Joyce Meyer - Nine Attitudes That Keep You Happy (08/23/2019)
This sermon dives into the beatitude about hungering for righteousness, stressing the deep satisfaction and rewards of choosing what's right even when it's tough. Drawing from personal stories and scriptures like Matthew 5:6-7 and 2 Corinthians 5:21, Joyce Meyer urges believers to seek God's help to overcome sin, extend mercy, and live with integrity for true joy.
Hungering for Righteousness – The Deep Desire to Do What's Right
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Do you know somebody who really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really wants to do what's right? We'll do it. That doesn't mean there won't be a price to pay. I'm going to tell you the truth. If you make some of the choices that I'm sure God is leading you to make, you might lose a few friends. But I can pretty much guarantee you they're probably not very good friends anyway. Actually, some of you, if you made the choice to do what you really, really, really, really, really know is right, you could possibly even lose a job.
Well, Joyce, I can't do that. Well, it's better to do that than to displease God because you know what? God got you that job, and if you honor Him in it, He can get you a better one. How many of you know that there are employers who will pretty much tell you that you have to sin in order to keep your job? I had an employer one time who told me that I needed to lie to a customer, and I refused to do it thinking I was going to lose my job, and it would not have been a good time for me to lose my job. But God intervened, and I ended up not only not losing my job, but over the years, I got promoted and promoted and promoted until I was second in charge in that company. The only person who had any more authority than me was the guy that told me to lie, that I refused to lie.
Let me tell you something. Sometimes the devil tries to frighten us that if we do what's right, we're going to lose. But many times, if we honor God, we will end up advancing further than what we were because we stood our ground and did what was right. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, I want to think right. I want to talk right. I want to act right. I don't always, but I've come a long way, and I'm sure you have too, and we're going to keep pressing on. They shall be completely satisfied.
The Satisfaction of Choosing Right Over Wrong
You know, doing what's right gives you a satisfaction that nothing else can give you. You know what it's like to make a wrong decision, and you know you're doing the wrong thing. You know what you should do, but you choose to do the wrong thing. And yes, we can be forgiven. Yes, God is merciful and gracious, and we can be forgiven. But we don't need to just purposely keep pushing the envelope and saying, well, I'm going to go ahead and do this because I know God will forgive me.
I think if anybody behaves that way, then there's a little something lacking in their relationship with God. And I believe that we should do everything that we can do to do what's right because there is a satisfaction in that that nothing else can give you. There's nothing worse than laying your head down on a pillow at night and tossing and turning because you know that you should have made another choice. And yes, we can be forgiven, but then let's just don't turn around and go do the same thing all over the next day and the next day and the next day and the next day and the next day.
And you're thinking, well, Joyce, you are really upsetting me because I have all these problems and I, you know, I've tried to change and I can't. You know what? When God sees that we really want what's right, He moves in and helps us do what's right. If you really want to do what's right, I mean, you really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, and really want to do what's right. And if you're willing to maybe pay whatever price you have to pay to do what's right. Boy, you guys are getting me excited tonight.
I don't know if I can... I know you'd like me to give you some dessert, but I'm not going to. We're going to have meat tonight. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be completely satisfied. Amen? And I'm not talking about perfection. I'm not talking about everything. I'm never making mistakes. I'm talking about really, really wanting to do what's right.
You know what? I have had the sad experience in my life of mistreating people at different times. I was hurt in my childhood, and I came out of that with a hard exterior and a lot of harshness in my soul. And because of that, during the years that God was healing me and I was really learning the Word, there were many times when I was I would be rude to people and harsh with people. I stand to hurt people. I mean, I do not want to hurt people.
Getting Violent with Sin – Overcoming with God's Help
And I think that there's so many things that maybe we once were that we don't have to continue to be if we let God deal with us. It's not good to hurt people. I spent half of my early part of my life mad at somebody. Thank God, I don't waste my time being mad anymore. I wanted to change and God has changed me. And now there's other things in my life now that I want to see God take care of, and I want them bad enough that I'm not going to put up with them.
You know what? I believe that sometimes we need to get a little bit violent with the sin in our lives. I think sometimes we need to say, I am not going to live like this. Christ died for me. I have the victory. I am dead to sin. I am alive to righteousness. The Holy Ghost lives on the inside of me. The grace of God is available to help me get over this. And I am not just going to put up with it and let the devil run my life. Amen? Come on, give God a big praise.
Now, there's two kinds of righteousness that we can talk about. And they're both very necessary and they both need to be preached about equally. There's being right, being made right with God through the blood and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 5:21. If you've never seen this scripture, you're going to jump up and down for joy. 2 Corinthians 5:21. For our sakes, He made Christ virtually to be sin, who knew no sin. So that in and through Him, we might become endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of the righteousness of God. What we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him by His goodness.
Let me simplify it for you. He that knew no sin became sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. At the cross, there was a great exchange. Here's what happened. Jesus took all of our sin for all time on Him and He gave us His righteousness. He was clothed with our sin, we were clothed with His righteousness. And now because of Him, we can stand before God as His children, even when we've made mistakes, and we can say, I didn't do what I was supposed to do, but I am the righteousness of God in Christ through Jesus. Amen?
Made Right with God – The Foundation for Doing Right
And everybody rejoices when you teach that side of righteousness. I love to teach it. That we're made right with Him through the blood of Christ. Our who is not our do. No matter what we do, we are still children of God. No matter what my children do, they are still my children. And I still will help them, and I still will love them, and I still will work with them. And I'm never going to give up on them, and I'm never going to quit on them. And God feels the exact same way about every single one of you.
And we love to talk about that side of righteousness, and it's very important to talk about. Because if you don't talk about that first, then there's no point in talking to people about doing what's right. Because you can't do what's right if you don't know that you are right. You couldn't expect an apple tree to make apples if it wasn't an apple tree. So God makes us right before He tells us now, go do what's right.
I can only do what's right because I have that righteousness of God abiding on the inside of me. God never requires you to do something without giving you what you need to do it. Please understand that. God never requires you to do something without having given you what you need to do it. You say, well, I just can't resist temptation. Yes, you can. Don't let the devil lie to you. Yes, you can resist temptation because the Bible says you're dead to sin and alive to righteousness.
You turn from the sin, you turn to God, and you say, help me, God, help me, help me, help me, help me, help me, help me, help me. You know what? Please don't be offended, but I think we've made too many excuses for what the Bible calls sin. And we don't even really call it what it is anymore. It's our little problem, it's our hang-up, it's our addiction, it's our bondage. But sometimes if we just call something what it is, even though it's ugly to say it, it helps us to wake up to what's going on and let God help us overcome it and be what He wants us to be.
No More Excuses – Time to Grow Up in Faith
And you know, kind of, sort of, I'm taking a chance when I preach like this, because I know that everybody wants to be patted on the head and told how wonderful they are. Well, you know what? You're just as cute as you can be, you sweet little thing. But I'm not going to let you keep your baby bottle and your pacifier and your diapers. We're going to grow up and be men and women of God. Who can represent Christ in this world and make a splash out there big enough for the world to pay notice. Amen?
I'm telling you, there's so many Christians, if every one of us was behaving the way that we should behave, even part of the time. I mean, the world would be petrified to make fun of us. They'd be petrified to use God's name in vain. We need to stand up and be counted. We need to stand up and be who we are and act like men and women of God, not a bunch of babies that can't help anything they do. Amen.
And when I say we, I mean me just as much as you. So the one side of righteousness is, thank God, we have been made right with God through Christ. And even in the midst of your worst, the worst mistake you can make, you can still say, God, I am so sorry, but I know that you still view me as right through Jesus Christ. But I don't intend to stay the way I am, God. With your help, I want to be all that you want me to be. God, I am hungry for righteousness. I'm thirsty and hungry for righteousness.
And then the other side of righteousness is what the Bible says about being right, doing right. You know, even James said, you can show me your faith, but you can't really show me faith without any works. Because if you have no works, then really the truth is, you have no faith. Because faith really always produces good works.
And so the truth is, is the more you understand who you are in Christ, the more time you spend with Jesus, just letting Him love you into wholeness, the more time you spend in the Word, you know what's going to happen? You're going to be like a little peach tree that's just hanging on. You're just, you're just there, and you've got all your little branches, and you're just loving the Son, and loving the Son, and loving the Son. And all the nutrition is coming up through the roots. You're rooted and grounded in Christ. He loves me. I love Him. I spend time with God. I know who I am in Christ. And then all of a sudden, little peaches are going to pop out on your branches, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop.
If you abide in me, and my word abides in you, you will bear much fruit. If you're struggling in your walk with God, don't just try harder, spend more time with God. But be determined that you're going to have all that God wants you to have, and be all that He wants you to be. Amen?
The Narrow Path – Staying on Course with God
A hungry or a thirsty person will do anything that they have to do to get something to eat or drink. There are people here, I'm sure, who have gotten up out of bed at night, got in your car, and went somewhere to get something that you were craving. Anybody? Anybody ever here, anybody here ever put your clothes on in the winter, go shovel snow, get in your car, and go somewhere to buy your cigarettes? I used to do that. Yeah, I used to puff away. Just... And you know, I'm not picking on nicotine. I think probably there's other things that are just as bad. But it's not good for us, and most of us, you know, who do it, don't want to do it.
And the point is, I'm trying to make, is that I would go to great extremes to meet that hunger. Well, you know what? When you get that hungry for righteousness, that you'll go to that extreme to do whatever you need to do. Now see, you're hungry for righteousness because some of you have gone to extremes to get to this conference. I was told that there's a man here, one man here, who traveled all the way from right outside Munich, Germany, just to come to this conference in Indiana. Now, that is one radical guy.
But the point is, is there's people that have driven 200 miles and 300 miles, and then there's people in this city that wouldn't have... they wouldn't have gone a mile. And then they'll wonder why they don't have victory in their life. You're here because you're hungry for more of God in your life. And when you want more of God, you're going to end up with it. Those of you that watch the TV, you haven't turned it off yet. I've been preaching pretty hard, and you're still watching. That means you're hungry for more of God in your life. You want to do what's right, and I don't want to fall over my stool.
You know, the Bible tells us that there, that we reap what we sow, and that there is a reward for unrighteousness, and there is a reward for righteousness. And I want to get the reward that goes along with righteousness. Let's look at one more scripture, and then we're going to go to the next beatitude. Matthew 7, 13, and 14. I actually pray this over our partners pretty regularly, so if you're a partner with this ministry, this scripture is being prayed over you.
Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction. And many are those who are entering through it. You know, it's easy to walk down a wide road. And you always have a lot of company on that wide road. You'll never get lonely on that wide path. But the gate is narrow, now watch what the Amplified says, contracted by pressure. And the way is straightened and compressed that leads away to life. And few are those who find it.
Mercy – Understanding the Why Behind the What
I pray for you on a regular basis that you will always stay off of the broad path and stay on the narrow path. You know what, on the narrow path there's not a lot of room for all of our fleshly baggage. I can't take all my bad attitudes and all my anger and all my bitterness and my resentment and all my upset about my abusive past. That won't fit on that narrow path. If I'm going to walk on that narrow path, then I need to leave that alone. And I need to go on to some better attitudes.
Is there anybody here today who's maybe trying to drag a bunch of stuff along with you and you're finding it hard to walk on that narrow path? Come on, anybody need to let go of some of that stuff from the past and say it's time for me to let go of that? Who are you mad at? It's not going to change them if you're mad at them. It's not going to solve your problem if you're mad at them. And all it does is hinder your walk with God.
Do the right thing. Forgive them. Begin to pray for them. And even bless them if you can. That's the right thing to do. And when you do the right thing, then you're going to have power with God that you didn't have before. And you're going to be the winner and not the loser. Anybody been complaining this week? How many of you already know that's not right? Come on, I'm making a point. Well, you don't... No, the Bible says in all things give thanks. No matter what the circumstances are, be thankful and give thanks for this is the will of God for those of you who are in Christ Jesus.
I'm talking simple, practical stuff. Do the right thing. Don't complain no matter how much you're tempted to. I'll pray for you if you'll pray for me. How's that? Simple stuff. It's very simple. Let's start with the easy stuff and work our way up to the hard stuff. All right. You ready for the next one? You probably had enough of that one anyway, right? Matthew 5, 7. That one was probably a little ouchy for some of you. Maybe feel like you were sitting on thumbtacks during that. Well, maybe this will be better. I don't know.
Matthew 5, 7. Blessed, happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous with life, joy, and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions, are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Mercy. Is there anybody in your life that maybe you could extend some mercy to right now? Oh, three people. Gee. Boy, you guys are a holy group. I tell you, I just might as well pack up and go back to my hotel room.
You know what? Every single one of us have many opportunities every day to be hard-nosed with somebody or to be merciful. To just leave it and let it go and say, but for the grace of God, there go I. Or to try to make people pay. Hmm. Well, bless God, you are not going to treat me that way. And if you think that I'm going to let you get by with that, then you've got another thing coming. What do we do sometimes if we won't give mercy? How do we make people pay? Well, we just mention what they did often enough to keep them on the edge of guilt all the time.
Extending Mercy – The Key to Receiving It
I'm going to go talk to these people. You guys are not happy enough. You know, the Bible says that when God forgives us, that he completely forgets it, remembers us no more, and there's a place in the Old Testament, sir, he says that he doesn't even ever make mention of past sins. Well, I recall when Dave and I had only been married just a short time. And every time Dave and I would have a new argument, which I normally started, I would bring up everything that I could think of that he had done that irritated me from day one.
And he looked at me and he said, where do you keep all that stuff? Come on, some of you are really good accountants, and I'm not talking about on your bank book. I mean, you store it up, and you remember it, and we pray the official I forgive you prayer. But if we really forgive somebody, then we show them mercy, we leave it go. And you know what mercy really is? And this really helped me when I found this definition. Well, it's kind of like my definition, but I believe it's accurate. Mercy understands the why behind the what.
Mercy understands why a person is behaving the way they're behaving, and doesn't just see what they're doing. You go out, a clerk in a store is cranky and grouchy and got a sour look on her face. You got a choice to make. I don't appreciate your attitude. I am a customer in here, and I don't like the way you're acting, and I'm going to find the manager, and I'm going to tell him, and you're probably going to lose your job. While you have your cross around your neck and your rhinestone, and Jesus pen.
Well, just saying, you know, just coming up with a few little parables here to make sure we understand this. Or we could say, you know, you look like you're having a hard day, and I just want you to know that God really loves you, and He really cares about you, and man, you could even go the extra mile, and you could carry some of those wacky Joyce Meyer books around with you. Maybe some of those little ones about how to have a new life in Christ. Maybe you could say, you know, a very good friend of mine. Or you can even say, my mother. Come on, I've gotten old enough to be everybody's mother. Mama Joyce. You can say, my mama Joyce wrote this book, and that will impress them enough that they might read it.
Now, I ask you, which is better? To get them fired, to add to the problems they already have, and to get them in more trouble, and to have them look at your Jesus pen and your cross, and think those Christians sure aren't what they say they are. They're not loving and kind at all. Or would it be better to actually think something is hurting her, and that's causing her to act this way toward me? There's a why behind the what. And God is merciful because He always knows where we came from and why we have the problems that we have.
Matthew 9, 13 says, go and learn what this means. I desire mercy and not sacrifice. Go and learn what this means. I desire mercy and not sacrifice. Readiness to help those in trouble and not sacrifice and sacrificial victims. God says, I want mercy, not sacrifice. So, there's two sides to this. When we sin, God wants to give us mercy and He doesn't tell us that now we have to sacrifice something to make up for those sins. He freely forgives us. Freely forgives us. The price has been paid. You don't owe me anything, God says. You don't owe me a thing. You don't have to make up for all the wrong that you've done. Here's a fresh start for you.
Mercy in Action – Learning from Personal Stories
That's what mercy does. It gives you a fresh start every day. God's mercy is new every day. You know what? I can use my life with Dave in the early years as an example. You know, I was quite a rascal. And that's a nice word. Probably about the first three years we were married. And I wasn't doing it on purpose. I had been so hurt and so abused and so mistreated. And I had married the first guy that came along when I was 18. And he was a thief and stole things from people and ran around with other women. And I had just been hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt until I didn't even hardly know what I was doing.
And you know, I looked okay on the outside. You couldn't have told from looking at me that I was messed up inside. But there's a lot of people that look okay on the outside that have got deep problems and gaping, bleeding wounds on the inside in their soul. And I don't know about you, but I pretty much have decided that everybody who acts really bad has got some kind of an interior problem that's making them act that way.
Now that doesn't mean that we just excuse them from their behavior and that there's no responsibility for what they're doing. But it does mean if they got that way from somebody being mean to them, then a Christian being mean to them is not going to help them get over it. And so I came into this relationship with Dave already wounded and hurt. And Dave did not preach to me. He asked me to go to church with him, which I did. And he asked me if I would do that before we got married.
But he always loved me right where I was at. He didn't let me push him around. He would tell me if my behavior was bad. But no matter how bad I acted on Monday, on Tuesday morning when Dave got up, he wasn't mad. No matter how bad I acted on Tuesday before Dave went to work, when he came home on Tuesday night, Dave was not mad. Dave just was what he was, a born-again child of God walking in the fruit of the Spirit.
And no matter how bad I acted, he didn't let my bad behavior change his character. Come on, we're growing tonight. Ooh, ouchie, ouchie, ouchie. I feel it. Don't you feel it? Now you all do know that it's easier to clap for this than it's going to be to do it when you leave, don't you? The clapping says your spirit's saying, yes, I know that's right. Yes. Woo! Hunger and thirst for righteousness. Yes. Resist that temptation. Whack that sin in the head. Don't put up with it. Yes. Be merciful. Yes, ooh, this is right. Good, good, good.
And then what's going to happen when you start to try to drive out of the parking lot and somebody cuts in front of you? You, blah, blah, blah, blah. No, you won't act that way. I know you won't act that way. Because you're going to do what's right and you're going to give them mercy and say, you know what, I choose to believe they didn't see me. Come on, isn't that better?
Choosing to Believe the Best – The Secret to Happiness
You know, I have found a secret in my life. Can I tell you a secret? Can I share my secret with you? Do you know what? If you choose to believe the best of people, even if they're just as rotten as they can be, if you choose to believe the best, you're happy. And I've decided I'm going to do everything I can do in my life to make me happy. I'm not going to stay mad at people because it poisons my soul when I stay angry. I don't have time for that anymore.
And I'm not going to go around and be suspicious of everybody. Even if they are doing something bad, I'm going to believe the best. I'm going to believe, oh, you didn't mean that. And I tell you what, that is like a huge, mega, major, awfully big change for me from where I came from. These virtues, these inner heart attitudes that we're talking about, these are character traits that Christ had. And when you have that kind of character, then you function that way all the time. Not just when you're trying to, it becomes part of you.