Joel Osteen Podcast - Better Together

Episode Date: July 28, 2020

We weren’t created to do life alone. When you invest into the relationships God placed in your life, you will be better equipped to withstand any storm. 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 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.

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Thank you so much for downloading this podcast. I believe God has amazing things in your future. I hope you enjoy this message. So good to have you in the House of the Lord. The older that I get, the more I live on this earth, the more I understand how important relationships are and how important it is to be in community with one another. You know, I can look back over my life and I can see how God placed me in an amazing family.

Do you know, sometimes when we're in the moment, we don't understand how great the moment really is. But I look back now and I see how God put people, friends, family in my life that not only held me accountable, that not only sharpened me, but prayed with me, supported me, linked arms with me so that I could weather the storms of life. And I believe that is what God has intended for all of us to live a life that is together. You see, God intended us to have families and make community. When he created Adam, he stood back and he said, it's not good that Adam is alone. And he created Eve.

What he was doing was putting in the heart of every one of us, community, family, family, family, love. He said, Adam, Eve, I want you to go. I want you to multiply, increase the earth. He was saying, I want you to grow your family strong, bring the other people that are in community with you. See, that's what God intended for every single one of us to do. I can truly say today that I am what I am, not because of all my great decisions, not because I was so smart, because I had people in my life who helped me, who motivated me, who challenged me. Even when I didn't want to hear it, I listened. It made a difference in my life.

And I believe you could probably say the same thing. I've had good people in my life. You see, we need to be those good people. We were never intended to live this life isolated as an island and to ourselves. God intended us to be in community with one another, to motivate, to strengthen, and support one another. You see, that's the healthy way to live. Ecclesiastes says it like this. Two people are better off than one, for they can each help one another succeed.

If one person falls, the other one can reach out and help them up. You see, we need each other. If you're going to live a successful life, you've got to understand the people in your life, that are like-minded are important, and they are worth developing a strong relationship with, a strong community with. Good relationships are two-way streets. It's as much about what you give than what you receive. The Bible tells us to encourage one another daily. It doesn't say, wait around to be encouraged. It says we are to have an exchange of encouragement on a daily basis. Do you know when you need encouragement, the greatest thing

that you can do is to speak encouragement? Because when you speak encouragement to them, you literally breathe God's life into them. And as a result, you breathe God's life into your own soul. You see, God says this should be an exchange of encouragement. We can't live as islands to ourself. You know, sometimes it feels like it would be easier to do it alone, doesn't it? Because sometimes the people in our life are annoying and they're aggravating and they're troublesome. But you know what? God is saying it's okay. If you're with the right group of people, the people I've put you with, you have potential in that group of people. If there are people in your family that you don't think that they can get it right,

that's okay because you're there for them. And I can tell you someone else is there for you. It's interesting because I believe that we're our happiest and our healthiest when we are helpful to other people. In fact, it was a study on happiness. And it was interesting because it talked about what actions that we can do that create this emotion of happiness within us. And you would think it was when we go on vacation that we're our happiest. When we get a present, we're our happiest. But it was saying that the emotion of happiness is really a sense of when you are helpful. And your purpose is tied to someone else and helping them. That gives you the greatest heightened sense of happiness. In fact, it was interesting. They called it the helpful high.

That's how they, that's what they labeled it. It's the helpful high. See, I can't imagine getting high on anything but being helpful knowing that it's such a euphoric feeling. It doesn't even have a hangover. You can be helpful and get high at the same time. I believe that's why this church works. I believe that's what makes this church what it is. Because this church is a place that you can come and be loved and encouraged and prayed for. This church is a place that people will link arms with you. And I love this church because you don't have to be perfect to be loved. You don't have to be perfect. No one's judging you.

They're just loving you and being helpful. You know, it's interesting because we all have people around us. You know, sometimes we think, well, God, I can't help everyone. But can I tell you that if you'll look very closely, God will have many people around you that you can invest into, that can be a part of your life. I was talking about how, you know, one way to be a helpful person is to be a person that has the best interest of someone else.

And what I mean by that is the Bible says we're to be sharpeners to one another. And think about that word just a minute. If you've ever cut your hand on a knife, you'll understand sometimes sharp things hurt. They don't always feel so good. But God is saying, I want the people in your life to sharpen you. as you sharpen them. But that only comes from a trusted community, a place where you know there's a sincere love. I can tell you that my greatest growth has come when I've been challenged by the people that love me the most, when I've been held accountable by the people who love me the most,

because they not only hold me accountable, they not only sharpen me, but they're also there to link arms with me and support me. You see, that is where we're going to find help and growth. What am I saying today? I'm saying we're better together. We were meant to be together. I found this wonderful story about the redwood trees in Northern California. And these trees grow 350 feet up in the air.

They grow very close together. The interesting part is their roots are very shallow. They're only about five and a half feet underground. You would think something so incredibly tall would have to go very, very deep in the ground to hold itself up. But the extraordinary fact about this tree is that the roots don't go deep, but they spread wide. Those roots find the other tree's roots,

and they begin to intermingle their roots together. And they say that they find new trees. with one another and that literally the way their roots are so intermingled, they hold each other up. That a tree in the middle of those trees can die from old age and it can stay there a hundred years because it's so intermingled with the other trees. You see, it finds its strength in all climates from being woven together with the other trees. So whether the winds are blowing, the rains are. coming down or whether there's a drought, there is always stability in the forest of the redwood

trees. And if we could be as united together in our lives as those redwood trees are, I believe we could withstand any storm, that we could withstand any drought because we're not only holding one another up, but we are giving nourishment to one another. You see, God intended to be together. He intended us to start in our families. The Bible talks about giving your life away. Who are you entwined with today? Who are you investing in? Who are you giving your life to? I believe there should be people in our lives that we ask God, can I invest in this person? You see, you can give people money. You can give them cars. You can do nice things for them. But can I tell you when you give them your greatest commodity, which is yourself, it makes all the

difference in the world? When you entwine your life with someone else, even if it's seasonal and you invest in them, I believe that's when you'll stand strong, you'll grow, and you will be able to withstand the storms of this life. Amen. Amen. He's an awesome God. He's created us to be better together.

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