Joyce Meyer | dual personalities

June 15, 2017

Put on the robe of righteousness

by chuckofish

I am an early riser. I get a lot done in the morning before I even go to work. One thing I frequently do when I ride my stationary bike is listen to podcasts–yes, podcasts–(thank you, daughter #1). I usually listen to sermons and sometimes Joyce Meyer.

Joyce is no Episcopalian and she is very down-to-earth in her interpretation of scripture. I like her a lot. She says things like, “Wherever you go for the rest of your life, there you are. Learn to love yourself,” which is not unlike something Emerson said way back when.

Here is her advice on how to reduce stress:

Trust yourself and everything to God…. leave it and let it go and give it to God.
Pray…God will not necessarily get rid of our problems, but he strengthens us and enables us to endure them.
Know when to be quiet. You don’t have to convince people you are a good person. Think of Jesus before Pilate: “Jesus made no reply”.

Stress, she says, is what is going on inside us, not what is going on around us.

She is so right. There is nothing new here, but Joyce knows it is worth repeating over and over because that is the only way to get through to people. She knows too that usually there is no bolt-out-of-the-blue solution/cure for stressed out modern people. It takes work and time and practice. It takes a relationship with God.

I also like The Very Rev. Dr. Paul F. M. Zahl, who is a retired Episcopal priest. He formerly was rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase, MD, and dean and president of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA. He is a lot more intellectual than Joyce Meyer, but I can still relate to him. He says things like:

But there is one risky question. It is the question, “How can I be justified?” This question has been asked by persons as diverse as St. Augustine in the Fourth Century, Martin Luther in the Sixteenth Century, and Sam Pekinpah the film director, in our own time. Pekinpah, by the way, said that the single question he pondered day and night his entire life was, How can I go down to my house justified?

There is good stuff out there. You just have to keep looking.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

(Colossians 3:2-3)

Think of Him often, adore him continually, live and die with Him; that is the glorious business of a Christian; in a word, it is our calling; if we do not know that calling we must learn it.

–Brother Lawrence

(The painting is “Interior, Woman at a Bureau” by William Smith Anderson (Scottish, 1878-1929)

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November 2, 2012

Seven Secrets of a Confident Woman

by chuckofish

Please indulge me in a little end-of-the-week preaching. This is from Joyce Meyer, who always calls it like she sees it, and I usually see it the same way. Read the whole thing. And, yes, it’s good advice for men as well.

Seven Secrets of a Confident Woman
by Joyce Meyer

Secret #1—A Confident Woman Knows That She Is Loved
The first and most important secret to being a confident woman is to know that you are loved by God unconditionally. Romans 5:8 says, …God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. Even if your natural father did not really love you properly, you can still get the love and acceptance you missed in your childhood from God.

Secret #2—A Confident Woman Refuses To Live In Fear
I think you will agree that refusing to be led by our feelings can be a challenge, especially when it comes to fear. But we must remember that fear is not from God. It is the devil’s tool to keep us from enjoying our lives and moving forward with what God has for us. When we attempt to walk in faith, Satan immediately tries to hinder us through many things, including fear. Fear of failure, judgment or criticism will cause us to bury our talents. It will make us draw back and live in misery and torment. Unless we make a firm decision to “fear not,” we will never be free from its power.

Secret #3—A Confident Woman Is Positive
Being negative and being confident do not go together. Like oil and water, they just don’t mix. Being negative opens the door to a lot of problems and disappointments, which fuels the fire for more negativity. Fear is the “dark room” where all your negatives are developed. So why not look at the brighter side of life and believe something good is going to happen to you?

Secret #4—A Confident Woman Recovers From Setbacks
In this life you and I are inevitably going to experience setbacks. The important thing is that we not see them as failures. We are not a failure just because we try something that doesn’t work. It’s only when we stop trying that we fail. The truth is, many people get confused when they’re trying to figure out what they’re supposed to do with their lives. This was definitely true in my life. I discovered my destiny by trial and error.

Secret #5—A Confident Woman Avoids Comparison
It is impossible to walk in confidence and compare ourselves with others at the same time. No matter how good we look or how talented, smart and successful we are, there is always someone who is better than us. I believe that confidence is found in doing the best we can with what we have. God wants us to find joy in being the best we can be, not in competing or comparing ourselves with others.

Secret #6—A Confident Woman Does Not Live In “If Only” And “What If”
One of the worst things you and I can do is to focus on what we don’t have or have lost and fail to take an inventory of what we do have. I call it living in a state of “if only.” Does this sound familiar: “If only I had more education…more money…more opportunity. If only I were taller, shorter, older, younger…” and the list goes on.

Secret #7—A Confident Woman Takes Action
I have heard it said that there are two types of people in the world: those who wait for something to happen and those who make something happen. It’s true that we need to be careful not to get ahead of God, but we also must be mindful not to be lagging behind. I believe we need to step out into things and find out what God has for us. As I said earlier, if we make a mistake it is not the end of the world.