The Secret to Winning the War | Joel Osteen

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The scripture says no discipline at the time seems pleasant, but later on, you will reap a harvest of good things.
Being discipline is not easy.
Walking away when someone is rude, not giving into the temptation, getting up early to excel at work, that’s difficult.
Your flesh wants to be comfortable.
Your flesh wants the easy way out, but you can’t be Later on, you’ll see blessings in favor that you’ve never seen.
But the flesh always wants instant gratification If I tell this person off, it’ll make me feel good right now.
If I buy this item, I can’t afford.
If I sleep in and skip work, I’ll feel good right now. But it’s important to think about later on.
We should be growing. We should be further now than we were 5 years ago.
If I’m still dealing with my temper the same way as years ago, then I’m leaving my flesh on the throne.
If I’m still getting offended, upset, jealous, the same way as years back, then I’m letting the flesh dictate my life.
I’m not saying we have to be perfect, but we should be growing.
When Victoria and I were first married, and we were about to go somewhere, I would ask her if she was ready.
She would say, yes, I’m ready.
So I would go get in the car and wait, and I’d wait and wait and wait.
She would never come. I’d get so stressed out. Go back in. I thought you said you were ready.
She would say I am ready. I said, well, would you mind, like, coming to the car?
I didn’t like to wait. I used to pray, god, you have to change her.
Help her to go faster. What’s funny is god never changed her but he used her to change me.
God doesn’t remove everything that’s uncomfortable. If he did, we would never grow.
Instead of praying god, change the other person, I’ve learned to pray, god, change me, help me to come up higher.
Help me to be more patient, help me to stay in peace.
Even now when I get stuck in traffic, long line at the airport, that impatience still tries to get back on the throne, still tries to dictate my life.
You won’t win the war within one time and you’re done. These forces are constantly opposing each other.
That’s why the apostle Paul said, I die daily.
Now Paul wrote half of the books in the new testament. It’s one of the heroes of faith.
You would think he was so powerful, so mature He wouldn’t have to deal with these issues.
Yet he said, every day, I have to take my flesh off the throne.
Every day, I have to put down my carnal desires.
Couple of years after being impatient and letting things frustrate me. I tried a different tactic.
When Victoria says she’s ready, it’s like the 2 minute warning in football.
The clock says 2 minutes, but you know it’s gonna be 20 minutes.
With the time outs, the replays, the commercials, Now, when she says she’s ready, I go sit down, make a sandwich, work out, go to the grocery store, mow the lawn, And I’m not looking at her right now, but many of the things that frustrate us are really opportunities to grow.
Take the flesh off the throne. Don’t respond the same way you’ve been responding the last 20 years.
Be an impatient. Frustrated, arguing with your spouse, start dying daily.
Like with Paul, we all have areas where we’re letting the flesh dictate If we had started walking by the spirit, being willing to be uncomfortable, keeping our mouth closed, waiting with a good attitude, That’s when you’re growing.
That’s when god can trust you with more influence, more favor, more resources.
And I know there are a lot of battles on the outside, but my question today is, are you winning the war within?
Are you walking by the spirit and not the flesh?
See, when you gave your life to Christ, when you got born again, The scripture says you became a new creation.
The old has passed away.
I would love to tell you that that means You’ll never have any more carnal desires.
You’ll never wanna be jealous, rude, complain.
You know, the old man may have died, but I’ve learned the secret Sometimes he’ll resurrect.
Lazarus wasn’t the only one that came back to life. Your old nature will rise from the dead.
Phesians 4 says, put off the old man and put on the new man.
Even though you a new creation, you have to put off the own.
Every day that old man is trying to get back up and run your life.
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