Joel Osteen Podcast - Fulfilling Your Purpose | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: July 14, 2023

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See terms and conditions at UNS.com. See you. Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It is always a joy to come into your homes.

We love you and we're believing that this year is going to be your best year so far. We just appreciate you tuning in. If you're ever in our area, stop by and see us. I'll promise you we'll make you feel right at home. Thank you again for coming out today. And I like to start with something funny. A woman was on an airplane reading her Bible. The man next to her said, you don't believe all that stuff in there, do you?

She said, of course I do. It's the Bible. He said, well, what about that guy that was swallowed by the well? She said, you mean Jonah? Yes, I believe that too. He said, well, how could he possibly survive all that time inside a well? She thought about it a moment and said, I don't know. When I get to heaven, I guess I'll have to ask him.

He said sarcastically, well, what if he's not in heaven? She smiled and said, then you're going to have to ask him. All right, hold your Bibles up. Let's say it together. 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. You sound great as usual. We've been talking about making the most. of our time. And I want to focus today on the importance of knowing your purpose and then

taking steps to fulfill that purpose. You have a divine destiny. You're not an accident. God saw you before you were ever even born. And he's put gifts and talents in you. He's given you ideas and creativity. There's something that you can excel at. You have all this potential on the inside. But it's not going to do you any good unless you start tapping into it. it. And too many people today are not really fulfilled. They're just going to work, trying to make a living, stuck in a job they don't even like, not pursuing the dreams and desires that God's put in their heart. And as long as we're not moving toward our God-given destiny, there will always be a sense of dissatisfaction on the inside. And I can't think of anything more tragic than to come to the

into your life and realize that you have not become all God created you to be. You just lived an average, mediocre life. You got by, but you didn't have any passion. You didn't have any enthusiasm. You had all this untapped potential on the inside. I heard somebody say, the wealthiest place on earth is not in the oil fields over in the Middle East. It's not in the gold and diamond mines in South Africa. The wealthiest place on earth is in the cemeteries, because buried in those graves are all kinds of dreams and desires that will never be fulfilled. There are books that will never be written, businesses that will never be started, ministries that will never see the light a day, the incredible power of potential is lying in those graves. And I want you to feel this sense

of destiny today. Friends, you have an assignment. There is something God, wants you to accomplish and if you don't get it done not only are you not going to be fulfilled but this world is not going to be near as bright a place as it could be and the reason some people are not happy the reason they're not living with enthusiasm is because they're not really in their purpose understand there is a gift a treasure on the inside of you but you got to do your part to get it out and i want to challenge you today to be more determined than ever that you're going to get focused and start taking steps toward the dreams and desires that God's put in your heart. Our goal should be we're going to live life to the full, pursuing our passions, pursuing our dreams,

and then when it comes our time to go, we're going to go empty. We're not going to have any potential left in us. We're not going to have to bury any of our treasures. We're going to have spent our life well. Well, you say, Joel, how do I really know my purpose? How do I really get into my divine destiny? it's not complicated. Your purpose has to do with what excites you. What are you passionate about? What do you really love doing? Your purpose will be a part of the dreams and the desires that are in your heart.

It'll be a part of your very nature. See, God made you. He's the one that put those desires in you, so it'll be something that you like doing. For instance, if you really love children, then your purpose will probably be something that has to do with children, teaching them, coaching them, mentoring them. I know people that are just extremely helpful people. They're so compassionate and caring. Well, their purpose will probably fall into a social field or maybe even a medical field, a doctor, a nurse, a caregiver, a counselor. What I'm saying is that your purpose will always follow after what you are passionate about. I know from the time I was 10 or 11 years old, I was always fascinated with television production. I love the cameras and editing and watching people make movies.

That just excited me. And from the time I was a young man, I would come down to the church on the weekends. We had some little industrial cameras, and I'd spend all day Saturday just playing with the television equipment. I didn't know how to run it. I'd just turn it on and off and unplug it, plug it back in, cool the cables, get it ready for Sunday, but I was passionate about it. It's what came naturally. When I got old enough to run the camera in the services, maybe 13 or 14, I was very good at it. In fact, I was one of the best cameramen that we had. But it wasn't hard for me. It was natural to me. I didn't have to work at it.

It was like a hobby. I loved doing it. See, that was all a part of my purpose. That was hardwired into me by the creator of the universe. And I just kept following my past. I went to college and studied it for a year, came back home and started the television ministry. And even today, being on the other side of the cameras, I can see how God was guiding and directing my steps. But some of you go to work every day and you don't really enjoy it. You don't like the field that you're in. You get up in the morning dreading it. You can't stand the traffic.

You don't enjoy the people. Listen, you need to re-examine things. You are not meant to live a miserable and unfavorable. fulfilled life. And you need to make sure that you're in a field that's a part of your purpose. Don't go 25 years doing something you don't like and just stay there because you're comfortable and you don't want to rock the boat. No, get into your divine destiny. We should love what we're doing. We should go to work every day with enthusiasm, passionate about what we do. And I'm not saying we don't have to work hard. There are not going to be some frustrating days and people we don't want to deal with.

That's all a part of it, but ultimately we should enjoy what we're doing. When you get home at night, you should feel rewarded, like you've accomplished something, like you've made the world a better place. And really, when you get into your purpose, work is not even going to be like work to you. It's going to be like a hobby, and on top of that, you'll get paid for it. I heard somebody say, do what you love doing, and the money will always follow. And I believe that if you'll really get into your purpose, you'll never have a problem with money. because when you're fulfilling your God-given destiny,

you'll not only be excited and enthusiastic about it, but you'll excel in that area. And when you excel, promotion and increase will always come. And every one of you has hardwired into you a divine purpose from the creator of the universe. It's a part of your nature. And until you start pursuing it and start really getting into it, you're not going to be fulfilled as you should be.

I like to think of it like this. God made all these different kinds of animals, and he's given them each unique characteristics and unique things about their personality. For instance, the owl is nocturnal, likes to be out at night. And so God has given the owl eyes that can see as good at nighttime as we can see in the daytime.

But if that owl decided he wanted to start sleeping at night and staying out during the day, and all of a sudden he started going against his God-given day, destiny, then he's going to have problems. He's going to have a hard time finding food. He's going to struggle all day, not enjoy his life, and it's all because he's not doing what he was wired to do. He got outside his purpose. When you're really in your purpose, things come naturally to you. You don't have to tell the owl to stay up at night. It's natural for it to stay up at night. And it's got the equipment for it. It's got the goods. God's giving it the vision. Doesn't have to

struggle to stay awake, God made it nocturnal. Well, in the same way, God has put certain things in every one of us. And if we can just get into our purpose and do what we're good at naturally, then life is not going to be a struggle. It's not going to be a headache. You're not going to get up, dread and go into work. God, why do I have this job? No, make sure you're in your purpose. When you're really in your purpose, there'll be a joy on the inside. Deep down in here, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment, a sense of fulfillment. And yes, we're going to have to work hard. Yes, there will be times that we struggle, but overall, when you're really in your purpose, you will be fulfilled and you will enjoy your life. I think about another type of animal, a retriever,

a certain type of dog. It's natural for a retriever to retrieve. That's what's been hardwired into it. You can take a bunch of retrievers and put them in a fenced off area, and all day long, lay around the yard, lazy, unmotivated, no enthusiasm, just dragging through the day. But when that owner comes home and opens up the bed of his pickup truck and they begin to realize they're about to go hunting, those dogs will come alive. They'll start barking, they'll start jumping, they'll run around the yard and excitement. I mean, it's a night and day difference.

Why is that? It's what they were meant to do. God put that on the inside of them so there's a natural excitement. a natural enthusiasm. They don't have to get themselves all worked up to be happy. They don't have to say, well, let me go listen to one of Pastor Joel's sermons. I just lost my joy today. No, when they know they're going hunting, they're excited about it.

That's been hardwired into them by the creator of the universe. And I really believe when we get into our purpose, and when we really start doing what we know we're called to do, there will be an enthusiasm and excitement that just comes natural. We may not jump up and down every day, but down in here we're going to know that we know that we know, man, this is what I was called to do. This is my destiny. And every one of you has something that you're good at naturally. There is something you can do that she's just no big deal to you. I was thinking about Cindy. Man, that girl can sing. You've heard her up here. She hits those long, high notes and just holds it forever. And it looks totally effortless to her. Doesn't even look like she's trying. I think, man, I can't. even hit those notes in the shower. But why is that? It's because she's doing what she's good at naturally. But on the other hand, if you're doing something that's not natural, and it's always a

struggle, and it's always giving you a headache, and even after you try and train and practice and push, you still can't seem to get it down, you've got to recognize that's not in your nature. That's not one of the areas God has gifted you in, and you need to just let it go. find something that you're good at naturally. Of course, there are going to be times we have to push through and learn things that are hard, but in general, life should not be a constant struggle. When you're really in your purpose, there'll be an ease, and it'll come naturally.

I know these two friends that went to Bible school together, and they were studying to become a pastor. When they graduated, one young man started his own church, and he asked his friend to come along and help. And this other young man was very set on starting his own church, but since nothing had opened up, he decided that he would help him out for a little while. And this young man was a phenomenal musician. He could play the piano like you'd never heard, and he could write music, he could sing.

He was just very gifted in that area. And so his friend, the pastor, put him in charge of the music ministry there at the church. And for several years, he excelled in that area. I mean, the church was known for its music. Things begin to grow and great things were happening. But this whole time, this young man kept telling himself, man, I got to get out there and start my church. I got to get out there and really get going. Well, his wife and the pastor, his friend, when they saw how much success he was having in the music ministry,

they began to challenge him about what he was really called to do. I mean, his music was affecting so many people, but this young man wouldn't hear it. All he wanted to do was start his own church. To him, music was too easy. had always done that. He'd always excelled in that area. He thought for sure he had to get out and try something more challenging, something new. But one

day, he began to realize everything he was trying to give people, he was giving them through his music. He began to feel a sense of destiny about what he was already doing. In fact, when he really thought about pastoring, there were many aspects that weren't appealing or

exciting to him at all. It was just something that was stuck in his mind. And he finally decided he would just stay right where he was at and continue using his God-given gifts and talents that came naturally to him. But see, he almost missed his divine destiny because he was too close to it. It was just so normal for him. He'd been good at music all of his life. It's no big deal. But really, it wasn't normal. That was a gift that God had given him. And God has given every one of you certain things that you can do well. There are certain areas that you excel in. You know what they are.

Don't take them for granted. It may be in sales or communication or encouraging people or in athletics or in marketing, whatever it is. Just because it comes natural to you, don't take it for granted. That's what God has hardwired into you. It's a part of your destiny. Make sure that you're using it to the full. I think about my brother-in-law, Kevin. He's the administrator here at the church.

And there's nobody on this earth more detailed than Kevin. I mean, he is so organized, so efficient, he uses his time well. That is a gift that God has given him. It is not normal to be that organized. Kevin knows every detail of the construction down at the compact center. There is not a penny being spent that he doesn't know about it. And he can tell you not only why it's being spent, but he'll tell you three other ways that we tried to do it to save money.

He is full of details. And if we ever go on vacation with his family, Kevin will send me an itinerary. He'll send me my tickets. He'll send me a weather report. He'll send me in traffic instructions. He'll tell me if there's problems on the freeway. He'll send me rental car information. He reminds me to bring my driver's license.

One time I got out there and forgot it, but Kevin will send me things in writing that I never even think about. He is gifted and being detail-oriented. and Kevin stays in his area of strength. He excels as our administrator. It's what he's good at naturally. And I'm sure Kevin could think in the back of his mind, well, if I'd get up there and preach, I'd really be making a difference.

But no, if Kevin got up here and preached, we may not need the compact center. He's not here today. He can't preach, but you know what? I can't administrate. He's doing what he's good at naturally. He told me the other day, Joel, this is a dream come true. See, he loves coming to work every day. He's passionate about it. It's

what he's good at. It's a part of his purpose. And as I said, every one of you has something that you are good at. Don't let the enemy tell you you've been left out. God has not left anybody out. You have talents. You have abilities. You have natural strengths. And you need to be aware of what they are and make sure that you're taking advantage of it. It says in Romans 12 verse 6, has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. You can't do everything well, but you can do something well. Focus on your strengths and make sure that you're not missing out on your purpose because you're always trying something that's so complicated for you. Again, your purpose is going to have to do with something that comes naturally to you.

And when you get into it, it's just going to feel right. It's just going to feel like it fits. I know I have this certain pair of tennis shoes that's broken in real good and molded to my feet. And when I put them on, they just feel like house shoes. Well, that's what it feels like when you really get into your purpose. It just feels right. You just think, man, God, I know this is why you put me here. I was thinking about my father. Daddy loved to go to India.

That was one of his main passions. And two or three times a year, my wife, Victoria and I would travel over there with him. And oftentimes, after we would land, we would travel four or five hours way back into one of the little villages. And of course, there weren't any hotels back there. There wasn't any kind of food that we could eat and was hot and dirty and uncomfortable. Now, remember one time in particular, we stayed at this old run-down government army barracks. It was nothing more than four concrete walls, no inside bathroom, no AC, no sheets on the bed, just a little cot. And about 50 yards away, there was what they used

for the sewer. So you can imagine how it smelled. At night there were bugs and all kinds of insects running around. And Victoria and I, we never complained about it, but honestly we could not wait until we got out of there. We were counting the days until those meetings were over.

But it's interesting about my father, he no more noticed any of that. You'd have thought Daddy was staying in a fancy hotel. He didn't smell the smells. He didn't feel the heat. He didn't see the bugs. He was as happy as he could be. In fact, I've never seen my father so happy as when he was in the villages of India. He told me one time, Joel, if I didn't

know I was supposed to Pastor Lakewood, I'd live right here. Why was that? Why wasn't he uncomfortable? It's because it was a part of his purpose. He was passionate about it. Just like God had hardwired TV into me, God had hardwired that into him. It's funny one time when we were staying there at those army barracks. Early one morning, my father and I were out on the front lawn eating breakfast. And I been married to Victoria maybe about a year or two. And here Victoria is so beautiful and comes from a well-to-do family. And I take her to about one of the roughest places on the earth. But she never said anything about it.

But Daddy and I were out there by ourselves, eating breakfast early one morning. All of a sudden, we hear Victoria start screaming to the top of her lungs. Man, I'd never heard anything like that before. And so we threw our breakfast down and ran toward the building. And here she comes running down the stairs, shaking her blonde hair just as fast as she possibly could. We were thinking, what in the world is going on? And about that time, we saw this lizard about this long, about that fat, you know, like an iguana? And all I could think is, girl, just keep on shaking. Because I thought, you're looking at the wrong person if you want me to

get here. Finally, she shook him out of her hair. And I thought I was going to have to resuscitate her. Thank God we are still married even today. But you know, seriously, none of those uncomfortable conditions ever bothered my dad. Why was it? That was a part of his purpose. He was passionate about it. And it says in Proverbs 1816 that your gift will make room for you. And I'm convinced if you'll get into your real purpose, no matter where you are, you won't have any problem being happy.

You won't have any problem finding work, finding friends, finding opportunity. In fact, if you'll focus on your strengths and do what you're going to, you're going to, gifted to do well, you'll have to turn down opportunities. But some of you today, you are not happy, you're not fulfilled, because you're not in your purpose. You are doing things that you're not hardwired to do. You've got to make sure that you're fulfilling the dreams that God has placed in your heart. Are you tapping into the potential that's on the inside? Have you discovered what you do best? What comes naturally and are you excelling in that area? If you're called to be a stay-at-home mom and raise your children, do it to the best of your ability. Don't feel pressure to get into some career

just because your friends are doing it. Recognize that's a part of your purpose and do it well. If you're gifted in the area of cells, don't sit behind a desk all day long by yourself. Get into the area of your gifting and do it to the best of your ability. If you're going to fulfill your purpose, you've got to do what you're hardwired to do. You've got to make sure you stay in the area that you're passionate about. I read about this golfer that had a dream to become a professional. He was very talented in golf. It was a natural gift that God had given him.

He had excelled all through high school and all through college. But when he got up to the professional level, and he saw how tough the competition was. He soon realized he couldn't make a living at being a professional golfer. He had to come to grips with the fact that that dream was just not going to come to pass. But instead of giving up on his passion and just going into another thing, field, he decided to come at it from another angle. And he started following the pros around on the tours, tracking every shot that they hit, riding down what club they used and what distance it was

from and how accurate it was. And before long, he had all this incredible data. He began to study it and analyze it and he found out all these interesting things about each player. And after a while, the pros began noticing him on the tours, and they inquired as to who he was. And when they found out he had done all this research and he knew so much about each one of them, they started hiring him as a consultant. And he would tell them when they were using the wrong club and how they could improve their game. Eventually, he wrote three very popular books sharing this information. What's my point? This man stayed in the area of his passion. Just because his dream didn't work out the way he thought it would, he didn't just give up on it and get outside.

of his natural gifts and talents. He found a way to make his passion work for him. And we've got to stay open and recognize just because you have a passion in your heart doesn't necessarily mean it's going to qualify you for your exact dream the way you're thinking about it. Stay open. And just because one thing doesn't work out,

you've got to be willing to go at it from another avenue. Friends, you've got a gift on the inside of you. There's a treasure down in you, but you've got to work with God and do your best to get it out. One of my favorite movies is Chariots of Fire. And in this film, the lead character is a very gifted runner. He's called to be a

missionary over in China, but his dream is to compete in the Olympics. And he knows that God has given him this gift of running. He explains how, when he runs, he feels like he's dedicating himself to God. He said, when I run, I feel God's presence.

He was saying, when I do what I know I'm called to do, when I'm using my gifts and talents, when I'm pursuing my destiny, I can feel God smiling down on me. One of my favorite lines in the film, he said, to win is to honor God. And if we could just live by that same philosophy, in other words, to excel, to pursue our purpose,

to be the best that we can possibly be, is to honor God. If you're called to be a businessman, excel at it, and you honor God. You're called to teach children, excel in that area, and you honor God. whatever you are called to do, if you'll do it to the best of your ability, excelling in it, realize you are honoring God. But some of you today, you have not stepped in to your divine destiny. You're doing things that you don't have any passion about. No enthusiasm.

You're just going to work and trying to make a living. And I realize we can't just snap our fingers and change careers, but at least I want to stir you up today to examine your life and be aware of how you're spending your time. are you pursuing your passions? Are you doing what you're good at naturally? If not, why don't you make some changes? Time is short. I would encourage you find the one thing that you're passionate about and start giving yourself to it. And God will lead you one step at a time. I mentioned earlier how God put the desire in me for television production as a young man. I followed that passion. Then when my father went to be with the Lord, I had the desire to step up and pastor the church. And I followed that

And I can honestly say today that I believe I've stepped into my God-given destiny. I know that I know this is what I was called for. This is why God put me here. And that's my desire for every one of you, that when you would follow after God's perfect will, knowing your calling, staying in your purpose, and then one day you could look back. Or maybe you could even say it today, this is why God put me here. I know this is the whole reason I was born. That's when you're living life to the full, you're giving to the full, you're loving to the full,

you're being all God created you to be. And then when it comes your time to go, you can say with the Apostle Paul, I have finished my course. I've spent all the talents and the potential God has given me. I've used all my gifts to the very full. Friends, let me challenge you again, don't die with buried treasure. Find your purpose. Pursue it, give it everything you got. If you do that, God will lead you and guide you.

He'll pour out his favor and blessings, and you too will fulfill your divine destiny. Amen. If you receive it, can you give the Lord a shout of praise 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 up. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast

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