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Watch 2022-2023 online sermons » Joyce Meyer » Joyce Meyer - Simplify Your Life, Part 2

Joyce Meyer - Simplify Your Life, Part 2


Joyce Meyer - Simplify Your Life, Part 2
Joyce Meyer - Simplify Your Life, Part 2

"Enjoying Everyday Life," emphasis being on "Everyday". Anybody can enjoy a party, payday, vacation, gettin' to go shoppin', but what about just plain ol' ordinary, everyday life? What about just doin' the dishes, goin' to the grocery store, cuttin' the grass, takin' the car in for service, drivin' in traffic,or service, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday? How many of you know what I mean? Okay, so, I think that it requires the power of the Holy Spirit to do that. I really do. I don't think just an ordinary person can do that. I think we need the power of the Holy Spirit. But another thing that we really need that's really important is an attitude, a different attitude toward life. Everything that we do can be done as a service to God. That's what I call, "Doing Life With God".

In other words, you can take a common, ordinary, everyday thing like goin' to the grocery store, but if you believe that God is with you when you go, and you're even fellowshipping with him as you go, and you just say, "God, I'm doin' this as a service to you". Do you know that every part of your life, God is concerned about? God doesn't just see you when you go to church. He's with you all the time, everywhere. There's never one moment of your life that God is not there, so stop ignoring him most of the time. Amen? I said, "Stop ignoring him most of the time". And then just thinkin' that a relationship with God is only for those emergencies in your life. This, to me, actually is one of the most life-changing things for me, to realize that God actually was concerned about everything that I did, and he wanted to be involved in and included in every single thing that I did, and that there was... See, mundane things can become very special when you do them with and for God, amen?

So, I dare you to try it. You won't be sorry that you did. Enjoy everyday life. Do everything as a service to God, and then, last, but not least, very important, make a decision that you are gonna stop wanting somebody else's life or some other life than the life that you've got, and that you are going to enjoy your life, even though there may be things that you don't care about. Everybody's got stuff they don't care about, everybody. I get to go home today and unpack and pack again. Woo-hoo! And I'm gonna do it as a service to God, and I'm gonna enjoy it. But you know what? You do have to remind yourself. Otherwise, you go through life, "I dread this. Well, I dread that". And then we can begin to get a bad attitude about a lot of things that we're gonna do anyway. And if you're gonna do it anyway, then what is the point in being miserable and havin' a bad attitude about it?

Honestly, I want you to really get this. Your life can be so super special to you, and it can be something that you enjoy if you just learn to look at things in a different way. You know, I kept wanting life to change. Anybody there? I just want life to change. Well, you know what? It's not likely to. It could get worse. It may get better, but you can change. And I found out that I could change. I could change my attitude toward life, stop waiting for life to do somethin' for me, and me just decide that with God, and through God, that I could really enjoy every little aspect of my life. I don't like to wait, and I've even enjoyed waiting. I just scare myself sometimes. I'm so different than I used to be. You can learn to just be peaceful and enjoy the presence of God in anything that you do just by making a slight attitude adjustment. How many of you find when you listen to the word, that it gives you a little attitude adjustment, amen? And that's good.

So, John chapter 10, verse 10, one of my very favorite scriptures in the Bible: "The thief comes only," only, "In order to steal, kill, and destroy". You have an enemy, the devil. A lot of people go to church all their life and never even really are taught and understand that they have an enemy, that the devil hates you. He doesn't like the fact that you've received Christ as your Savior and that you're a child of God. But now that you have, the one thing he absolutely does not want you to do is enjoy it. He's totally devoted to your misery. "The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy". But thank God for this royal interruption. Jesus said, "I came". Don't you love that? "That you might have and enjoy your life". "Have and enjoy your life," can you imagine that? Not just breathe and barely make it through till we get to go to heaven, but have and enjoy your life. Jesus died so we could go to heaven, have our sins forgiven, but also that we might enjoy our lives and have it in abundance, to the full, until it overflows.

So, it is a God-ordained thing that you might enjoy your life. And I don't know how you feel about it, but I've kinda learned if I don't do it on purpose, it's not likely to get done. I wanna say that again. If you don't do it on purpose, then you get into that thing of, "Well, I can enjoy payday and vacation and when I get to go shoppin', and, you know, all those special things that I wish that I could live in," but we can't. Most of life is just plain old ordinary, same ol', same ol', same ol'. Now, I've talked about several different things in the conference, ways that you can enjoy your life better, but today, I'm gonna talk about a bunch more and just download a lot of information on you. But all very practical things because, you know, as Christians, we don't just float around on a cloud somewhere and sing the "Hallelujah chorus". We still have all the same plain ol', everyday, ordinary things to do that everybody else has to do.

So, today, I wanna talk to you about simplifying your life. How many of you feel that life can be pretty complicated sometimes? Now, let me ask you this. Even if life is not complicated, how many of you are good at complicating it? See, I'm, like, really good at that. I mean, I've learned a lot, and I'm still learning more, but I'm just not a real simple person. I mean, I'm just a little bit more kinda complex and out there. And I'm also gonna talk to you a little bit today abut balance because in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8, it says: "The devil roams about like a lion, roaring in fierce hunger, seeking someone he may devour". So if he's seeking someone, it doesn't have to be you, and it doesn't have to be me. "He roams about, seeking someone". And then, immediately after that, or right before that, it says: "Be well balanced, for your adversary the devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour". So, it's obviously telling us that one of the ways that he gets into our lives is if we lack balance. That means we're doing too much of something or not enough of something.

God's word says, "We are to do all things in moderation, and do all things in an orderly fashion". God is not the author of confusion. He is actually very orderly. And if you don't believe it, just look at all the instructions he gave for building the ark or the temple. I mean, you talk about somebody that's caught up in details. In Luke chapter 10, beginning at verse 38, we have this story that we call, "Mary and Martha". And some of you here today would be more like Mary, and some of you would be more like Martha. I, of course, am like Martha. "Now while they were on their way, it occurred that Jesus entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha received and welcomed him into her house". She had a good heart. She even had a personal relationship with Jesus. They were friends. She was glad he was there, but I'm gettin' ready to show you that she didn't know how to enjoy him. She was too busy fixin' everything so it was just the way she thought it should be to actually enjoy him being there.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I have company, sometimes I'm so caught up in trying to take care of everything for the party that I never get around to enjoying the people that are there. And I overdo most things. I've usually got enough food to last for three days after they're gone. And Martha didn't know how to party either, and enjoy it. "And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and was listening to his teaching". Now, Mary had the ability to adjust and recognize what was the most important thing at the moment. Are you listening to me? What was the most important thing at the moment, and she knew how to submit some things to more important things, and then get back to those other things when she needed to. Do you know that so many people, when they go out in the world, they are so focused on what they wanna do and their plan, that we miss so many what could be miraculous moments to speak a word in due season to somebody, to help somebody, to smile at somebody, to give somebody a compliment?

And I don't know if you've ever heard me teach this or not, but I started about two years ago praying for what I call, "The gift of awareness," that I'm aware of what's going on around me, that I'm aware of what God is doing. There is so many things that God is doing in our lives that are so magnificent, and yet we can get so focused on this project we have. We don't want to miss the miracle of the moment, amen? "But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving: and came up to him and said, 'Lord, is it nothing to you that my sister has left me to serve alone'"? Now she's even got a bad attitude because Mary is enjoying herself and she's not. And I don't know about you, but I was really bad about that. If I was working, I wanted everybody to work. And if I was working, and Dave was enjoying watchin' a football game, I didn't like it that I was working, so I worked very loud. Do you any of you ladies know anything about working loud?

And, of course, Dave just kinda, he's just so cute. He just kinda lives in his own little world. And I would March back and forth through the room where he was at, draggin' the vacuum sweeper with me, and huffin' and puffin', and slammin' doors and drawers, and he just didn't, "Honey, if you're goin' to the kitchen, could you bring me an iced tea"? And she says, "'Lord, tell her to help me. Tell her to do her part [to lend a hand and help me]'! But the Lord replied to her by saying, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things: there is need of only one or but a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her'".

Now, let me ask you a question. If you're havin' company, is it better for you to try to impress them, or to enjoy them? Well, I'll tell ya what, I can make a nightmare out of having company over. And I tell this story often, but I so remember this. Be at church on Sunday, say to a few people in the adult Sunday school, "Hey, why don't you guys come over next Sunday after church and just, you know, we'll throw some hot dogs on the grill, and maybe do some baked beans, potato chips, somethin' simple? We'll sit around and chat, do whatever, you know"? Well, so, at that point, I had Dave and I and three couples, and then, during the week I'd think about all the people I didn't invite that probably were gonna get offended that they weren't asked. And then I would start inviting people that I didn't want to be there and didn't even like.

Come on, have you ever invited anybody to somethin' you were doing that you didn't like and didn't want there just because you didn't want them to get offended? And then I decided that hot dogs weren't impressive, so I went and bought steaks I couldn't afford. And then I spent the whole week cleanin' the house. I had to plant the flowers outside in case anybody went outside. Paint the barbecue pit, get out the lawn furniture. To be honest, by the time the people got there, I was mad at Dave, first of all, because he wasn't helping me. He wasn't even the one that invited 'em over. But I was mad 'cause he wasn't helpin' me. And I'd spent all this money, so now I resented the people. I didn't even want 'em there. And I remember, I mean, that's just one example. I'm tellin' you what, I could complicate, oh, man, I complicated Christmas. Lord, have mercy, I could complicate Christmas. I have so simplified that. It's like, "I'm gettin' gift certificates. Where do you want it from"? Amen?

We can simplify life if we will begin to not just turn things into nightmares that we don't need to turn into nightmares. How many of you ladies have ever had an argument with your husband, and when you got in bed that night, there's no way you're touchin' him? You sleep so far over, you're just, like, almost to fall out of the bed. Been cold all night because you wouldn't ask for any of the cover. "I am not askin' you for anything". Now, who was smart, and who was dumb? Dave was warm, covered up, got a good night's sleep. And I thought I was getting him back by doing what I was doing.

Simplify your life. When somebody hurts your feelings or offends you, or makes you mad, forgive them and let it go. Do yourself a favor, and forgive. "But it's not fair, and it's not right". Well, guess what? God is the God of justice. And if somebody really is mistreating you, and you go to God with it, and you're willing to forgive and let God handle it, nobody who's really mistreating you will get by with it for very long if you put your trust in God. Because God is our Vindicator, with a capital V. Now, "To complicate" means "To make or become complex, to be intricate or bewildering". Complicated things are hard to understand. They bewilder us. They confuse us. But simple, I love this. The word "Simple" means "Being composed of one thing, not complex, easy, without addition or modification, not deceitful, but sincere, and having no overtones".

Now, here's a great example. Matthew 6:33: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and everything else gets taken care of". Come on, I mean, that's really what it's sayin'. You focus on seeking the kingdom, and everything else that you need in life, every other problem that you have, God will take care of it and work it out. But what do we do? We ignore seeking the kingdom. We have no time for God because we're trying to keep up with our overloaded, ridiculous schedule that we complain about all the time that's wearing us out and making us hard to get along with. Am I goin' too fast? "Well, I'm tryin' to work in time for God. I'm tryin' to work in time for God".

Don't try to work God into your schedule. Work your schedule around God. Now, you took part of your Saturday. Many of you, your only time off is Saturday and Sunday, and then you're probably gonna spend part of Sunday in church. So, this time that you're spending here today is very precious to you, very important to you, but I can tell you what, it's not time lost. It's time invested, and God will make other things simple for you. I want you to think about it. "Seek ye first, and all of these other things will be added unto you". And Psalm 27:4 is another scripture that's real similar, and goes on actually through verse 8 if you wanna get the whole picture. King David said: "One thing have I desired, and that will I seek after, that I might dwell in your presence and behold your beauty all the days of my life. Then shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. And in your tent I will offer sacrifices and shouts of joy".

How can you be assured that your enemy will not be able to be successful in his attack against you? Do the one thing you need to do that's the most important thing first: "Seek the kingdom". You're bein' very wise takin' this time today. You're very wise when you get up in the morning when you spend half an hour, an hour, or 15 minutes, or whatever your plan is with God before you go out and try to do any other thing. "Come unto me," Jesus said, "All ye that labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest [i will ease, relieve, and refresh your souls]". Don't you love that? God can make hard things easy. We can do hard things with ease if we put that first important thing in our life first. How many of you have noticed that the devil fights you on your time with God more than he fights any other thing? And this is the way it is everywhere that I go.

And I wanna tell you somethin'. It is the last thing in the world that you wanna not time for. There's so many other things that we spend time on that are useless and ridiculous, but we need that time with God. Now, another thing that really complicates your life is when you try to figure out everything, reason out everything. I was a real, I was, like, addicted to reasoning. I think you can get addicted to things like that too. It's, like, I could not settle down till I felt like that I had a sufficient reason for what was goin' on. Any of the rest of ya just like to get mental and really just figure out, figure out, figure out? "God, I have to understand this. God, I have to understand this. Why am I like this? Why are they like that? Why didn't you do this? Why did you do this"? When and why, when and why, "Why, God, why"? And "When, God, when"?

Proverbs 3:5 through 7, great scriptures. You can simplify your life by beginning to refuse to try to figure things out. Now, that doesn't mean we go around and we're just dumb all the time. We can ask God to give us understanding, to give us insight and revelation, and then we go on about our business until God shows us what we need to see. There's nothin' wrong with thinking about something, and pondering something, but once you start feeling confused, that's when you know you've gone too far. "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding". Somebody say, "Amen".
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