Joyce Meyer - Wonderfully Made

I'll tell ya what, we are an army and we need to start acting like it. There is a lot of stuff that needs to get accomplished in the next few years and our world is in a mess, and we don't have time for playpens, and pacifiers, and baby bottles anymore. We don't have time to get in a fit of self-pity and sit in the bathroom floor and cry all day because we cooked dinner and our husband didn't appreciate us. "Well, I need encouragement". Well, go and encourage somebody. Oh, that feels so good. Just had to get that off my chest.

See here's the thing, we all have a little different call on our life and my call really is to help the body of Christ mature and grow up. If God would have let me chosen, I maybe would have probably picked a dessert ministry, but I didn't get one. I got the meat and vegetable stuff, but I want to do my job good for God and I want him to be proud of me. And I'm gonna tell you, until Jesus comes back to get me, what I believe he wants me to tell you may not always be what you want to hear, but it will be what will help you later on. That's my job.

Let's take a real quick look at Hebrews 5. I hope you understand where I'm coming from. You see the thing is is you need to know, first of all, who you are in Christ but then the next thing needs to be, "Now what can I do for Christ"? Yes, please let me tell you how amazing and how wonderful you are, and how much God loves you, and how you don't have to live under condemnation, and there's grace, and there's mercy, and we don't need to spend our days feeling bad because we're not perfect. We can just say, "God, you knew what you were getting when you got me and you gotta fix what's wrong with me. But today I'm not messing with that. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I'm sorry for all my sins but, God, what do you have that I can do for you today? How can I serve you? How can I help you today? What can I do to make somebody else's life better"?

You don't know how many hours I spent in pity parties crying because my husband was out playing golf or watching a football game. How stupid is that! "Well, Lord, Dave's watching football again, and the kids are out playing, and I just gotta do all the work around here all the time. I just..." finally I felt like the Lord just said, "Don't you realize how ridiculous you look"? I mean I remember, I was like 7 months pregnant sitting in the bathroom floor in the very back of the house bawling my eyes out because Dave was watching a football game. And here I was already teaching a Bible study in my home. And, you know, on Tuesday nights I wanted to be God's woman of power for the hour, but the rest of the week I was bawling my head off and acting stupid because somebody wasn't paying enough attention to me and making me feel wonderful.

Well, now I encourage Dave to go play golf. "Why don't you go play golf, Dave? Go play golf. Wouldn't you like to go out and hit a few golf balls 'cause I just want to get in my chair, and sit back, and pet my dog, and be peaceful, and I want to control the remote". But you know what the difference is? Now I don't need him to make me feel good about myself. My joy is not dependent on what he says or does because I know that I am wonderfully made. I know that I'm wonderful because of what Jesus did for me when he died on that cross.

I remember walking through a parking lot one day carrying my sack of guilt. Oh, I don't know what I'd done but I'd been on a guilt trip for 2 or 3 days. I parked out in the back of the parking lot so I could feel real pitiful while I walked toward the store. "Oh God, nobody's as rotten as me. My God, I don't even know if I'm saved. It's just, oh, my God, I am such a terrible person. Nobody's as bad as me". And I still remember the Holy Ghost said to me, "How do you plan to get over this sin"? I was so spiritual. "Well Lord, I'll just receive the sacrifice that you made for me when you died on calvary". I knew the answer, but I wasn't applying it to my life.

And I remember him saying, "And when did you plan to do that"? And I started getting a revelation, oh, I thought probably in about 2 or 3 days after I beat on myself for a while trying to pay for the sin I did. And listen I want to tell ya, I remember what the Holy Ghost put in my heart. He said, "Well, that same sacrifice that's gonna be good in 3 days is good right now so if you don't mind, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you go ahead and receive it today because frankly I have a lot I need you to do". Listen, "And you're no good to me in this condition". If you don't want to think highly of yourself for any other reason, do it for Jesus' sake. Let's don't be like Elijah who when Jezebel was chasing him, went and sat down under a tree and had a pity party and wanted to die. "Well, well..." God said, "What are you doing? What are you doing"? Now, I'm trying to act right but I don't know if I can.

Hebrews 5:12 "For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's word. You have come to need milk, and not solid food". Now let me just throw out my opinion of milk and meat. I believe that milk are the nice dessert messages, and I think the meat deals with us, makes us a little bit squirmy in our chairs, but for those who really love God, it moves them on to the next level. Amen? Now, "For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced in the doctrine of righteousness".

Now let's just leave it there. So what does that mean? He's saying, "If all we ever need is milk, then we obviously don't really know who we are in Christ". But you see, I can hear a strong, confrontative, corrective message, and it doesn't make me feel bad. I love it. And even if I'm convicted, I love that because I know who I am in Christ. So hearing a strong word from somebody is not gonna make me feel bad about myself because I take it as God speaking through them, not to make me feel bad about myself. He disciplines us because he loves us and when we're confronted about our behavior, it's because God loves us, and we should get more excited about that than what we do. Thank God he's dealing with me today.

But enough of that, I gotta make sure you feel wonderful before you leave. So I'm gonna try to get back to that. Comparing yourself with other people is just so totally, completely useless. I mean it's just, it's unbelievably useless, you know? How many years did I not like my personalty because it was so aggressive, and bold, and straightforward, and it couldn't seem like I could open my mouth without sounding like I was barking at somebody. And I wanted to be so sweet and nice and I would try to lower my voice and sound meek and even have a more humble walk and... I mean I'm not exaggerating. But now I finally get it. Could you imagine me trying to do what I'm doing or going into some of these nations that I go into that are full of devil worshipers and men who hate women to start with going in there and say, "Well, I'm just so happy to be here in your country"? "Praise the Lord. I just want you to know".

And I hated my voice, and I understand now why God gave me my voice. If nothing else, people listen because it's unique. How many times do I hear when I'm out, "I didn't recognize you, but I heard that voice". The voice. I always say I'm a mouthpiece in the kingdom of God. I may not have much else going for me, but I can talk. And you've heard all my stories. I mean I've had some of the dumbest, stupidest stuff happen concerning my voice. Called the SPA to make an appointment to get a facial and the lady on the other end said, "Do you have any facial hair"? I didn't get it. I'm liking myself. You know, I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. I'm okay here. And so honestly I thought, yeah, I got eyebrows and eyelashes. I mean that's what I thought. And I said to her, I said, "Well, yeah, I got eyebrows and eyelashes". And she said, "No, I mean do you have a beard or a goatee"? And I said, "I am a woman"!

I am a woman, with a deep voice! And I tell you what, I have had so many laughs about that. I think it is the funniest thing. And you know what? There would have been a day when that would have put me in the bathroom floor for 3 days. "Oh God, I was in the wrong line when you gave out voices. I just don't know what's the matter with me, God. Why do I have to be a woman and sound like this? It's just so embarrassing, God. It's so embarrassing". I think it's hysterical.

Come on, you are gonna be amazed how things are gonna change for you, the torment, you're gonna lose when you finally say, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am not an accident. I am not a mistake". God has got something for me to do. Matter of fact, God has got something for you to do that only you can do, so get over yourself. First of all the things that we think are so wrong with us, if we would just stop calling attention to them, nobody else would even notice it. We're all different.

I've read a book, well, several books but, yeah, I've read several books, that's true. But a man named John Oderberg has written several books that I've enjoyed, and in one of his books he shared this story and I thought it was just pretty hysterical so this will help you get the point. Yes, I know it's here.

It was bedtime, and I went into my daughter's room to tuck her in. She was surrounded by stuffed animals and cherished dolls. She's in that sweet, still, twilight moment between wakefulness and sleep. I sit on the side of her bed. I look deeply into her little eyes where she lies there still as if she'd been hypnotized, and I try to tell her what's in my heart. 'I'm so grateful that you're alive. Do you have any idea how much I love you, sweetie? There's no gift in my whole life like the gift of being your dad.' She stares up at me then she speaks, 'daddy, I love you so much'. Her eyes well up, mine too. We both have tears. She puts her little arms around my neck. We're both feeler kind of people. We savor the moment. It's a hallmark moment for sure.

I walk out of that room feeling that I pretty much have the father thing down pat. I go to the next bedroom. This child too is surrounded by animals and dolls, though some of them have been inadvertently kicked to the floor. She's not in that sweet, still, twilight moment because she does not know twilight. She only has two gears, full throttle and unconscious. Her metabolism has an on and off button, but no dimmer switch. I sit on the side of her bed which is not still because she never holds still long enough. She could not even sit still long enough to be hypnotized. I go into my same speech, 'I'm so grateful you're alive. Do you have idea how much I love you. There's no gift in my whole life like the gift of being your dad.' She's staring up at me, suddenly still then she speaks, 'daddy, you got something hanging out of your nose'.

Now there we have it, folks. Have you ever noticed that God seems to really like variety? I mean like he don't like it a little bit. He's like really into variety. Even in nature, immense variety exists. For example, there are 10.000 species of birds, just birds, 10.000 species of just birds. I mean if you want to make a bird, why not just make a bird? No, we gotta have 10.000 different-looking birds. There are 339 species of dogs, 250.000 species of flowers, 250.000 species of fish. God likes variety. Look at all that, colors and shapes and sizes and look at that dude over there. I mean, he's kinda weird lookin'. Look at the lips on that one, whoo. Wow, check that mouth out. Twenty thousand species of butterflies. Listen to this, and I double checked this just to make sure, 26.000 varieties of orchids, just orchids, 8.000 species of weeds.

And maybe you think you're a weed. Well, let me tell ya, here's about ten things that weeds are good for, soil stabilization, habitat and feed for wildlife, nectar for bees, esthetic qualities, they add organic manner, they provide genetic reservoir. They're good for human consumption, and they provide lots of employment opportunities 'cause people get to pull 'em. So, God loves variety. Why would we be any different? Why would God want us all to be alike, and look alike, and act alike. It's time that we stop wanting to be somebody else.

You know, I walked by Natalie Grant today in the back, and I complimented her on her voice. And there would have been a day when I would have said to her, "I wish I could sing like you". But I didn't say that today. I said, "There would have been a time where I said I wish I could sing like you, but the truth is is I love being just who I am". 'Cause you know what I found out? As long as I want to do what somebody else can do, then I can't appreciate that in them 'cause I'm too busy wanting it. And the truth is God put that gift in her for us to enjoy, not to be jealous of and wish that we could do it. You know, my gift benefits you more than it benefits me. It causes me to work. And a lot of people think, "Oh, I wish I could do what you do. Well, do you want to do what we do to get to do what we do"? And you see, when God enables you to do something, there's a whole lot of other stuff that goes along with it. You know, we're all different.

Let's have our ten ladies come. We're just all so different and we need to realize that each one of us is beautiful to God in our own right. Let's see, why don't you come up here and stand so everybody can see ya. Just get right up here in the front, okay? Go in the front row, ladies, right here in the front. Whoo-hoo, can't all be down there. See, somebody's gotta give direction. All right, come on. Okay, now listen, there's no two of these ladies that look even remotely anything alike, do they? Nothing. Just look at it. I had them bring tall ones and this is rose. This is Dave's secretary. She's eyeball to eyeball with Dave when he sits in a chair and she stands up. Amen?

Here we have a beautiful lady who's got her natural hair. You'll never see mine, but this is hers. We have brown hair, and blondish brown hair, and blond hair, and darker hair, and black hair, and we have this beautiful large hair. Large, curly hair. Hair that takes over a room. I've known Jackie for over 30 years. She's always trying to straighten her hair and I love it curly. Is that not amazing? Wow. Wouldn't you love to just be able to get up and just do that and go on about your business? But here's the thing, look at me ladies once and for all. You got what you got, so deal with it. I said, you've got what you've got, so deal with it. You say, "Well, I don't like what I've got". Well, that doesn't mean you're gonna get something else.

You know, this is what I really felt like saying this week and another thing I just really had on my heart to say. If there's something about your body, your hair, your this, your that you don't like, if you can do something about it, do it. I don't really want to have gray hair at this point because although I am 70, I don't have any interest in looking it. So, I can do something about it, so I do it. But if you can't, if there's something in your life that you cannot do something about, then tonight I want you to go beyond accepting it and I want you to embrace it. You ladies can go. Thank you. Aren't they beautiful? Give them all a hand.

You know what? This is a piece of embroidery or it's a cross stitch. My daughter does cross stitch. And now look, now this is the backside and, you know, you look at that and you're like, "I don't know what that's gonna be". Well, that's kind of the way we are about ourselves sometimes. God's not done yet and we're like, "Man, what's this gonna be"? But see, we look at this side, God sees this side. He sees it all finished and beautiful and done. You gotta trust God with yourself.

Look at this, somebody sent me these today. Everyone is different, all different colors, all different shapes, and the things that's amazing is when you put them all together, look how beautiful they are. So we're all different, different colors, different shapes, different sizes, different talents, different abilities. And if we can stop comparing ourselves to one another and being jealous of each other long enough, we might just all get together and do something amazing for God. Come on. I said, we might just get together and do something amazing for God! Come on, give God a big praise tonight.

Well, it's time for you to know just how valuable you are, and start believing and saying what God says about you, versus what other people say about you. Choose to believe that God has designed you for a very special purpose. You know, if you've been wounded in your soul, which so many people have been, I've written a book called, "Healing the soul of a woman", and I really want you to have this book. I was sexually abused in my childhood by my father. And, I went around for many years pretending like everything was okay. But, the mess that I had on the inside of me, in my soul, came out of me in many different ways that I didn't understand, and to be honest, other people didn't either. And I want you to have a completely healed soul. And God is the only one that can do that. He's the only one that can get in us and heal our inner man.