Joel Osteen Podcast - The Right Mirror | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: September 16, 2024

If you want to reach your full potential, you have to begin seeing yourself the way God sees you. He calls you valuable, talented and worthy. 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.God still works miraclestoday just as He did in Scripture! InMiracles Happen, you’ll find stories of 30 miracles from the Bible plus 5 modern-day miracles. Let our September offer stir your faith and increase your expectation—your miracle is on the way!Request your copy today,https://bit.ly/3SVZvsb. 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 great to be with you today. And I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, YouTube channel, social media. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. I'd like to start with something funny. and I heard about these three men. They were out in the wilderness, and they came up on this violent, raging river

needed to get to the other side. The first man prayed, God, please give me the strength to make it across. Poof, God gave him big arms, strong legs. He was able to swim across two hours. The next man prayed, God, please give me the strength and the tools to make it across. Poof, God gave him a boat.

He was able to roll across in 30 minutes. The next man prayed, God, please give me the strength, the tools and the intelligence to make it across. And poof, God turned him into a woman. She looked at the map, hiked five minutes upstream, and walked across the bridge. All right. I feel like the women are cheering there. Here we go, men. 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 the right mirror. It's so important how we see ourselves. Your self-image will determine whether you reach your full potential. If you see yourself lacking, at a disadvantage, not attractive, it will limit your life. It's not that you don't have great potential, it's your self-image is distorted. We have the big rodeo here in town once a year, and we always go early to the carnival. One of the attractions is this room filled with mirrors.

You walk in front of one mirror makes you a couple feet taller. Another one makes your chest real big, your arms exaggerated. There are mirrors that leave your body normal, but your head is shrunk. Your mouth, nose, features all out of whack. Certain mirrors make you look 100 pounds heavier, body all out of proportion. None of these images are true images. It's not who you really are. They're all distorted.

We're smart enough to know. It's just for fun. We get a good laugh. Move on. But how many of us in real life don't recognize when we're looking at a distorted mirror? We see ourselves as not talented, not attractive, unqualified. Now that distorted image is a distorted image is. holding us back. What would happen if we got rid of the wrong mirror? The scripture says you've been

made in the image of God. He made you talented, beautiful, smart, confident. You are fully equipped for the purpose he's laid out for you. But the trick of the enemy is to distort your self image. He doesn't want you to see yourself the way you really are. Like that carnival, he'll put up these distorted mirrors. The psalmist said, you've been fearfully and wonderfully made, but when you look in his mirror, you'll see all your flaws. Everything you don't like will be exaggerated. You've been forgiven, redeemed, but when you look in that mirror, you'll see all your mistakes, failures, times you don't measure up. Looking back at you is a guilty, unworthy, undeserving person. It's a distorted mirror. Maybe you've been through disappointments. Life hasn't treated you.

fair, that distorted mirror will come up. You'll see yourself defeated, at a disadvantage, nothing good in your future. When the truth is, God has beauty for those ashes. What was meant for harm, he's turning to your advantage. What's the problem? You're looking in the wrong mirror. As long as you're letting that define who you are, as long as you're believing those distorted images, it will keep you from rising higher. You have to get rid of that mirror. You have to get rid of that mirror, and go get the right mirror. James 1 says that God's word is like a mirror. It reflects who you really are.

What God says about you is the true image you need to keep in front of you. You are not defined by people, by your past, by how you were raised, by what didn't work out. You are defined by your creator. When you look in the mirror of God's word, you'll find that you are valuable. You are talented.

You are constantly. confident, favored, blessed, worthy. As you see yourself the way God sees you, it begins to heal damaged self-images. His word will repair the hurts, the scars, the unfair things that have caused you to see yourself as lacking, inferior, unqualified. Keep this right mirror in front of you. May not happen overnight, but if you will keep seeing yourself the right way, little by little, you're changing. You're going to become what you're seeing. Maybe you're struggling with an addiction. As long as you see yourself addicted, you're going to stay that way. You need to change mirrors. Start seeing yourself whole, free, clean, restored. You have to see it on the inside before it will

happen on the outside. You won't be successful with a negative image of yourself. Like a magnet, how you see yourself will keep pulling you toward it. If you see yourself struggling, barely getting by, scarcity mentality, you're moving toward it. What would happen if you would change mirrors? Start seeing yourself as blessed, prosperous, talented, having a bountiful year, then because you have the right image, because you're in agreement with God, you're moving toward abundance, overflow, good breaks, a bountiful life. If you see yourself as lonely, not a good personality, inferior, you're moving toward loneliness,

not having friends, not meeting anyone. Do yourself a favor, change mirrors. You're beautiful. You're attractive. You're one of a kind. You've been crowned with favor. You're a prize. Whoever gets you, it's like they won the lottery. When you have the right mirror, you'll put your shoulders back. you'll carry yourself like the royalty God created you to be. I talked to a man recently. He told how his business is down, how the pandemic has set him back,

and his company is making changes, his retirement is in jeopardy, on and on. When he got finished, I was depressed too. I was ready to give up. Oh, it was a problem. He's looking in a distorted mirror. He sees himself as washed up, disadvantaged, nothing good in his future,

future, that's pulling him toward lack, struggle, mediocrity. I told him what I'm telling you, you have to get a new mirror. God's word, the right mirror says, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all. It says when the enemy comes like a flood, God will raise up a barrier. It says your latter days will be better than your former days. if you'll see yourself that way as a victor, not a victim, then even in tough times, you'll stay confident, hopeful, expecting God's favor, knowing that he didn't bring you this far to leave you. He hasn't failed you in the past. He's not going to start now. Have an image of victory. You're not weak, defeated, overcome by problems. You're a warrior. You've been armed with strength for every battle. You are full of victory. You are full of weak. defeated, overcome by problems, you're a warrior. You've been armed with strength for every battle.

You are full of can-do power. The forces that are for you are greater than forces that are against you. Don't go through life looking in distorted mirrors. Mirrors that are magnifying the wrong things, causing you to see yourself as small, limited. Joel, this problem's too big. I'll never overcome this sickness. never get out of debt, never break this addiction.

The reason the enemy is trying to distort your image is because he knows who you really are. He knows you're a giant killer. He knows you're made in the image of God. He knows you have seeds of greatness. Don't let his phony mirror keep you from stepping into your greatness. Don't let a wrong self-image keep you from leaving your mark. How much further will you go?

How much happier will you? you live? How much more confidence will you have if you'll get rid of the distorted images and start seeing yourself the way God sees you? This is what the Israelites had to do. They had been in slavery for many years. God brought them out, parted the Red Sea. They were headed toward the promised land. In the desert, they didn't have a temple where they could worship, a big building. They had a tent or what they called the tabernacle where they would meet. Before the, they were the temple. Before the the priests could go into the altar area, they had to wash their hands and feet in this large bowl of water at the entry of the tent. What's significant is how this bowl was made. Exodus 38 says

Moses made the large wash basin from the bronze mirrors he melted down from the Israeli women. Mirrors in that day weren't made out of glass. They were made out of polished bronze. They would be so shiny that you could see your reflection. The Israelite women got these mirrors from the Egyptians as they were on their way out of slavery. God caused them to have favor with their captors, and they gave them their gold, silver, and fine clothing. These mirrors were valuable to the women. They had nothing special for all these years. Now they have these nice bronze mirror. Then Moses comes along, says, give me your mirrors. I want to melt them down and make a bowl. where the priest will cleanse themselves.

He could have said, give me your pots and pans, give me your hammers and chisels, I'll make the wash basin out of that. But God said to the women, give me your mirrors. When these women looked in the mirror, they saw former slaves.

They saw tired, defeated, unqualified people staring back. You can imagine being in bondage for years, working night and day, mistreated. Those mirrors only reminded them of all they'd been through. How unfair it was. How unattractive, inferior they were. God showed up and said, give me those mirrors. He was saying, give me your image. You can't become who I created you to be looking in those mirrors. Let me have them. Notice what God did. He melted down the bronze mirrors, signifying, I'm melting down.

anything that does not reflect who I made you to be. I'm melting down the shame, the heartache, the guilt, the unworthiness. The next time you see this mirror is going to be in a bowl for cleansing, meaning I'm washing away the negative things of the past. I'm washing away what the enemy tried to do. I'm washing away mistakes you've made, the bad breaks, what wasn't fair. And I'm going give you a new way of seeing yourself. God was saying you can't reach your destiny unless you give me your image. You have to give God your mirror. Don't let how you were raised. What wasn't fair, create your image. Give it to God. He'll melt down the wrong ways you see yourself. Don't let other people determine your image. What someone said, parent, coach, an ex-spouse, hurtful words.

You're not good enough. You're not talented. You're not attractive. You'll never amount to much. That wrong mirror will keep you in bondage. God knew if these women kept seeing themselves the way they were, they would have lived defeated, insecure, feeling less than. He had to get their mirror before they could step into the fullness of what he had in store.

You have to give him your mirror first. Let him have your image. See yourself the way he sees you. then you can go into your promised land. But sometimes it's guilt holding us back. I've made too many mistakes. I don't deserve it. We see ourselves unworthy, not valuable.

We sit on the sidelines of life, no passion, not pursuing goals. Don't keep that old image. Give God your mirror. His word will melt down all the guilt, the shame, the insecurities. He sees you without fault. He calls you righteous, holy, blameless. In the scripture, Jacob was known for being dishonest, cheating people. He tricked his brother out of his birthright, went around manipulating, conniving.

His name even means swindler, supplanner, deceiver. He lived up to it. You can imagine how he saw himself. That still small voice whispered, You're better than this, Jacob. I have a destiny for you to fulfill. I put greatness in you. God was saying, Jacob, give me your image. Get rid of that distorted mirror. I'm sure thoughts told him, no, Jacob, this is just who you are. You're a fraud. You're a con man. Just accept it.

Years went by. Nothing changed. But one day, Jacob did what I'm asking us to do. Despite his flaws, despite his mistakes, he went down to the brook alone one night to be with God. he thought, I'm tired of living this way. I want to make a change. He was saying in effect, I've seen myself as a failure. I've lived condemned. I don't like who I am. God, I'm going to give you my mirror. I'm going to see myself the way you see me. That night, he wrestled with an angel. He wouldn't let the angel go. At daybreak, the angel said to him, you will no longer be called Jacob. God is giving you a new name. You will be. called Israel. Israel means prince with God. God was saying, I'm taking that mirror. It shows you as a deceiver, trickster, con man. I'm melting that all down. I'm getting rid of all those impurities.

Now your new image will be a prince with God. When he saw himself as a prince, he started making choices that honored God. Out of Jacob came the 12 tribes of Israel. That would have never happened if he had kept looking in the wrong mirror. Why don't you give God your image? He sees you restored, you're redeemed. He calls you a prince with God. The enemy would love for you to go through life with the wrong mirror,

seeing yourself as a failure, focused on your mistakes, feeling unworthy. But you don't do better when you have a negative image of yourself. That cycle keeps repeating. When you give God your mirror, despite what you've done wrong, despite how you feel.

You start believing that you're forgiven, that you're valuable, that you're worthy, that you deserve to be blessed, not because of who you are, but because of whose you are, then you will step in to your greatness. Now, you may have failed in the past, but that's what you did. That's not who you are. Failure is an event, not a person. You may struggle with an addiction, but you are not. an addict. That's what you do. That's not who you are. Don't let that image take root. You are a child

of the most high God. You're not Jacob. You're Israel. You're a prince with God. That's how he sees you. Too often, we don't realize that our self-image has been damaged. We've been through hurts and disappointments. We've made mistakes. We wonder why we can't rise higher. We're looking in the wrong mirror. That's what happened with Gideon. He was hiding in the wine press, afraid, intimidated. An angel showed up and said, Mighty hero, the Lord is with you. You are to lead the Israelites against the Midianites.

Gideon looked around, thought, who's he talking about? No mighty hero here. You must have missed your assignment because I'm afraid. Gideon said to the angel, I come from the poorest family. I'm the least one in my father's house. Notice the two mirrors. Least one, poorest, defeated, can't do anything great.

Then God's mirror, mighty hero, fearless courage, history maker. Here's the key. You can't keep your mirror and have God's tooth. You have to give God your image. Let him control how you see yourself. Not the media, not your family, not your job, not your critics. Don't give other people your mirror. If you do, you'll become what they want you to be.

They don't always have your best interest at heart. Give God your mirror. He knows what's in you. He can see things that you can't see. The reason we act like Gideon sometimes, we don't see ourselves as mighty and favored and influential is we don't realize what's in us. Takes faith to say, God, I feel afraid.

I'm intimidated. I don't see how I can do this. but if you say I can, then I'm going to get an agreement with you and believe that I can. That's when you'll discover talent, ability, courage that you've never seen. Yes, it's normal at times to feel intimidated, to not think you can step up to a new level. This is where your faith has to kick in. God, I'm giving you this weak, limited, can't do it image. I'm going to look in your mirror.

I feel weak, but you see me as strong. I feel intimidated, but you see me bold and courageous. I feel outnumbered, but you see me more than enough. I'm fighting this illness, but you see me healthy and home. Gideon got rid of that old mirror and started looking in the right mirror. He saw himself as a mighty hero. He went out and defeated the Midianites. Today he's listed as one of the heroes of faith.

is a wrong mirror keeping you from your greatness? Have you believed the lies that you're too old, too young, not smart enough, wrong nationality? That's okay. You're right where Gideon was. You can still become a mighty hero. Give God your image. See yourself the way he sees you.

From the time he was a five-year-old little boy, Jim had a terrible problem with stuttering. other kids at school laughed and made fun of him. He became very insecure and isolated himself, wouldn't talk with others, wouldn't go play with friends. He didn't want to be ridiculed. But he loved to write poetry. When other kids were out playing sports, he stayed inside and focused on his poems.

As a teenager, one of his teachers loved poetry too. When she found out that Jim was a gifted writer, she tried to get him to read his poems in the class. Jim wasn't about to. He couldn't do that. He stuttered too badly. When he was nervous, he could hardly get one word out. One day this teacher came up with a plan.

Jim turned his writing assignment in. She was so brilliant. She said in front of the whole class, Jim, I don't think you wrote this. There's no way. This is so good. He stuttered and said, no, ma'am, I did write it. She said, I don't believe you.

I've been teaching for years. I've never seen anything. close to being this good. He said it again, more stuttering, more emphatically. Yes, I promise you, I wrote this. She said, then you're going to have to prove it to me. You have to read it in front of the class so I can see that you know it. Jim reluctantly walked up to the front. As he held the paper, his hands were shaking, so nervous. Other kids were snickering, whispering to each other, here comes the stuttering. But when he began to read the poem, the rhythm of what he wrote flowed out so naturally that he never stuttered a word.

He couldn't believe it. The kids couldn't believe it. The teacher was in all. As he continued reading, they discovered that he had an amazing voice, deep, resonant, compelling. He read with incredible passion and skill. From that time on, Jim never stuttered again. Today we know Jim as James Earl Jones, not only a great actor, but one of the great voices of our day. I believe down deep, you know God has put great things in you. You know

you can rise higher. You can set a new standard for your family. You can beat the sickness. You can break the addiction. But maybe like Jim, you're stuck, letting fear, intimidation, your weaknesses convince you to live hiding your gifts, hiding what God put in you. Like that teacher, God has sent me to help you get rid of the wrong mirror. If you'll take this step of faith, you'll discover there's a new mirror. Like Gideon, you're a mighty hero. Like James, you can leave your mark.

What's held you back in the past is not who you are. There is greatness in you. Now, do your part. Give God your mirror. When you let His Word define who you are, it breaks limitations. Frees you from fears and insecurity.

What didn't work? out, you will step in to who you were created to be. When my father went to be with the Lord in 1999, I had never ministered before, spent 17 years behind the scenes doing the television production. I thought that's what I would do the rest of my life. A father tried to get me up many times to speak, but always told him no. I was more quiet, reserved. I didn't want to get up in front of people. but when he passed, I knew I was supposed to step up. I felt it so strongly.

All these thoughts told me, you're too quiet. You don't have the right personality, the training, the experience. Nobody's going to listen to you. Like Gideon, I could hear God telling me to lead the people, step into new levels. But I was afraid, intimidated, thinking of all the what is. What if I do it and fail? What if I get up and don't have anything to say? what if nobody likes me? What if the church goes down? I've learned you can talk yourself out of your

dreams or you can talk yourself into your dreams. I had to do what I'm asking us to do. I gave God my image. I said, God, I see myself as unqualified. I feel insecure. This doesn't make sense to me, but I'm going to take your mirror and let what you say about me create my image. All through the day, I am strong in the Lord. I can do all things through Christ. I am surrounded by favor. Goodness and mercy are following me. I'm equipped, empowered, and anointed.

That played so long that I started believing what I was saying. Those words created a new image on the inside. God didn't just help me do it, but he exceeded my expectations. He's taken me where I've never dreamed. Who knows where you'll go if you'll get the right mirror? Now see yourself how you feel. how you were raised, what other people say, but how God sees you. Give him your image. This is what David did. His father overlooked him, left him out in the shepherd's fields when Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse's

sons as the next king. David could have been insecure, low self-esteem. Man, my own father doesn't even believe in me. But David's attitude was, I've already looked in the right mirror. I know who I am. I'm giant killer. He may not see it, but that doesn't change it. When he took lunch to his brothers on the battlefield, one brother made fun of him, tried to make him feel small. David could have been offended, upset, but he said, no thanks. You don't determine my image. I'm not getting my value from you. My value comes from my creator. I'm looking in his mirror. When he told King Saul that he wanted to face Goliath. Saul said, David, don't be ridiculous. You're just a boy. Most people would have been discouraged, talked out of it. Not David. He didn't let other people control his image.

When Goliath saw how small David was, Goliath started laughing, making fun. David said, Goliath, what you say doesn't bother me. I've already looked in the right mirror. Your threats, your insults have come too late. I know who I am. Slung that rock. Goliath came tumbling down. What mirror are you looking at today? Are you letting people, your past, what you're up against, determine your image? Joel, this giant is big. I'm afraid.

I've had disappointments. I can't ever accomplish my dreams. That's a distorted mirror. That's not who you really are. Get rid of that mirror and go to God's word. Let him define your image. If you will see yourself the way God's sees you, it will begin to heal

damaged self-images. That's the only thing that's holding some people back the way they see themselves. I believe and declare today is a new day. Because you have the right mirror like Gideon, you're about to see greatness come out of you.

Like David, you're about to defeat some giants. Like Jacob, you're going to become Israel. Not defined by your mistakes, but a prince with God. In Jesus' name. If you've receive it. Can you say amen? We like to give 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. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free literature on your new walk with the Lord. You can text the number or go to the website. I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place. Sometimes the difficulties of life can be so overwhelming. You feel like you're stumbling around in the dark. Things are so bad, you would need a miracle to change your situation. But is a miracle even possible? We all face situations where we don't see a way out.

It's easy to get discouraged and give up on what we're believing for. That's how we felt in 1981. My mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a few weeks to live. Nothing could be done, medically speaking, but she chose to believe that God is a miracle worker. Today, 43 years later, by the grace of God, she's still healthy and strong. I'm so grateful to be alive. I'm 90 years young. I thank God every day that he still does miracles.

I'd love to send you my new book. It's called Miracles Happened. It's filled with powerful stories of miracles from the scripture and, real life stories of people that have seen the hand of God. It'll help build your faith so you can believe what seems impossible. God did it for my mother. He'll do it for you. 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, Miracles Happen, Your Journey to Supernatural Breakthrough. This new book details 30 different miracles from the Word of God, and each one comes with an encouragement and application. to your own life. God has miracles stored up for you. Healing, freedom, favor, breakthroughs. Miracles still happen today. And faith is what activates God's power. When you believe, all things are possible. That's when you'll see the hand of God do supernatural things in your life. Victoria and I are standing in faith with you. We pray for you every day. We appreciate your prayer and

support. Your generosity is impacting so many lives. Remember, you can watch. Watch the services live online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, the new Joel Osteen Network, listen on Sirius XM. Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of Miracles Happen. Your journey to supernatural breakthrough today. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888-567 Joel.