Joel Osteen Podcast - Freedom From Competition | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: October 10, 2024

We weren't created to live in constant comparison with one another. You don't have to try to keep up with anyone—God will make sure you get where you're supposed to be. 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 visitJoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.Good things are en route to you! But if you’re holding on to the old, there’s no room for the new. Our October offer will teach you how to make room for God to bless you in ways you never thought possible! It's time to Empty Out the Negative and be filled with blessings! https://bit.ly/3XE45Nf   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. Thanks so much for listening to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We believe you're going to have an awesome 2024, healthy, productive, and favor-filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. Well, God bless you. It's always a joy to come into your homes. We love you. We know God has great things in store for each one of you. If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and see us. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. Thanks so much for two. tuning in today. Thank you again for coming out. I like to start with something funny each week. And I heard about this man. He got caught shoplifting at the grocery store. He was at court and the judge said, sir, I understand you stole a can of peaches. How many peaches were in that can?

He said, five, your honor. He said, all right, I'm going to give you one week in jail for each peach. You got five weeks. His wife stood up and said, Your Honor, may I say something? He said, yes, you may. What is it? She said, he stole a can. appease too. Hold up your Bible and 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 freedom from competition. It's easy to go through life competing with everyone around us. When we see someone that's more talented, more beautiful, someone that has more gifts, instead of running our race and being comfortable with who we are, so often we feel inferior and we think, I've got to catch up to them. We're always trying to measure up to someone else.

We lose 20 pounds, but a coworker loses 25. Instead of celebrating their success and staying in our lane, we think, I've got to do better. They're going to pass me up. Or we wear a new outfit and we're just as happy as can be until a friend comes in wearing a nicer new outfit. They look better than us and now we're discouraged thinking I wish I looked like them. Or a neighbor pulls up in a brand new car. On the outside, we're happy for them. It's beautiful.

Congratulations. On the inside, we're depressed. we start feeling insecure. I've got to work harder. I've got to keep up with them. They're making me look bad. The problem with this unhealthy competition is it's a never-ending cycle. There will always be somebody up ahead of us.

The very freeing thing when you realize I'm not competing with you. I don't have to have as big a house as my neighbor to feel good about myself. I don't have to look like she looks or wear what she wears to feel. secure. I don't have to keep up with my coworker or I'm going to feel less than. No, I understand that I'm not in competition with my friend. I'm not in competition with my neighbor. I'm not in competition with my coworker. The only person I'm competing with is myself. And I'm going to be the best me that I can possibly be. Now, the best you may not be as successful as your neighbor, but that's okay. The best you may not be as thin as your sister, but that's okay. The best you may not be as talented, as dynamic,

as outgoing as your co-worker, but that's okay. You've got to be comfortable with who God made you to be. You can't get distracted and lose your focus by comparing what someone else has or what they do or what they drive or where they're going on vacation. No, you've got to run your own race. Now, I realize I may not be the best minister in the world. I'm okay with that, but I'm going to be the best minister that I can be. I may not be as good a father as somebody else, but that's okay. I'm not competing with them. I'm going to be the best father that I can be. I may not be the ideal husband. Don't you say amen, Victoria, but I'm going to be the best husband that I can be. I have a friend that is so romantic. He plans these big weekend getaways with his wife.

He writes her beautiful poetry. He'll talk to her hour after hour about how beautiful she is on and on. I want to tell him, would you quit doing that? You're making me look bad. But I've learned I'm not Romeo. I'm Jolio. God made us different on purpose.

And yes, we can be inspired by others. We can be challenged to come up higher. But I don't have to go around condemned thinking, I've got to do what he's doing. He's showing me up. He's making me look bad. No, I'm not in competition with him. He has strengths that I don't have.

Do you know what? I have strengths that he doesn't have. He can write some beautiful poems, but I've written some pretty good books. God never created us to go around competing and comparing with others. The reason some people are not secure and they don't feel good about themselves

is they're always looking at what somebody else is doing, where they're going, what they're driving. No, stay focused on your own race. You're not anointed to do what they're doing. God's giving you the grace to be who he's called you to be. When we have this unhealthy competition, life's a constant struggle. We're never good enough.

Because as soon as we catch up to one person, we see somebody else that's up ahead. Ladies, you may have a good friend that's a size 8, but you know the best you is a size 14. Your attitude should be, I'm not going to go through life, beating myself up, feeling inferior because I can't measure up to those standards. No, I'm going to wear this 14 like nobody's ever worn a 14 before. I'm going going to dress it up, paint it, strut it like it's the hottest thing going. I've seen ladies before

that were not particularly attractive. They would normally stand out in the crowd, but by the way they carry themselves, the way they walk, the way they talk, the way they think, the way they think they've got so much confidence. They are so secure in who God made them to be. After a while, you start thinking, you know what, they've got it going on. You see something in them that you didn't see before. Why is that? Because what's on the inside will eventually come out to the outside. They are so comfortable in their own skin. They're not intimidated because they don't look like they stepped out of a fashion magazine. They're not inferior because they don't have the perfect shape. They understand

they're not in competition with all of those others. They're being the best that they can be. You've got to take what God's given you, the height, the weight, the personality, and make the most of it. Dress it up and wear it proudly. But I see too many people that are always

frustrated with how they look. Their height, they're waiting. They're constantly trying to change things and fight against what they don't like. And don't get me wrong. I'm all for doing what we can to improve. Staying in shape, working out, eating right.

I'm not saying we should be sloppy. But we have to realize at some point there's something called genetics. We have to accept the fact that genes have been passed down from our parents, grandparents given by God, and these genes, for the most part, determine that ideal size and weight,

how tall or short we are, how much or how little hair we have, and whether we have this strong, athletic, muscular physique or a physique like my brother Paul. But most of that in general is predetermined. And yes, we may be able to adjust that weight 15, 20% from our ideal weight. But if you have genes that say 150 pounds, no matter what you do,

you're not going to consistently live at 100 pounds. That's not who God made you to be. But if you're in competition with someone that's natural, a hundred pounds and you feel bad because you don't look like them and you can't fit in a size five and I don't know what's wrong with me. Before long, you'll not only lose your enthusiasm, but you'll start to feel inferior and less than, all because you're competing with someone that's not even in your race. Your race is made up of one person, you. And God is not going to hold you accountable for somebody else's gifts or somebody else's jeans.

He's not going to judge you by saying, did you keep up with your coworker? Did you drive as fancy as a car as your neighbor? Were you as successful as your brother? Were you as thin as your best friend? He's going to judge you by saying, did you run your race? Did you make the most with what I gave you?

Did you live confident, secure, knowing who you are? Or did you go around thinking, I'm just not up to par, beating yourself up, because you didn't measure up to somebody around you. The other day, I watched the Indianapolis 500 on television. Those race cars are incredibly sleek. They're low to the ground, extremely aerodynamic. They've got these huge engines that can go 200 miles an hour on a straightaway

and even take a curve at 100 miles an hour. They're quick, they're fast, they're precise. But in spite of all these strengths, do you know they have weaknesses? They can only hold one person. They're not that comfortable. On the inside, it's all metal and equipment. No AC, no luxury. Why is that?

It's designed for a specific purpose. So it can be the best in the field that it's in. At home, Victoria and I have an SUV, a suburban. It can easily hold eight people. It's got a big trunk area. Put bikes and plenty of luggage. Sits up high off the ground. You drive it.

you feel like you're the king of the road. But if you took that SUV and entered it into the Indianapolis 500, wouldn't have a chance. It would get laughed again and again. If you tried to take a turn in it at 100 miles an hour, you'd be hearing the angels say, welcome to heaven. It couldn't handle it. What's the problem?

It's competing in a race. It was never designed to be in. On the other hand, if you trade the SUV in for the IndiVs, race car, you bring it home for your everyday use, you would quickly find out that even though the race car gets a lot of attention, even though it has a lot of sizzle, you couldn't take your children to school in it. It's too small. Only holds one person. Couldn't really go to the grocery store. There's no place to put the groceries, no storage. You could drive it on the freeway, but it's so low to the ground and the suspension is so tight. If you hit a pothole, it'd feel like an earthquake.

In a few days, you'd be saying, can I get my SUV back? Here's my point. Each car is designed for a specific purpose. The SUV isn't going to have a chance in the Indianapolis 500, and the race car is not going to do a lot of good on the city streets. They both have incredible strengths. The key is to make sure you keep them in the right race. Today, you may be that indie car with the talent, the education,

the family, the looks. you, go for it. Be the best that you can be. Run your race. If you're not, don't feel bad about it. There's nothing wrong with saying, those are not my strengths. I'm never going to be that fast. I'm never going to be a size five. My personality is never going to be outgoing and dynamic, but I'm okay with that. In the New Testament, John was baptizing all these people and getting a whole lot of recognition. Somebody came up and said, John, are you the Christ or should we keep looking? without missing a beat, John said, no, I am not the Messiah.

John knew what he was, but he also knew what he was not. It's just as important to know what you're not. Because if you don't realize your limitations and what you're not good at, then you'll get pulled over into areas that may look impressive. They may feed your ego, but they're outside of your gifting,

your calling of what God anointed you to do, and it'll be a constant struggle. I see too many SUVs out on the indie track thinking this is where I belong. I can't be happy unless I can run with the fastest, unless I achieve the most, unless I look the best. Now, could it be that you're competing in a race that you were not naturally designed for?

In other words, you're still trying to have a 28-inch waste feeling bad that you don't look like that co-worker that's 20 years younger than you and has a different set of genes. The truth is for you to be that small again, you would hear the angels saying, welcome to heaven. Not going to happen.

Understand, there's nothing wrong with not being a race car. There's nothing wrong with not being the fastest, the most beautiful, the most successful, the most talented. In fact, an SUV has greater versatility. It can hold more people. It can carry more luggage.

It's got greater strengths but so often we look at the sizzle factor, the magazine covers, and the soap opera stars, that one co-worker that's unusually exceptionally talented. And instead of celebrating their success and letting their gifting inspire us, we start thinking, I've got to compete with them. They're making me look bad.

I'm starting to feel inferior. So we put pressure on us to do things we didn't really want to do. We get the extra job, work all this. time so we can buy the bigger house and keep up with our friends. We have our children in 22 extra classes so we can keep up with the other mothers not be looked down on. Or we're working out twice a day, tirelessly, trying to look like that coworker that's naturally fit and never even has to work out. No, take the pressure off yourself. You're not in competition with them. You have nothing to prove. And when we see someone,

that's more talented, more successful, more gifted. Our attitude should be that indie car doesn't have anything on me. I'm not in that race. I'm in my own race. And I am not going to be frustrated or jealous and think, I've got to get over there to the indie track. I've got to see if I can keep up. No, I'm going to stay focused on my own race and be the best that God's called me to be. But a lot of times, because of pride, because of competition, we have a lot of a hard time admitting what we're not. It takes a secure person to say, I'm not an indie car, but I'm okay with that. I'll never be a size five, but I still like myself. I'm not gifted in that area, but I don't feel bad about it. Or I may never be able to preach like T.D. Jakes,

that's okay, one day he'll come around. Or when I hear our Spanish pastor, Marcos Whitmanister, We all love him. And sometimes at the end of his sermons, he'll burst out into singing. It's so natural to him, so effortless. He's won several Grammys. Heard him the other day, and it gave me chill bumps up and down my arms. My first thought was, God, that's not fair. How come he's got two good gifts?

He can minister and sing. Then I realized, I've got two good gifts. I can minister, plus I'm good looking. I'm just kidding. I didn't get that gift of humility though. But when we compare our gifts, so often we start competing, trying to outperform the other person, trying to prove to them that we're important so we can feel good about ourselves. Now what I'm saying is you can feel good about yourself right where you are.

You have an an anointing on your life, not to be like somebody else. You are anointed to be you. The good news is nobody can be a better you than you. Quit wishing you were somebody else. Quit thinking if I could just sing like them, if I could look like them, if I could lead like them, then I could feel good about myself. No, if the truth be known, those people, they probably want to be like you. I read about this seven-year-old boy named Joey. He never really liked who he was and he always was much more impressed with Billy. He walked like Billy. He walked like Billy and talk like Billy. Well, Billy didn't like who he was. He liked Corey. So Billy walked like

Corey and talked like Corey. Now Joey was copying Billy, who was copying Corey. Come to find out, Corey didn't like who he was. He was much more impressed with Frankie. So he walked like Frankie and talk like Frankie. Now Joey is copying Billy, who's copying Corey. He's copying Frankie. Come to find out Frankie didn't even like who he was. You know who he liked? He liked Joe. So he was walking like Joey, talking like Joey. Alright, let me see if I can do it. Now Joey is copying Billy, who's copying Corey, who's copying Frankie, who's copying himself. What am I saying?

The people that you want to be like, very often, they want to be like you. They see something in you that they admire. There's nothing wrong with looking up to people. It's good to show respect and admiration, but don't try to be like them. Run your own race. You have something great to offer. I'll never forget the first time Victoria and I went to Billy Graham's home. He invited us to come and visit with he and Ruth, and we were so honored about it. When we walked in the living room and saw Billy Graham sitting in that chair, I mean, it was like seeing Moses. Here's one of the heroes of faith.

I've always had the utmost respect and admiration for him and looked up to him in a great, great way. and he's sitting there bigger than life. The first thing he said was, Joel, I love watching you on television, and I'm just so admire how you can take that message of hope around the world. I thought that is so amazing. Here I've admired him my whole life,

and somehow he's found something in me to admire. And I realize that's his personality. He's very gracious, but here's my point. Every one of us has something special about us. You are anointed in your own unique way. You are gifted. You have accomplishments. And we tend to see how great everybody else is, but let me tell you, there's something great about you.

Somebody thinks you're amazing. Somebody's inspired by your life. Somebody even wishes that they could be you. You in your own right are someone to be celebrated. So put your shoulders back. Hold your head up high. You don't have to compete with anyone else. just be the best you that you can be.

A few months ago, I was out running, and I noticed a person in front of me about a quarter of a mile, and I could tell he was running a little bit slower than me, and I thought, good, I'll try to catch him. I had about a mile to go on my path before I needed to turn off. And so I started running faster and faster. I could tell that every block I was gaining on him just a little bit. A few minutes later, I was only about 100 yards away,

and so I really picked up the pace and started pushing it, pushing it. You would have thought I was in the last leg of the Olympic Games. I mean, I was determined to catch him and finally I caught him. I passed him by and on the inside I felt so good, I beat him. Of course, he didn't even know we were racing, but when I got my mind back on what I was doing, I realized I had missed my turn. I was so caught up in trying to beat him that I had gone nearly six blocks further than I was supposed to. I had to turn around and go all the way back. But really, that's what happens in life

when we're trying to catch someone else, a neighbor, a friend, caught up in that competition, trying to outdo them, outdress them, trying to prove that we're important. We're spending all this time and energy going down that path when we should be using it to move toward our own God-given destiny. Some of you today would see you,

your life go to a new level if you would just quit competing with everyone around you. It takes a lot of energy, physical and emotional, to try to impress people all day long. Try to keep up with your family member and try to outperform the neighbor and try to look better than your friend. Oh, let it go. It's very freeing to say, I don't have to impress anybody today. I have nothing to prove. I'm secure in who I am.

and I am not going to feel bad if you look better or make more money or get more recognition. I don't have to keep up with you. I'm not in that race. You're not really free until you realize you don't have to impress people. You don't have to prove who you are. You're not in competition with anyone else. This is one of the things that got King Saul off track. He was doing fine. Samuel had anointed him to be king. His future looked very bright, but he didn't understand this principle. One day he and David were out in a battle. They defeated the Philistines and everything was great, everybody was happy, until some of the women started saying,

Saul has killed thousands and David has killed tens of thousands. It says in verse 9 that Saul never looked at David again the same way. Saul was so insecure that he let someone else's success make him feel inferior. In other words he wasn't comfortable being an SUV. He had to be that indie race car. You would have thought he would have been happy

having somebody like David on his team, somebody that was skilled in such a great way. But no, it takes a secure person, a person who really knows who they are to say, even though I'm ahead of you, I'm going to let you shine. I'm going to let you rise higher. one of the test that we will all have to pass in life is the test of not being jealous and critical

when someone passes us up. The scripture says you have to accept the gift that God has given you. You may be a 1,000 level person, but you have a friend, a neighbor, a coworker that's a 10,000 level person. The real test as to whether God continues to promote you is can you handle their success? you celebrate what God's doing in their life and not get jealous and critical and think that you have to compete with them? Saul lost the kingdom in part because he could not let anyone become greater. The spirit of competition, spirit of pride, a spirit of jealousy, it'll cause us to do things that we never dreamed we would do. Saul loved David. He treated him like a son. He took him into the palace. David would eat dinner with Saul and his family ever.

night. Saul never dreamed one day he would throw a javelin at David and try to kill him. He never dreamed one day he would chase him through the wilderness and try to end his life. What was his problem? Saul couldn't handle being number two. He couldn't

stand the fact that David was a 10,000 level person and he was a 1,000 level person. If he had just been like John the Baptist and said, hey, this is what I am and this is what I'm not, and I'm okay with that. If he had just been satisfied with his gift and run his race, he could have fulfilled his God-given destiny.

But instead, he got distracted, wasted his time and energy competing with someone that was not even in his race. God had already ordained David to go further. We have to be big enough to recognize, I may not be a 10,000-level person. God may have made me to be a 1,000-level person, but I can promise you this. I'm going to be the best 1,000-level person. I'm going to be the best 1,000. level person you've ever seen. I'm not going to stop at 950 or 975 or 999. I'm going to be all God created me to be.

When you hit a thousand, don't be depressed if you see someone else hitting 10,000. Run your race. Understand, there's nothing wrong with being a 1,000 level person. Quit thinking that you have to measure up to somebody else in order to feel good about

yourself. You don't have to feel inferior because you're not as successful as your cousin. You don't have to be intimidated because you have a co-worker that's extremely talented. I don't have to feel less than because my brother is a skilled surgeon. He completed 12 years of college and I just finished my first year. We're not competing against each other. You are in a class all by yourself. When God made you, he threw away the mold.

So don't compare yourself. Celebrate yourself. You have everything you need to fulfill your God-given destiny. I want you to be more comfortable in your own skin. But some of you are always competing with a neighbor, a coworker, a friend, trying to one-up them, out-dress them, outperform them.

No, let it go. They're not in your race. That's a distraction. Your race is made up of one person, you. Be the best you that you can be. Remember, you don't have to impress anybody. You don't have to prove who you are. You know who you are, a child of the Most High God,

anointed, equipped, empowered. So keep your shoulders back, keep your head held high, be secure in who God made you to be. If you will stay free from a spirit of competition and just run your race, you'll not only enjoy your life more, but you'll see your gifts and talents come out to the full.

Because when you celebrate others, God will celebrate you. He'll pour out his life more. blessings in favor, and I believe and declare you'll live that life of victory he has in store. Amen. Do you receive it 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 out. Sometimes the circumstances of life can be overwhelmingly negative. What should we do when we experience these kinds of negative reports and realities? Our life is like a container. It can only hold so much. When we allow negative things in, like worry, guilt, and unforgiveness, that's taking up space for the good things that belong to you. That's why I wrote my book, Empty Out the Negative. I'll show you how to get rid of what's limiting you

so you can live a victorious, fulfilled life. When you make room for joy, peace, and faith, God will feel you afresh and anew. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount to the ministry this month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you this powerful book, Empty Out the Negative, empty out fear, and replace it with faith.

my doctor he said I went in there and there is no cancer in your body empty out a hurt-filled childhood and replace it with confidence so I took what Joel said and I physically replaced them with I am strong I am worthy I started saying those over and over and over empty out broken relationships and find renewed love in a world that's It's just so full of so much noise and negativity and hatred and just to come and have so much encouragement filled into you, you know, is something I've never had my whole life. Are you holding on to things that are weighing you down? It's time to empty that out so you can live a positive, faith-filled life.

Joel and I pray for you every day. We're believing for God's very best for you and your family. You know, we appreciate your prayers and your support. Your generosity is impacting so many lives. Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, listen on SiriusXM, watch the new Joel Osteen Network streaming on television. But until we see you next week, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of Empty Out the Negative today.

Visit Joelosteen.com or call 888-567 Joel.