Joel Osteen Podcast - Be Good To People | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: December 20, 2023

Sometimes we wait for a special occasion to do something kind for others. But when you live a lifestyle of being good to people, your life will always be more fulfilling and rewarding. Every good gift you give will come back to you.Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visit JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.Daily inspiration. Scriptural promises. Get ready for a new year of faith with the Hopes & Dreams 2024 Planner. Our special December offer will let you journal your thoughts, record your prayers, and hold on to the dream God has placed in your heart. Request your copy today! https://bit.ly/3T8xgqS   Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. It's so great to have you listening to the podcast. We have a new resource we'd love to send you. It's the 2024 devotional calendar. It's full of inspiration, encouragement. It'll help you to start the day all right. Hope you'll request your copy, but enjoy the podcast today. Well, God bless you. It's always a joy to come into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. for tuning in and thank you again for coming out today. I like to start with something funny and I heard about this plane that was about to land and the flight attendant came over the loudspeaker

and said, we'd like you to help welcome our new co-pilot. He's about to make his first commercial landing. So when the plane stops, please give him a big round of applause. In a few minutes, the plane made an extremely bumpy landing bouncing up and down. She came back on and said, thanks for flying with us today. And don't forget to tell our new co-pilot which one of his three landings you like best. Hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you.

I want to talk to you today about being good to people. Everywhere we go, we should look for opportunities to be a blessing. Doesn't have to be something big. You bring your coworker a cup of coffee in the morning, a small act of kindness. Or on the freeway, traffic backs up. You slow down. You let that car in in front of you. Just being good to people.

At the grocery store, the person behind you has fewer items. You tell them, go up ahead in front of me. You don't have to. There's nothing wrong if you don't, but you're on the lookout for ways that you can be good to people. On the forefront of your mind is not how can I get blessed, but how can I be a blessing? I've learned if you will make somebody else's day, God will always make your own day. If you'll bring a smile to their face, God will bring a smile to your face. This is the most rewarding way to live, not what can I get, but what you're going.

can I give? Not what can you do for me, but what can I do for you? The scripture says, Jesus went about doing good, healing all that were sick. The first thing Jesus did before healing, before ministry, before delivering was he was good to people. And we all have an assignment. You could say we all have a ministry. May not be up in front of people. May not be to go overseas and be a missionary, our ministry is to be good to people. That's one of the best witnesses that we could ever have. You don't have to necessarily preach them a sermon. You don't have to argue doctrine. Try to make them believe what you believe. Just be good to them. Our actions speak much louder than our words. We can say all day long, I love you, but true love is seen in what we do. If I really love you,

I'll be good to you. If I really love you, I'll let you have the parking spot, even though I got there first. I'll prefer you. God said to Abraham, I will bless you and you will be a blessing. One key to being blessed is are you willing to be a blessing? God is not going to increase us in the way he wants if we don't make it a priority to be good to people. I met an older gentleman after the service. he'd been at the pharmacy earlier that week to pick up a prescription. He thought his insurance would pay more of it. He ended up not having enough money. There was a young man in line behind him that attends Lakewood.

He just finished working out and ran in there to get something to drink. He overheard this conversation how the man didn't have enough money. He said to him, you stay here, I'll be back in 10 minutes. He ran home, got his wallet, came back, and bought the man's prescription. The older man was so excited. He said, Joel, I came to Lakewood today for the first time because if there are people like that at Lakewood, then I want to be here. Friends, being good to people is better than preaching a sermon. Being kind, generous, compassion speaks much louder than any words. We should have a goal every day to do at least one good thing for somebody else. Don't wait for a

special occasion. Doesn't have to be Christmas. Their birthday, their anniversary, Valentine's. No, just an ordinary day, bring your spouse home some flowers. You're at the mall and you see that blouse that would look good on your friend, buy it and take it to her. What's this for? It's not my birthday. It's not Christmas. No, it's because you're my friend and I want to be good to you. That young man that delivers pizza to your house, you don't even really know him, but sometimes for no reason at all, bless him with an extra $20. You can't be good to everyone, but you can be good to the people God put in your life. You need to study them.

Listen to what they're saying. Be sensitive to their needs. A man was helping me on a project. He said, just in passing, wow, Joel, your computer monitor is so clear. The clarity and the sharpness is amazing. I said, yes, it is. And what kind of monitor do you have? He said, oh man, my monitor's like eight years old.

It's not clear at all. The next week, he had a monitor just like mine. Galatian 610 says, don't miss an opportunity to be good to people. If I wouldn't have been sensitive, not only would he not have been blessed, but when you're good to people, you're sowing a seed for God to be good to you. I would have missed out on a blessing. Well, Joel, I don't have extra money to buy a computer monitor. Maybe not, but can you buy a cup of coffee for a friend?

Can you stay late and help that co-worker finish a project? Can you clean the kitchen, give your spouse a night off? Can you take time to compliment someone, brighten their day? That doesn't cost anything. Don't miss opportunities to be good to people. You hear your co-worker talking about how they've got to take their car into the shop for repairs. Hey, can I give you a ride? You need me to swing by and pick you up in the morning?

You're on the lookout. That young couple, they just had a baby. You hear them talking about how tired they are, how they're not getting any sleep. I don't say, oh, yeah, remember those days. That's a really tough time. No, be sensitive. That's an opportunity to be a blessing. Hey, how about my spouse and I come over and babysit.

You guys go out to eat one night, have some fun. Are you looking for ways you can be good to people? The more you bless others, the more God will bless you. I was in a hotel lobby one time. A man was talking on his cell phone when his battery died. It must have been an important call because he was very frustrated and stressed out over it. It was an Asian man dressed very nicely. I was standing next to him.

I just pulled my cell phone out and said, here use mine. He said, no, no, I'm calling long distance. I said, that's okay. You can call wherever you want to. He seemed very surprised. He said, are you sure? I said, yes, I'm sure. When I heard him calling Korea, I almost changed my mind.

Thought God let the call drop, please. But five minutes later, he handed me my cell phone back and said of the most genuine voice, thank you so much. I could tell that simple act of kindness had brightened his day. It may have cost me a few dollars, but I've learned when I'm good to other people, God will always be good back to me. I could have ignored it. I thought, oh, too bad his cell phone dies.

Happens all the time. I don't know the man. It's his problem, not mine. No, I realize my assignment is to be good to people. That's one of the main reasons God has put us here. And if we're going to reach our highest potential, we have to make it a priority to be a blessing. Not just big things, small things.

Borrow my cell phone, give a compliment, give a ride home, stay late, and help a co-worker. All through the day, we should be looking for ways we can be good to people. There was a man standing in line with his small son to buy tickets to go to the circus. Right in front of him was a young couple with eight small children. They were all under the age of 12. They were well-behaved and clean cut. But he could tell by what they were wearing they didn't have a lot of money.

They were so excited about going to the summer. and they were so excited about going to the circus. The young couple stepped up to the counter. The man asked proudly for eight children's tickets and two adults. When the attendant told how much it was going to cost, his wife dropped her head. The husband leaned closer and said, how much did you say it would be?

The attendant told them again. He didn't know what to say. It's obvious he didn't have enough money. The man in line behind him watching all this take, place, pulled $40 out of his pocket, discreetly dropped it on the ground. He picked it up and said, excuse me, sir,

I think this money may have fallen out of your pocket. The man looked at him knowing exactly what he was doing. He said with a small tear running down his cheek, thank you, sir, from the bottom of my heart. Friends, the real joy in life

is not in what we get, but in what we give. There is no greater feeling than in making somebody else's day. We were never created to be engrown and think about me and my dreams and my problems and my challenges. That's a shallow way to live.

It's why some people are not happy. We were created to be givers. And when you help make somebody else's dream come to pass, God will always make your own dream come to pass. Proverbs 1117 puts it this way. Your own soul is nirms. nourished when you are kind. When you're good to others. Yes, you're doing them a favor, but really, you're doing yourself a favor. Your own soul is being strengthened. Your own life

is being enriched. It's like this lady I heard about. She was stopped at an intersection in her car. This beggar came over, knocked on the window and asked her for some money. She rolled down the window and said to the man, listen, sir, I'm going to give you a dollar. But not because of you, but because it makes me feel good. The man said, ma'am, why don't you make it $10 and thoroughly enjoy yourself? Paul said in 2nd Corinthians, I want you to excel in the gracious ministry of giving. He could have said, I want you to excel in business, excel in sports, excel in medicine. That's all good.

But he said, what I want you to really be great at. What I want you to excel in is in giving. I've made up my mind. I'm going to live my life as a giver and not a taker. If you get around me, I better warn you, you're going to get blessed. I'm going to study ways that I can be good to you. I'm going to encourage you. I'm going to buy your dinner. I'm going to be good to your children. I'm going to help make your dreams come to pass.

See, when I come to the end of my life, I don't want people to say, oh yeah, Joe, he had that big church, didn't he? He wrote some nice books. Now, I want them to say, Joel was a giver. Joel made me better. Joel bright in my day. Joel was good to me. I've heard it said, if you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.

If you want happiness for a month, get married. If you want... I didn't say this. Somebody else did. If you want happiness for a year, win the lottery. But if you want happiness. happiness for a lifetime, be good to people. So often we are praying for a miracle, we have to realize we can become someone's miracle. Look around at who God has put in your life. You may be their miracle.

That man with the $40, he became a miracle for that young family wanting to go to the circus. That young man at the pharmacy, he became a miracle for that older gentleman. There may be miracles in your closet, miracles in storage, that furniture, that equipment, those outfits you're never going to wear again, you could give them to a friend and become their miracle. I was leaving Minutemade Park a few years ago. The ballgame had just ended, and as I was driving off, it started to rain really hard. Thousands of people were coming out. It's a long walk to their cars. I couldn't do something for everyone, but I did have one umbrella in my back. seat, pulled over to the side, rolled down my window. Two ladies were running to their cars with their

programs over their head. I said, here, have my umbrella. They couldn't believe it. One lady said, that's amazing. She just said, God, I wish I had an umbrella. I said, God must have heard you because here it is. You can become someone's miracle. Well, Joel, I am not going to give away my umbrella to a total stranger. It costs me 2295. Listen, you can't. You can't. Now, give God. The scripture says give and your gifts will come back to you, press down, shaking together, running over. When you're good to people, when you meet a need, when you become a miracle, God will make sure that you get paid back. Your gifts, your generosity, your kindness will come back to you. It's funny, I had had that umbrella forever. It was like 10 years old. It was cheap to begin

with. It never did work right. But several months later, I was leaving a big hotel in another city. It was raining. The bellman had this big fancy umbrella. It was two umbrellas combined. He walked us to our car. Just as it was about to close the door. He said, Joel, do you have an umbrella? I said, no, I don't. He shook it off and said, here, take this one. We got a bunch of them. I thought, God, you are so good. I gave up my old beat-up umbrella and you gave me back a double wide. I get my whole family under this one. That's the way God is. You go around being good to people and God will make sure that people are good back to you. I read a story about a young man that grew up very poor in a small city. He would go door to door selling different items to try to pay his

way through college. At one point, he only had a dime to his name. He was so hungry. He hadn't eaten properly in a couple of days. He got his nerve up. The next house he knocked on, he was going to ask them for something to eat. A very attractive young lady answered the door, about 16 years old. When he saw how beautiful she was, he lost his nerve and wouldn't ask for anything. She said, young man, you look like you're starving. You look like you're so hungry. Can I get you something to eat? He said, no, I'd just like a drink of water. She went in, brought him back a big glass of cold milk. He thought he had won the lottery. He hadn't had milk in the longest time. Couldn't ever remember being able to drink a whole glass. He drank it down all in one big gulp.

Felt so refreshed and re-energized. Reached in his pocket for the 10 cent to pay the young lady. She said, no, you don't owe me anything. My mother taught me to never accept pay for an act of kindness. years later, that young lady became seriously ill. She was treated in the local hospital, in the small town, but doctors couldn't find out what was wrong with her. They sent her away to the big city, to the leading specialist, a man named Dr. Howard Kelly. When Dr. Kelly saw on her chart the city she was from, he was very intrigued. He rushed down to her room, took one look at her, and immediately recognized her. Dr. Kelly took on this case personally,

went to great lengths to do everything he could to make sure she got well. Sure enough, four months later, she had totally recovered and was ready to leave the hospital. Dr. Kelly requested that his business office send the bill through him personally so he could approve. The woman dreaded looking at the bill, knowing that it would probably take her her lifetime to pay it all.

but when she opened that bill, Dr. Kelly had written in big letters paid in full with one glass of cold milk. Here's my point. When you're kind to people in their time of need, God will make sure somebody will be kind to you in your time of need. Your gifts will come back to you.

Every opportunity you have, be good to people. You don't know why God has put that person in your path. It's not a coincidence. Incidents. God has strategically lined up every person, every detail, every step of your life. Now, do your part. Don't miss an opportunity to do good. Even small things, given a glass of cold milk, giving somebody a ride, letting them use your cell phone. Well, you say, Joel, I've got my own challenges. I'm dealing with this health issue. Got these problems in my finances. I didn't come all the way out here to hear about being good to people. I want somebody. I want somebody.

to be good to me. No, you've got to sow a seed. Psalm 37 says, trust in the Lord and do good. Most of us know how to trust. We're believing for a breakthrough. Believe in for healing. Believe in for a promotion. We've got the trusting down. Now we've got to move on to step two and be good to somebody. Be a blessing. If you will become a miracle, that is the seed God will use for your own miracle. But in difficult times, it's easy to fall into self-pity and think about my problems and can't believe this is happening. I don't understand it. No, get your mind off yourself and go out and be a blessing to someone.

Being good to people in your time of need is one of the most powerful things you can do. Don't let that difficulty cause you to become ingrown and sour. I don't feel like doing it. No, shake it off and go out and. be a blessing. The medical report may not look good, but don't you sit around at home all day and just think about it. Get out of the house

and go cheer up that neighbor. If you can't leave, bake some cookies and give it to the mailman. If you can't get out of bed, at least pick up the phone and go call and encourage a friend. When God sees you not only trusting, but doing good

to people, that's when he promises your gifts will come back. Your kindness will be returned. you'll not only come out, you'll come out better off than you were before. There was a lady that owned a coffee shop in another state, a drive-through business. One morning, a customer pulled in and ordered her coffee. When she went to pay, she said, I want to pay not only for my coffee, but for the coffee of the person behind me, a total stranger. The next car pulled up.

The owner said with a big smile, your coffee is free today. The lady in front of you bought it for you. The man was pleasantly surprised. He said, well, I want to buy the coffee of the person behind me. Total stranger. This string continued for over two hours and more than 80 customers. What am I saying? Being good to people is contagious.

When you go out of your way to show kindness, you start a chain reaction. You compliment someone, puts them in a good mood, and they compliment someone else, on and on. There are enough chain reactions in the negative. They are rude to me. I'm upset. I'm going to be rude to somebody. No, let's start some chain reactions of kindness. Chain reactions of being good to people.

Not waiting for special occasions. No, I heard you going on a trip. Let me run you up to the airport so you don't have to pay that money for parking. Your generosity will not only bless that person. It's not only a seed for God to bless you, but it's contagious. it will inspire them to be good to others. I wonder what would happen if every one of us would do at least one good thing for somebody every single day. What would our office be like, our school, our home if we made it a priority to brighten somebody else's day?

My friend Roxanne teaches our two children in school. She found out that I like this certain kind of muffin from a bakery for breakfast in the morning. A couple of times a week, sometimes more. She'll get up early, go to the bakery and bring me that muffin. I never ask her to do it. In fact, I said, Roxanne, don't do it. You don't need to get up early, but she lives to be good to people. She could go get it the night before.

She wouldn't have to get up so early. But she won't do it. She wants it to be freshly made. She'll call them early and say, put a new muffin in. I'm going to be there in 30 minutes. She'll get to the bakery, wait until it comes out of the oven, so she could bring it to the house while it's still warm. It's just a $2.

Muffin, but it brightens my day. You don't have to do something big. Small things can make a big difference. Small acts of kindness will be remembered for a lifetime. I heard about an eight-year-old boy named Barry. He was in a small grocery store in rural Idaho staring at the beautiful display of vegetables. His family was very poor.

struggling to make ends meet. The owner of the store, an older gentleman named Mr. Miller, came over and said, Barry, how are you doing today? He said, fine, Mr. Miller. I'm just admiring the peas. Mr. Miller asked if he wanted some. He said, no, Mr. Miller, I don't have any money. I'm just looking. Mr. Miller said, well, Barry, what do you have that you can trade me for some of those peas? Reached in his pocket, said, all I have are these shiny marbles. They were his prized possession never went anywhere without them. Mr. Miller said, let me see those marbles Barry and he looked at him and said, wow, they sure are beautiful. The only thing, Barry, is, I like red marbles and all you have are blues and greens. You take this sack of peas home

and the next time you come in, let me see one of your red marbles. A local businessman was in the store watching all this tape place, brought a smile to his face. A couple of days, later, Barry came in with his red marble. Mr. Miller said, I don't know, Barry. I thought I would like red better, but I think now I like blues better. You take this sack of potatoes home, and the next time you come in, let me see one of those blues. This happened time and time again. For years, Mr. Miller gave free vegetables to Barry and his family, always asking to see a different color marble. Fast forward 23 years, Mr. Miller died. They were having to viewing. Three young men in their early 30s came in, two dressed in army uniforms and one in a nice suit. They walked up

to the casket together, giving Mrs. Miller a big hug, whispering something in her ear. As she watched each young man placed their hand on Mr. Miller's hand, it brought tears to her eyes. that evening during the viewing, the businessman came in, told Mrs. Miller how he had seen firsthand how her husband Jim was such a fine man. He'd given groceries to a little boy, just for letting him look at his marbles. Ms. Miller smiled and said, Jim did that for three young men, always saying it wasn't the right color marble. She said, but now Jim doesn't have a choice about the color or the size of the marvel. She walked up to the casket, with the man and she gently lifted up her husband's lifeless hand and underneath were three shiny

red marbles left there by the three young men. Friends, kind deeds will never be forgotten. It may seem small to you, but they'll be remembered for a lifetime. Take time to be good to people. Look for ways that you can make their day. Don't miss an opportunity to be a blessing. This is where the true joy in life is really found. Remember, when you become a miracle, that is the seed God will use for your own miracle. Have a goal every day to do at least one good thing for somebody else. Let's start some chain reactions of kindness. Have the attitude, not how can I get blessed today, but how can I be a blessing?

Don't wait for a special occasion. Let every day be a blessing. day. And if you will develop this simple habit of being good to people, I can assure you, you'll be happier, your life will be more rewarding, plus God promises your gifts will come back to you. In your time of need, the right people will be there, the right doors will open. I believe and declare, you will see God's goodness in amazing ways, and you will live the life of victory that he has in store in Jesus' name. If you receive it, can you say amen today? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus. I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you, my Lord and Savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. Do you have a dream that's waiting to happen? But it often feels like you'll never get there. Is your dream? To start a business? To see a loved one come to the Lord.

Are you asking God, will it ever happen? Sometimes it feels like our dream is so far off, but I believe you're closer than you think. You're on the verge of seeing things change in your favor, new doors opening, the right people showing up. I'd love to send you our new hopes and dreams, 2024 planner. It's not only a calendar, but it has scriptures and inspiration, a place to journal. It'll help you stay focused and encouraged so you can see your dreams come to pass.

As you support the ministry this month with a special end of year gift of any amount, we would like to bless you with the hopes and dreams 2024 planner. With the new planner, you will start the new year with fresh ideas, fresh hope, and endless possibilities. You'll find monthly calendars and plenty of space to plan for a better, day ahead. Plus, there are inspiring scriptures and thoughts that will encourage you to believe for your dreams. Thank you so much for your prayer and support, your year in giving. You're making a difference around the world. A special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for your monthly gifts. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember, you can watch the services

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