This is a great audio message given by Pastor Joel Osteen titled, 'Armed with Strength'. This is an awesome message for those of you who need inspiration today to stand strong in the face of adversity. Each segment is 10 minutes. I have typed a transcript of this message below for my readers who need to use Babel Fish to translate. ENJOY!
I want to talk to you today about having a 'can do' mentality. Too many people go around with a weak, defeated mindset. When they face adversity or some kind of difficulty, instead of digging their heels in and fighting the good fight of faith, they get discouraged thinking I can't do this any longer. I can't raise this child it's too hard. I can't go to this job another day. Or this sickness will probably be the end of me. They have a weakness mentality, instead of a 'can do' mentality. It seems like they're always under attack. You ask them how they are doing, 'well pretty good under the circumstances'. What are you doing under there? We're supposed to be ABOVE only and NEVER beneath.
You may have difficult circumstances, but know this... God has already given you the strength you need to NOT just endure it, but to be there with a 'good attitude'. But it all starts right here, WE have to have the RIGHT mindset. Everyday you should say, 'I can do what I need to do'. This job may be tough but God has given me His strength. This child may be hard to raise but I know I am well able. This marriage may be difficult but I'm NOT going to give in and take the easy way out. I'm going to stay strong and fight the good fight of faith.
We have to have our minds made up that NO MATTER what comes against us, we have the strength to OVERCOME! It maybe something small during the day, a flat tire, a grouchy person, a child that's acting up, DEEP DOWN you have to KNOW that I'm not going to get upset. You don't have to lose your cool, God's given you the power to stay calm. When you're in those situations, you need to remind yourself, I have the strength to stay in VICTORY! If you'll have the right attitude, the right mindset life will go a whole lot better.
It says in psalms, "God has given us the POWER to remain calm in times of adversity". The whole key is that we have to activate that power. The way we do it is by believing. Even in bigger things, maybe your facing a serious illness, the medical report doesn't look good, now your tempted to live worried, negative, give up on your dreams. Or maybe it's a situation in your finances, seems impossible to you. Or at the office people are talking about you stirring up strife. The easiest thing is to just sink back and think to bad for me, live negative and defeated.
But no YOU have to get rid of that WEAKNESS mentality and start having a WARRIOR mentality! God has strength for YOU right where you are. He wants you to have VICTORY right in the midst of that storm. But so much of it depends on our approach. The scripture says in 2 Samuel 22:40 "YOU have ARMED me with STRENGTH for the battle. YOU have PUT my ENEMIES under my FEET." Verse 43 says, "I grind them like fine dust into the ground." Notice that phrase, God has armed you with strength for the battle. You may be in tough times, but God has EQUIPPED you and EMPOWERED you with everything YOU NEED to be victorious!
God knows what you're going through. He knows the challenges you're going to face in the future. He doesn't say, 'Have a pitty party and wait 'til it's over, get depressed, give up on your dreams." NO He says here RISE up in faith for I have armed you with strength for that battle! Deep down in here (your spirit) you've got to know that you know this thing is NOT GOING TO DEFEAT ME. It may look difficult. It may look impossible. But I'm NEVER giving up, I know that I've been armed with strength for the battle. And I believe when it's all said and done, I'm still going to be standing STRONG!
We've all heard that phrase, 'armed and dangerous'. That's the way WE ALL have to see ourselves. You are NOT a weakling. YOU ARE a child of the MOST HIGH GOD. He's already infused His 'can do' power into you. When you RISE UP in your authority, with this boldness, with this confidence, being determined, you are not only armed BUT you ARE dangerous to the ENEMY. You see in the natural when things don't go our way, we should get down and discouraged, drag through life defeated. But instead you have that WARRIOR mentality. You have your shoulder's back, you have a smile on your face. You're doing the RIGHT thing even though the WRONG thing is happening to YOU.
When you rise up in faith like that, it not only allows God to fight your battles for you, but that TOTALLY CONFUSES the enemy! When you get up in the morning, I believe the forces of darkness look at you and say, 'oh no s/he's awake again' Friends you ARE armed and dangerous. Don't YOU DARE drag through life with a weak and defeated mindset. Quit telling yourself, 'I can't do this', 'It's too hard for me', 'I'm not able'. NO you HAVE THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE in the UNIVERSE on the inside! Tap into that power. Declare everyday, 'I AM well able'. 'I CAN do ALL things through Christ'. 'I AM a VICTOR and NOT a victim'. 'I HAVE the power to overcome'. When you do that, something is happening on the inside. You are getting STRONG.
Really anybody can sit around and talk about what didn't work out, and the breaks we didn't get, and how unfair life is. We ALL have things coming against us. You may be in a storm, BUT the whole key is DON'T let the storm get in YOU! Stay in PEACE. Stay DETERMINED. Stay AGGRESSIVE. You've been ARMED with strength for whatever you're going through. It's so important the way we see ourselves. We WILL NEVER rise above the IMAGE we have of ourselves. If you SEE yourself as weak, defeated, not able to, that will keep you in mediocrity. But if YOU can DEVELOP a NEW IMAGE on the inside and START to see yourself the way God see's YOU, strong, courageous, more than a conqueror! If you'll see yourself that WAY, you WILL rise to a NEW LEVEL...
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