ANNOUNCER: THIS PROGRAM
HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FRIENDS AND PARTNERS
OF JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES. JOYCE: ONLY A FOOL THINKS
HE CAN ALWAYS DO WHAT HE'S ALWAYS DONE. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] [MUSIC] JOYCE: I WANT TO TALK
TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT THE DIFFERENT SEASONS
IN OUR LIVES AND HOW TO DISCERN WHEN A SEASON
IN YOUR LIFE IS CHANGING. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING WORSE
THAN HANGING ON TO SOMETHING THAT GOD'S DONE WITH. AMEN? AUDIENCE: AMEN. JOYCE: AND YOU KNOW, JUST
BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING FOR 10 YEARS OR 20 YEARS
AND IT'S BEEN GOD THE WHOLE TIME THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT
GOD CAN'T SUDDENLY GET DONE WITH IT AND WANT YOU TO GO
IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. AND SO, I'M JUST GONNA TELL
YOU A STORY MAYBE, TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN WATCH FOR WHEN IT'S TIME FOR
A CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE. FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY, WHEN
SOMETHING IS CHANGING IN YOUR LIFE, WHEN IT'S OBVIOUS THAT
THERE'S A CHANGE-- MAYBE THERE'S A CHANGE AT YOUR
WORKPLACE AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. YOU DON'T LIKE IT, BUT THEY'RE
CHANGING SOMETHING AND IT'S GONNA AFFECT YOU, AND YOU CAN
EITHER SIT THERE AND BE UNHAPPY OR YOU CAN GO ALONG
WITH THE CHANGE. WELL, I HEARD THIS ONE TIME,
AND I THINK IT'S VERY GOOD. WHEN SOMETHING IS CHANGING
THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT
THE CHANGE. SEE, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE LIKE,
"WELL, I DON'T LIKE THIS... AND I'M NOT GONNA BE HAPPY
WITH THIS..." IF IT'S GONNA CHANGE ANYWAY,
THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL CHANGE YOUR MIND AND SAY,
"I CAN GET USED TO THIS. IT'S GONNA BE OKAY."
YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE CHANGING IN OUR LIVES ALL THE TIME. I MEAN, THERE'S--
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS
AT SOME POINT, HAD A FRIEND THAT YOU SAW
A LOT FOR MAYBE 10, 15, 20 YEARS AND NOW YOU DON'T EVER SEE 'EM? AND SEE? EVEN PEOPLE, THERE'S CERTAIN
PEOPLE THAT ARE RIGHT FOR OUR LIVES IN CERTAIN SEASONS,
AND IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S BAD WHEN THEY'RE NO LONGER
IN YOUR LIFE, IT'S JUST TIME FOR A NEW SEASON. YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMETIMES,
YOU'VE BEEN HELPING SOMEBODY FOR A LONG, LONG TIME
AND THAT'S OVER. GOD DOESN'T WANT YOU HELPING
THEM ANYMORE. HE WANTS 'EM TO STAND ON THEIR
OWN TWO FEET. WE HAD THAT SITUATION WITH
MY BROTHER. HE LIVED WITH US FOR ABOUT
FOUR YEARS, AND WE GOT HIM ALL NICE AND HEALTHY, AND HE GOT
OFF OF DRUGS HE WAS ADDICTED TO, AND GOT HIS LIFE
STRAIGHTENED OUT, AND WAS WORKING FOR THE MINISTRY. MY BROTHER WAS THE KIND OF GUY
THAT HE DID EVERYTHING-- HE DID OKAY, AS LONG AS SOMEBODY
WAS KIND OF MAKING HIM DO WHAT WAS RIGHT, WATCHING OVER HIM,
BUT HE DIDN'T DO TOO GOOD WHEN HE WAS ON HIS OWN. WELL, HE WAS A GROWN MAN. AND TO BE HONEST,
I DIDN'T WANNA TAKE CARE OF HIM THE REST OF MY LIFE. I DIDN'T THINK THAT WOULD
EVEN BE GOOD FOR HIM. AND SO, THE TIME CAME WHEN
IT WAS TIME TO STOP HELPING HIM. AND THAT'S HARD TO DO SOMETIMES. AND TO BE HONEST,
HE DIDN'T DO VERY WELL WHEN WE STOPPED HELPING HIM. BUT I COULDN'T JUST KEEP
TAKING CARE OF HIM HIS WHOLE LIFE JUST SO--
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T GIVE YOUR WHOLE LIFE UP TO HELP SOMEBODY
ELSE STAND ON THEIR TWO FEET, WHO WON'T DO THEIR PART. GOD WANTS US TO HELP PEOPLE,
BUT HE NEVER WANTS US TO DO SO MUCH FOR SOMEBODY ELSE
THAT THEY NEVER END UP HAVING TO DO ANYTHING FOR THEMSELVES. AMEN? [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: THERE'S A LOT THAT
I CAN SAY ABOUT SEASONS, BUT I'M TRUSTING GOD TO PICK
OUT SOME BULLET POINT THINGS THAT MAYBE, SOME PEOPLE HERE
REALLY, REALLY NEED TODAY. EVEN YOUR OWN KIDS, YOU KNOW,
THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE WITH YOUR CHILDREN. YOU GO THROUGH A PERIOD
OF TIME WHERE YOU'RE TELLING THEM EVERYTHING, AND THEN YOU
GO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THEY DON'T WANT YOU TELLING
'EM ANYTHING. AND THE TIME WILL COME WHEN
YOU WILL HAVE TO DISENGAGE FROM TRYING TO TELL YOUR KIDS
WHAT TO DO ALL THE TIME, AND DON'T GIVE THEM ADVICE
UNLESS THEY ASK YOU FOR IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT IT
IF THEY DON'T ASK FOR IT. AND SO, YOU HAVE ONE TYPE
OF RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR KIDS WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE
AND AT HOME, A DIFFERENT TYPE WHEN THEY BECOME TEENAGERS. YOU HAVE TO GRADUALLY,
TURN DECISION-MAKING POWER OVER TO THEM IN THEIR OWN LIVES,
AND YOU LET IT GO A LITTLE BIT AT TIME, A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY,
AND THIS MAY SOUND ODD AT FIRST, BUT DON'T BE THE KIND
OF PARENT THAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE YOUR WHOLE LIFE. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE SOMEDAY THEY'RE GONNA
LEAVE AND GO ABOUT HAVING THEIR OWN LIFE. AND IF YOU HAVE PUT
EVERYTHING INTO THEM, NOTHING INTO YOUR MARRIAGE,
NOTHING INTO DEVELOPING ANY OTHER KIND OF RELATIONSHIPS,
OR INTERESTS, OR HOBBIES YOU ARE GONNA BE VERY SAD AND MAY EVEN,
GET MAD AT THEM FOR, "LEAVING ME,"
WHEN IT'S A NATURAL THING. "YOU'LL LEAVE YOUR FATHER
AND MOTHER AND CLEAVE UNTO YOUR WIFE."
NOW, WE HAVE VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR FOUR
CHILDREN AND I'M PARTICULARLY, REALLY CLOSE TO THEM AND
I EITHER SEE OR TALK TO EVERY ONE OF THEM, ALMOST EVERY DAY. I FEEL LIKE MINE NEVER
LEFT HOME. BUT THEY-- [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: TWO OF 'EM LIVE
WITHIN-- WELL, ONE OF 'EM LIVES
WITHIN ONE MINUTE OF ME AND ANOTHER ONE LIVES WITHIN
THREE MINUTES OF ME, AND THE OTHER TWO ARE ABOUT
15-20 MINUTES AWAY. OUR SONS WORK FOR US. AND SO, WE CAME OUT OF IT GOOD. BUT YOU KNOW, I HAD TO MAKE
SOME CHANGES AND I HAD TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AS FAR AS
LETTING MY KIDS LIVE THEIR OWN LIVES AND NOT TRYING TO TELL
THEM WHAT TO DO ALL THE TIME. AND IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE
CHILDREN, YOU WILL EVEN HAVE DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH
EACH ONE OF THEM, COME ON. AND YOU HAVE TO LET EACH ONE
OF THEM BE WHO THEY ARE, AND YOU HAVE TO MEET THEM WHERE
THEY'RE AT, AND NOT EXPECT EVERY ONE OF THEM TO BE LIKE YOU ARE. "OHH..." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: "OHH..."
YOU KNOW, PAUL SAID, I LOVE THIS THAT THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID. HE SAID, "I'VE LEARNED TO BE
ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO WIN THEM."
SO, PAUL HAD THE ABILITY TO KINDA QUICKLY LOCATE WHAT
A PERSON NEEDED OR KINDA WHERE THEY WERE COMING FROM IN LIFE. AND HE--INSTEAD OF EXPECTING
THEM TO ADAPT TO HIM ALL THE TIME, HE WAS SPIRITUALLY
MATURE ENOUGH TO BE THE ONE WHO ADAPTED AND TRIED TO MEET
THEM WHERE THEY WERE AT. LIKE, ONE OF MY CHILDREN MIGHT
WANT MY ADVICE ON EVERYTHING AND THEN, ANOTHER ONE MIGHT
NOT WANT MY ADVICE ON ANYTHING. SO, I'VE LEARNED TO NOT BOTHER
TRYING TO GIVE MY ADVICE TO THE ONE THAT'S GONNA
BE OFFENDED BY IT. AND ONE, I CAN SAY ANYTHING
AND THEY'LL SAY, "NAH, I DON'T WANNA DO THAT,"
OR, "YEAH, I THINK THAT'S GOOD," AND THAT'S FINE. WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. AND SO, JUST MAKE SURE YOU
REALIZE THAT WHATEVER KIND OF RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH
YOUR CHILDREN NOW, IT'S GONNA CHANGE AS TIME GOES BY,
AND YOU GOTTA HAVE SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE
BESIDES JUST YOUR KIDS. DON'T BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE
THAT MOURN FOR FIVE YEARS WITH THE EMPTY NEST SYNDROME. YOU KNOW? [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: BE AT A POINT WHERE,
WHEN IT'S TIME FOR YOUR KIDS TO GO, YOU'RE GLAD. IT'S LIKE... [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: "GO." [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: "COME SEE ME. BRING THE GRAND-BABIES,
BUT DON'T STAY LONG." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. I'M JUST HAVING FUN WITH YOU. HOW MANY OF YOU AGREE WITH THAT? IT'S NOT WISE TO JUST PUT
EVERYTHING INTO ONE THING. AND I THINK, EVEN IN A MARRIAGE,
I THINK--OF COURSE, DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT CAN
DO EVERY SINGLE THING TOGETHER EVERY DAY OF THEIR LIFE. I NEED A LITTLE SPACE
AND DAVE NEEDS A LITTLE SPACE. SO, AFTER 52 YEARS YOU GET
THINGS WORKED OUT REALLY GOOD. IT'S JUST LIKE-- [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: I MEAN, I USED TO GET
SO MAD WHEN HE'D GO OUT AND PLAY GOLF AND NOW, I'M LIKE,
"DON'T YOU WANNA GO PLAY GOLF?" [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: IN OTHER WORDS,
IF YOU WANNA HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE,
STOP TRYING TO MAKE THEM BE WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE,
AND LEARN TO LOVE WHO THEY ARE. AMEN? [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: SO, WE HAD A COUPLE
THAT LIVED WITH US FOR 18 YEARS. THEY--IT WAS WHEN THE MINISTRY
WAS FIRST STARTING AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO HIRE ANY
KINDA HELP, AND THE MINISTRY WAS STILL IN THE BASEMENT
OF OUR HOME THEN. AND THIS COUPLE--GOD PUT IT ON
THEIR HEART AND HE PUT IT ON OUR HEART TO ASK THEM TO COME AND
WORK WITH US, AND HELP US, AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
A VOLUNTEER POSITION AT FIRST. AND SO, WE ASKED THEM TO MEET
US FOR DINNER. AND WHEN WE ASKED THEM HOW'D
THEY FEEL ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED IN HELPING US,
THEY SAID, "GOD ALREADY PUT IT ON OUR HEART. WE'RE READY."
AND SO, YOU SEE, WHEN SOMETHING IS RIGHT,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRY TO MAKE SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING. GOD WILL PREPARE EVERYBODY'S
HEART AND IT WILL BE AN EASY, SMOOTH TRANSITION. WELL, THEY STARTED BY JUST
COMING OUT TO OUR HOUSE ALMOST EVERY NIGHT, AND THEY'D DO
LAUNDRY, OR THIS, OR THAT, OR WHATEVER NEEDED TO BE DONE,
WHICH LEFT ME FREE TO STUDY. AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I TEACH
A LOT NOW, BUT I MEAN, I USED TO BE LIKE, ALMOST LIKE,
A CRAZY PERSON. I MEAN, I WOULD TEACH
20, 25 TIMES A MONTH, AND EVERY MESSAGE WAS DIFFERENT. AND IF I WASN'T PREACHING,
I WAS STUDYING TO PREACH, OR PUTTING TOGETHER MESSAGES,
OR WRITING A BOOK, AND SO, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME
TO DO MUCH ELSE. AND SO, AS THE MINISTRY GREW,
THEY SPENT MORE AND MORE TIME WITH US. AND THEN, AS WE STARTED
TO TRAVEL, THEY STAYED WITH OUR KIDS SOMETIMES WHEN
WE'D BE GONE OVERNIGHT OR ON THE WEEKEND. AND SO, 18 YEARS THEY LIVED
WITH US, AND THEY DID EVERYTHING WITH US. THEY WENT OUT TO EAT WITH US,
EVERYTHING--AND IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL. WE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. NEVER HAD ARGUMENTS. NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES BETWEEN US. WE JUST LOVED THEM. THEY LOVED US. AND IT WAS PERFECT SITUATION. AND THEN THE SEASON WAS UP. AND IT WAS THE HARDEST THING
BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN, JUST THEM BEING THERE ANNOYED ME. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND THEN, I WOULD
GET MAD AT MYSELF BECAUSE I FELT THAT WAY BECAUSE I DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND WHY I FELT THAT WAY. HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW,
SOMETIMES THINGS ARE CHANGING, AND YOUR FEELINGS CHANGE
AND YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU FEEL THAT WAY? AND YOU EVEN THINK,
"WELL, IT'S ME. SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH ME."
AND I MEAN, I WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING FROM THINKING
I WASN'T A LOVING PERSON TO I WASN'T APPRECIATIVE,
AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS. WELL, IT TOOK A LOT LONGER
THAN IT SHOULD HAVE FOR US TO MAKE THE CHANGE,
BUT TWO YEARS AND FINALLY, ALL FOUR OF US GOT IT. IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE. AND WE'RE STILL FRIENDS TODAY. WE LOVE THEM. THEY LOVE US. BUT WE USED TO SEE THEM EVERY
DAY OF OUR LIFE, FOR 18 YEARS. AND NOW, WE SEE THEM MAYBE,
FIVE TIMES A YEAR, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT
A RELATIONSHIP WITH DEEP ROOTS. WE WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR THEM,
IF THEY EVER NEEDED HELP. THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR US. BUT YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING
TO LET THINGS CHANGE. NOW, I'M GONNA MAKE A STATEMENT
THAT HAS REALLY IMPACTED MY LIFE IN THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS, AND I HOPE THAT IT WILL MEAN SOMETHING TO YOU. ONLY A FOOL THINKS HE CAN
ALWAYS DO WHAT HE'S ALWAYS DONE. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: ONLY A FOOL THINKS
HE CAN ALWAYS DO WHAT HE'S ALWAYS DONE. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. YOU'RE AGING. FROM THE MOMENT YOU'RE BORN
YOU'RE AGING. NOW, I ASKED MY TRAINER--
I HAVE A TRAINER THAT WORKS WITH ME THREE DAYS A WEEK
WITH WEIGHTS AND I ASKED HIM-- I'M 76 NOW, I SAID, "OKAY,
IF I KEEP THIS UP--" THREE DAYS A WEEK,
I'VE BEEN WORKING OUT LIKE THAT LIKE, 13 YEARS. I SAID, "IF I KEEP THIS UP,
WHEN I'M NINETY WILL I STILL BE ABLE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT
I'M DOING RIGHT NOW." AND HE SAID, "NO." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND, I'M KINDA LIKE,
"WELL, HOW DO YOU KNOW?" YOU KNOW? [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND HE SAID NO
SIMPLY BECAUSE-- HE SAID, "YOU'LL STILL BE
ABLE TO WORK OUT." BUT HE SAID, "YOU WON'T
BE LIFTING AS HEAVY OF WEIGHTS AS YOU DO NOW. YOU MIGHT NOT DO QUITE
AS MANY REPS." HE SAID, "BECAUSE YOU'RE AGING,
AND BY THE TIME YOU'RE 90, NO MATTER HOW GOOD A CARE
YOU TAKE OF YOURSELF, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE
AS STRONG AS YOU ARE, RIGHT NOW."
SO, I ASKED HIM THE OTHER DAY, I SAID, "HOW ABOUT 80? CAN I STILL--" YOU KNOW? [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND HE SAID,
"YEAH, FOUR YEARS FROM NOW, YOU'LL PROBABLY STILL BE ABLE
TO DO PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW."
AND PART OF THE REASON WHY I'M DOING THESE PHYSICAL THINGS
IS TO KEEP MYSELF IN SHAPE. IF YOU WANNA KEEP MOVING THEN
YOU GOTTA KEEP MOVING. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST GO
SIT DOWN SOMEWHERE AND EXPECT TO FEEL LIKE DOING THINGS FIVE
OR TEN YEARS FROM NOW. BE AS ACTIVE AS YOU CAN,
AS LONG AS YOU CAN WITHOUT HURTING YOURSELF, AND YOU CAN
BE AROUND FOR A LONG TIME DOING LOTS OF THINGS. OLD IS A MINDSET. AGING IS A FACT OF LIFE. WE'RE ALL GETTING OLDER
ALL THE TIME. AND YOU WILL GET TO THE POINT
WHERE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT DOESN'T INTEREST YOU ANYMORE,
OR SOME THINGS YOU USED TO REALLY LOVE TO DO,
NOW YOU DON'T WANNA DO. AND WE HAVE TO NOT BE AFRAID
TO LET THINGS CHANGE IN OUR LIFE BECAUSE THAT IS ACTUALLY
THE NATURAL CYCLE OF LIFE. CHANGE IS NATURAL. IT'S NORMAL. AND IF YOU ARE RESISTANT
TO CHANGE-- HOW MANY OF YOU DON'T
LIKE CHANGE? WELL, TOO BAD. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: BECAUSE IT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN. AND TO BE HONEST, I MEAN,
SOME CHANGES I DON'T LIKE, BUT I DON'T MIND CHANGE
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S WHAT KEEPS LIFE INTERESTING. YOU KNOW, IF EVERYTHING
IS THE SAME, SAME, SAME OL', SAME OL', SAME OL' FOREVER
AND EVER IT GETS KINDA TIRESOME. AND SO, ONE OF THE WAYS YOU
CAN TELL WHEN GOD IS WANTING TO CHANGE SOMETHING IS YOU
JUST WON'T LIKE IT ANYMORE. IT'S JUST LIKE, IT DOESN'T
FIT ANYMORE. IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. AND I DON'T SUGGEST THAT EVERY
TIME YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK YOU NEED
TO GO DO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT. YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE YOUR
JOB ONE DAY. THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU NEED
TO QUIT AND GO GET ANOTHER JOB. BUT IF IT PERSISTS OVER A PERIOD
OF TIME THEN YOU NEED TO START ASKING YOURSELF,
"IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE?" AND SOMETIMES, YOU DON'T
EVEN HAVE TO HAVE A REASON FOR WHY IT SHOULD CHANGE. SOMETIMES, WE JUST NEED
A CHANGE. SOMETIMES, WE JUST NEED
TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. OR SOMETIMES, WE DON'T HAVE
ANY IDEA WHY GOD WANTS US TO LEAVE ONE PLACE AND GO
TO ANOTHER PLACE. BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW,
MAYBE YOU'RE IN A CHURCH YOU BEEN IN FOR X NUMBER OF YEARS
OF YOUR LIFE AND MAYBE-- MAYBE, YOU KNOW TOO MUCH TO STAY
IN THAT SAME PLACE ANYMORE. MAYBE, YOU NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE
WHERE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW AS MUCH AS YOU KNOW,
AND GOD MIGHT WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE YOU THERE, WHERE,
WHERE YOU'RE AT RIGHT NOW, HE DOESN'T NEED YOU. HELLO? [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I WORKED AT A CHURCH
FOR FIVE YEARS AND GOD STARTED DEALING WITH ME THAT IT WAS TIME
TO LEAVE, ONLY I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS WHAT HE WAS UP TO,
AND I JUST STARTED GETTING UNHAPPY. I DIDN'T--
I JUST DIDN'T LIKE IT ANYMORE. I JUST DIDN'T WANNA GO. I DREADED GOING. AND I WORKED THERE,
AND THINGS THAT I USED TO LOVE LIKE STAFF MEETINGS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT, I DREADED 'EM, COULDN'T WAIT FOR 'EM TO GET
OVER WITH. DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT GOD WAS
UP TO. YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS START
BY THINKING, "SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG WITH ME. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?"
AND ONE TUESDAY NIGHT, I WENT TO CHURCH BECAUSE
WE HAD CHURCH ON TUESDAY NIGHT, AND I WAS SITTING IN MY SEAT
IN THE FRONT ROW, AND I HEARD GOD SAY
JUST AS PLAINLY, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, I'M IN CHURCH. IT'S TUESDAY NIGHT." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND YOU KNOW
THE NEXT THING I HEARD? "I DON'T NEED YOU HERE ANYMORE."
HE NEEDED ME SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND SEE, WE NEED TO BE--
NOW, LISTEN TO WHAT I'M GONNA SAY. WE NEED TO BE WHERE GOD NEEDS
US, NOT WHERE WE WANNA BE. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: ARE YOU THERE? WE NEED TO BE WHERE GOD NEEDS
US, NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE. MAYBE, YOU'RE AT A JOB
AND YOU'RE THE ONLY BELIEVER THERE. AND YOU DON'T NECESSARILY,
WANNA BE THERE BUT GOD NEEDS YOU THERE. HAVE YOU ASKED GOD TO USE YOU? UH-HUH, WELL? WHAT IF HE'S TRYING TO BUT
YOU DON'T PARTICULARLY, LIKE THE PLACE HE'S DECIDED
TO USE YOU? YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE THE ONLY
CHRISTIAN IN A PLACE YOU SHOULDN'T GRUMBLE ABOUT THAT. YOU MIGHT BE THEIR ONLY HOPE
OF EVER SEEING JESUS. AMEN? [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: AND I DON'T--
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE SOMEWHERE THAT IS NOT PARTICULARLY,
THRILLING TO YOU AND STILL HAVE A PEACE ABOUT BEING THERE
AND KNOW IT'S THE PLACE THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE. YOU MIGHT BE IN A DIFFICULT
MARRIAGE AND STILL KNOW THAT IT'S WHERE YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO BE. AND I BELIEVE, IF YOU'RE WHERE
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, THAT GOD CAN GIVE YOU
THE ABILITY TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF SOMETHING THAT WOULD DRIVE MOST PEOPLE CRAZY. HELLO? [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: COME ON,
THIS IS GOOD. SO, THE BIBLE PRETTY MUCH SAYS
THERE'S A SEASON FOR EVERYTHING. AND SO, I'M GONNA READ,
VERY QUICKLY, SOME STUFF IN ECCLESIASTES THAT WE'RE ALL,
YOU KNOW, PRETTY USED TO. BUT ECCLESIASTES 3,
BEGINNING IN VERSE 1. AND I'M NOT GONNA READ EVERY
WORD OF THIS, I'M GONNA SKIP THROUGH IT PRETTY QUICK. "THERE'S A TIME FOR EVERYTHING,
AND A SEASON FOR EVERY ACTIVITY UNDER THE HEAVENS:
A TIME TO BE BORN AND A TIME TO DIE,
A TIME TO PLANT AND A TIME TO UPROOT,
A TIME TO KILL AND A TIME TO HEAL,
A TIME TO TEAR DOWN AND A TIME TO BUILD UP,
A TIME TO WEEP, A TIME TO LAUGH,
A TIME TO MOURN, A TIME TO DANCE,
A TIME TO SCATTER STONES, A TIME TO GATHER STONES,
A TIME TO EMBRACE AND A TIME TO REFRAIN
FROM EMBRACING, A TIME TO SEARCH
AND A TIME TO GIVE UP." I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN
INTERESTING ONE. "A TIME TO KEEP
AND A TIME TO THROW AWAY." HMM... [SIGHING] [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: WE GOTTA STOP THERE
FOR A MINUTE. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: "A TIME TO KEEP
AND A TIME TO THROW AWAY." [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: THIS IS A WORD
IN DUE SEASON. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GO HOME
AND HAVE A THROWING AWAY PARTY. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: COME ON, HOW MANY
OF YOU ARE JUNK COLLECTORS, YOU JUST KEEP EVERYTHING YOU
CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON? WELL, I'LL THROW AWAY
ANYTHING I CAN GET MY-- I DON'T THROW IT AWAY. I GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY. SEND IT TO SOME NEEDY PLACE. MY HUSBAND, ON THE OTHER HAND,
HE LIKES TO COLLECT STUFF. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: EVERYTHING
IS BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME. BUT OUT OF SEASON,
IT CAN JUST BE AN ABSOLUTE MESS. THERE'S A RIGHT TIME
AND A WRONG TIME FOR EVERY MATTER UNDER THE SUN. AND WHEN WE MATURE ENOUGH
TO BE ABLE TO DISCERN THE SEASONS, IT'S A VERY
GOOD THING IN OUR LIFE. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE
A DIFFICULT TIME LETTING GO OF THINGS? SEE, I FEEL FOR YOU. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: I'M NOT--WELL--
SOME THINGS I'M WORSE AT THAN OTHERS, YOU KNOW. NOW, THAT I'VE AGED A LITTLE--
I HAVEN'T GOTTEN OLDER. BUT NOW THAT I'VE AGED A LITTLE,
I'VE HAD TO LET GO OF SOME THINGS AT THE OFFICE
THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, TO BE HONEST,
TECHNOLOGY IS SO FAR AHEAD OF ME NOW,
THAT I'D BE DUMB, NOT TO LET SOME OF THE YOUNGER
PEOPLE HANDLE IT BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. DON'T WANNA UNDERSTAND IT. DON'T HAVE ANY INTEREST
IN LEARNING IT. IT'S JUST--I'D MUCH RATHER
PAY SOMEBODY TO DO IT FOR ME. "HERE, MY PHONE'S
NOT WORKING." "THANK YOU." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: "MY COMPUTER
DON'T WORK." "THANK YOU."
"CAN YOU JUST COME OVER AND DO THAT FOR ME?"
"THANK YOU." SO--BUT I'VE HAD TO,
EVEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS,
MAKE SOME BIG CHANGES. LIKE, YOU MAY NOTICE THAT
I HAVE SOMEBODY HELPING ME A LITTLE BIT HERE, NOW. PASTOR MIKE, SOMETIMES,
GINGER DOES IT. AND YOU KNOW IT WAS JUST
TIME FOR ME TO STOP DOING EVERYTHING. SOMETIMES, YOU JUST
CAN'T DO EVERYTHING, OR YOU GET TO THE POINT
WHERE YOU CAN'T DO ANY OF IT WELL. AND I WAS JUST TIRED. AND I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE TIRED
BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG, LONG,
LONG, LONG TIME. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND I KEPT
IT UP SO LONG TRYING TO KEEP DOING EVERYTHING,
YOU KNOW, 'CUZ EVERYBODY-- "WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S BETTER
IF YOU DO IT," [MUMBLING], YOU KNOW. SO, I KEPT TRYING
TO DO IT AND I FINALLY MADE MYSELF SICK,
AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHOICE. SOMETIMES, YOU WON'T CHANGE
UNLESS YOU COME TO A CRISIS POINT IN YOUR LIFE AND THAT
CRISIS FORCES YOU TO CHANGE. BUT HOPEFULLY, WE'LL GET SMART
ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS AND MAKE THE CHANGES
WHILE WE CAN STILL MAKE THEM BECAUSE WE CHOOSE TO,
AND NOT MAKE THEM BECAUSE WE'RE FORCED TO,
AND HAVE NO CHOICE. GINGER: JOYCE
IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. CHANGE IS INEVITABLE. THINGS IN OUR LIVES
ARE GOING TO CHANGE. BUT THE HARDEST THING IS,
WHEN THEY DO, TO STOP FIGHTING IT. SOMETIMES, WE JUST NEED
TO GO WITH WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO IN OUR LIFE. SO, TRY TO REMEMBER,
IT'S EXPERIENCE THAT WE'LL NEED LATER IN LIFE. IT WILL PREPARE US FOR
THE WONDERFUL FUTURE THAT GOD HAS FOR US. BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT,
CHANGE IS HARD SOMETIMES. BUT GOD NEVER LEAVES
US IN A HARD PLACE. HE'S CONSTANTLY MOVING
US THROUGH THIS JOURNEY CALLED LIFE. JOYCE HAS A BOOK
THAT'S REALLY GOOD AND IT'S A REALLY EASY READ. IS CALLED "ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY."
AND IT HELPS YOU TO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE WONDERFUL
THINGS IN EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND SHE ALSO HAS A TEACHING
THAT WE ARE GOING TO OFFER TOGETHER WITH THAT BOOK
TODAY, CALLED "PRESSING IN AND PRESSING ON."
IT'S THREE AUDIO TEACHINGS ON DIGITAL,
AND THEY ARE GOING TO HELP YOU CONTINUE TO GO,
WHEN YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE GIVING UP. YOU NEED A LITTLE HELP
"PRESSING IN AND PRESSING ON"? THIS IS THE OFFER FOR YOU. SO, PICK IT UP TODAY. ANNOUNCER: LIFE
IS A JOURNEY WITH MANY UPS AND DOWNS,
AND IT'S UP TO US TO LEARN TO ENJOY IT. JOHN 10:10 TELLS US THAT
JESUS CAME SO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE AND ENJOY
AN ABUNDANT LIFE. DISCOVER BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES
FOR LIVING A FULFILLING AND JOY-FILLED LIFE
WITH JOYCE'S SMALL BOOK, "ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY."
START ENJOYING WHERE YOU ARE, ON THE WAY TO WHERE
YOU'RE GOING. ALONG WITH THE BOOK,
YOU'LL ALSO RECEIVE JOYCE'S THREE-PART
AUDIO TEACHING SERIES "PRESSING IN AND PRESSING ON."
LEARN TO PRESS INTO GOD'S INCREDIBLE PURPOSE
FOR YOUR FUTURE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SETTLE
FOR A MEDIOCRE LIFE IF YOU PUT THESE PRACTICAL
PRINCIPLES INTO ACTION. THESE AUDIO TEACHINGS
WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU ANY TIME IN YOUR
JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES APP LIBRARY, SO YOU CAN LISTEN
WHENEVER YOU'D LIKE. THESE RESOURCES ARE
AVAILABLE FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY OF... OR MORE. CONNECT WITH US TODAY. VISIT ONLINE
AT JOYCEMEYER.ORG, OR CALL... ERIN: I'VE GOT STUFF THAT
I NEED GOD TO HEAL ME IN AND I DON'T THINK I REALIZED
IT UNTIL I START REALIZING I DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT. JAI: IT TOOK A WILLINGNESS
OF ME TO BE VULNERABLE AND TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH
FRIENDS AND ALLOW GOD TO HEAL ME. GINGER: AND THERE ALWAYS
COMES A POINT WHERE WE JUST HAVE TO RELEASE EVERYTHING
TO GOD. GINGER: JOIN THE GIRLS
ON JOYCE MEYER'S TALK IT OUT PODCAST. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. ♪ AND O-OHH ♪
♪ YOU WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING ♪ ♪ FOR ME ♪
♪ WHEN I CAN'T FIGHT ♪ ♪ FOR MYSELF ♪
♪ EVERY WORD ♪ ♪ IS A PROMISE ♪
♪ YOU'LL KEEP ♪ ♪'CAUSE YOU'LL ♪
♪ LOVE ME LIKE ♪ ♪ NOBODY ELSE ♪
♪ YOU STAND UP FOR ♪ ♪ ME IN THE ♪
♪ DARKEST NIGHT ♪ ♪ WHEN MY FAITH ♪
♪ IS WEAK YOU'RE ♪ ♪ STILL BY MY SIDE ♪
♪ YOU WILL NEVER ♪ ♪ STOP FIGHTING ♪
♪ FOR ME ♪ ♪ YOU WILL NEVER ♪
♪ STOP FIGHTING ♪ ♪ FOR ME ♪
♪ YOUR LOVE ♪ ♪ IS WINNING ♪
♪ ME OVER ♪ ♪ YOUR HEART ♪
♪ IS PULLING ♪ ♪ ME CLOSER ♪
♪ YOUR LOVE ♪ ♪ IS WINNING ♪
♪ ME OVER ♪ ♪ YOUR HEART ♪
♪ IS PULLING ME ♪ ♪ CLOSER ♪
♪ YOU WILL ♪ ♪ NEVER STOP ♪
♪ FIGHTING FOR ME ♪ ♪ FIGHTING FOR ME ♪
FEMALE: I LOVE THAT MAGAZINE SHE SENDS OUT. FEMALE: THERE'S SOMETHING IN
THERE FOR EVERYBODY. FEMALE: IT'S JUST BROUGHT
ABOUT SO MUCH CHANGE IN MY LIFE PERSONALLY. FEMALE: IT'S ALWAYS AN
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR YOU TO WANT TO DO MORE MINISTRY. ANNOUNCER: GET YOUR FREE
SUBSCRIPTION TO, "ENJOYING EVERY DAY LIFE," MAGAZINE TODAY AT
JOYCEMEYER.ORG. READ ENCOURAGING ARTICLES FROM
JOYCE, UPDATES FROM HAND OF HOPE, AND MUCH MORE. FEMALE: READING THROUGH
THE MAGAZINE CONFIRMS FOR ME THAT GOD'S AT WORK. ANNOUNCER: WE HOPE YOU HAVE
ENJOYED TODAY'S PROGRAM. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
JOYCEMEYER.ORG. THIS PROGRAM HAS
BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FRIENDS AND PARTNERS
OF JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES.
