how can I possibly have a good life»? Because your real life is in you. It’s in you. Grace and peace. I don’t think we can have peace until we understand grace. Do you know that 39 times in the New Testament, there’s the phrase of greeting, «Grace and peace be unto you». And what do we say? «Hey»! «What’s up»? «Hey, man». Imagine grace and peace be unto you. I haven’t gotten that far, but I do say, «Bless you» a lot. When I leave people, even out in the stores when I’m shopping, I’ll say, «Bless you». People probably don’t realize how valuable that is. But you can bless people. 39 times, «Grace and peace».

Romans 1:7, «To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: grace and peace be to you from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ». 1 Corinthians 1:3, «Grace and peace be unto you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ». Well, what is grace? It’s undeserved favor, we all know that. That which gives pleasure, delight, or causes a favorable regard. The friendly disposition from which a kind act proceeds especially divine favor with stress on its freeness and availability to all. It is spontaneous and gives pleasure and joy to its recipients. But if you do a deep dive study on the word «Grace,» you also find out that it’s the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling you…

Now, this is a definition I’ve come up with right here. That grace is the power for you to do with ease, what you could never do on your own with any amount of struggle and effort. I’ll say it again, 'cause I see your writing feverishly. Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit, which enables you to do with ease, what you could never do on your own with any amount of struggle and effort. Like I struggled so hard trying to change myself, and I just kept failing, failing, failing, failing. And that would make me mad, because I thought I’m trying to do the right thing. But when I found out that I could be changed by grace, that if I trusted God to change me, and even in the midst of waiting on him to change me, if I acted bad I would just say, «I’m sorry Lord, you’re working in me, I’m not there yet, but we’re on our way». You don’t have to get mad and stay mad at yourself for a week because you messed up again.