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| The Voice of Victory |
“It’s the voice of victory, the voice of victory, can you hear it, can you hear it! It comes from God, it comes from God... He speaks to us through the H.O.L.Y. Spirit!" — F. Lugo
What do the words, “stay tuned” mean to you?
Does it bring back memories of a radio broadcast? A television show that was split into two episodes? A movie trilogy? A series of books maybe? Whatever those words mean to you and cause you to remember or reflect on, they can also be used to mean “keep focused,” or “meditate on.”
In chapter twenty-six of Joel Osteen’s Every Day A Friday, Joel speaks on a subject that is near and dear to my heart— Discovering your identity.
There’s all sorts of things, people, companies, corporations, organizations and ideologies that claim to be able to give you the missing puzzle to life’s greatest mystery— Who am I, and what am I doing here? Purpose seems to elude us all, but there’s a voice. There’s a person. There’s a time, situation and circumstance that quiets all the noises all around us that we can easily and many times unavoidably tune into.
This Voice is God. This person is Jesus. The time was 2,000+ years ago. The situation and circumstance was an ugly, painful, agonizing, anger-filled moment where a man claiming to be the very Son of God named Jesus stood before an angry mob dying slowly and painfully so what God purposed and destined to carry out through His life would bring about the “Voice of Victory” saying to all of us who were tuned into the wrong mindset, and having been told over and over that we had the wrong image, would finally be tuned out of that mess and tuned into God’s message saying loudly and confidently, “It is finished.”
By those last dying words Jesus cried out, everyone who was figuring out what to tune into, and everyone who was tuned into what didn’t protect, provide and promote them to a better living was finally able through Jesus to tune into life and life abundantly.
Joel, shares some insight that truly echoes Jesus’ words ‘it is finished.’ In that he says “If you want to live in victory, in happiness and joy, stay tuned to the right channel.”
I don’t know about you but a lot of times I’ve been told some terrible things about what my life and future will hold for me without actual words being spoken, but rather by a lack of happiness, laughter and excitement being shown (or rather not shown) from those around me, that I have done and do life with. I actually was such a person. You would think I was an advocate for grumpiness, sadness and misery by the lack of happiness, laughter and excitement being seen in my life.
Just as a billboard says a thousand words without speaking one, our demeanor and the way we carry ourselves speaks volumes. Will people hear the “Voice of Victory” by your actions or will they hear and be tuned into the hum drum worry channel?
Joel shares some facts about being tuned into the wrong channel. He says, that we are going around all day thinking thoughts like I can’t stand my job and I’m so overweight and I’m never getting out of debt.”
But I’m not worried, as Joel shares how although thinking such thoughts do drain our energy, joy, happiness and zeal for life and what we do with it, that we’d ‘be amazed at how much better we would feel if we got up each day and went on the offensive instead of being passive and entertaining every negative thought that came into our mind.’
If staying sad is negative. If worry is negative, then something that is universally seen as positive may just be what the doctor ordered for many things that are causing us to be down, depressed and living mediocre lives, and that is laughter. Check out this video and article on the benefits of laughter: Video & Article
Just as we can choose to laugh and may very well have to laugh on purpose, we can choose to think positive thoughts on purpose.
Joel suggests a simple practice to experience our day being lead in a healthy way.
• Get up in the morning and make declarations of faith: Say out loud to yourself, “This will be a great day. God is directing my steps. His favor is surrounding me like a shield. I’m excited about this day.”
Here’s a simple practice I adopted when I was going through a great struggle:
• Although struggle will come, My God is faithful!
Beloved, our minds can play tricks on us. That begs the question, why wouldn’t we take better control of what is allowed into it? Our hearts can easily get hurt with all the painful things we experience over our lifetime. That begs the question, why wouldn’t we be more proactive to guard them?
Proverbs 4:23 is a famous one, that many flock to in times of trouble, hurt and pain. It says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
To me that means my thoughts are a reflection of what my heart has experienced. If my heart has experienced more bad than good, it goes without saying that my thoughts are negative, bad, poor, judgmental... In essence my thoughts are polluted, toxic and impure. But on the other hand, if my heart experiences a heaping amount of good, then it goes without saying, that my thoughts are good, delightful, beneficial, thankful, inviting, encouraging, inspiring and will lead to positive actions that are not polluted, toxic and are always pure.
So what’s keeping us from experiencing good thoughts? What continues to keep us expecting the worst, and negative of life when it comes to how we see ourselves? I believe it’s training. That's right... I said training.
There’s two types of training:
1. Negative training— that has to do with what we grew up hearing about ourselves from those who may or may not have been aware that what they spoke into us was death and not life.
2. Positive training— this has to do with what God says about us. God only speaks life!
Joel expands on this suggestion, when it comes to positive thinking in that he says, “But then there are others who train themselves to latch on to positive, hopeful thoughts.... That’s the way to be, so disciplined in your thoughts that you can weed out discouragement and grab hold of encouragement. You have to train your ears to do that.” Amen.
Beloved, let me ask you this question as I ask myself it many times. Will you make it a point in your day that you are given, to weed through inevitable negativity and grab a hold of positive encouragement? Something to think about.
Joel shares a story about one of his dogs. Her name is Spirit. Spirit has an incredible gift that Joel says is either supernatural revelation or superdog hearing.
She has trained herself to hear the noise of her favorite snack— cheese. Any other package or bag could be opened in the kitchen, even a blender going off and dishes being put away and Spirit is unfazed. She has trained herself to hear what she wants to. Even if she is outside playing, if the bag of cheese is being opened she comes running in!
She won’t even budge if she’s in the kitchen until she hears the cheese. When that occurs, Spirit already knows its her time. Her snack time. Her moment of getting blessed. Even if she is asleep in a room 30 feet away, when Joel tries to unzip the zip lock bag without her knowing, Spirit is tuned into it and she is ready to be blessed. Joel says, “you cannot fool that dog.”
When I read about Spirit, I was smiling and laughing at what Joel was sharing, but even now I am thinking this thought: “By the life I live, can others see, hear and experience that I am tuned into the right station... I am tuned into the moments that are for me to be blessed?”
Here’s some advice from the life of Spirit the Dog. Joel shares:
“Latch on to the good. When you hear those faith-filled thoughts, act like Spirit our dog and come running. “That’s for me. I believe. I receive. I’m well able.” Play those thoughts over and over.
In doing so, the battle in your mind will be won. Amen.
I thought I would be finished with this blog post but I wanted to share these final things with you from my heart. I for many years of my life was envious and jealous of other people. What they did, what they had, even who they were with. I have even attributed my lack of success in life, relationships, education and career to not having a father in my life. It hasn’t been easy to overcome it, but more and more I’m tuning into the right station... The “Voice of Victory” station.
Joel shares these words about jealous thoughts. “When jealous thoughts come saying, Why do they get everything? They’re so smart? That’s not fair, recognize that thought is making the wrong sound. It may look good, you may be tempted to dwell on it, but your instincts should tell you that’s a toxic thought.
If a thought comes telling you, You’re so sloppy. You’re undisciplined. You can’t do anything right, it may be tempting to get down on yourself, but don’t take that bait. Recognize those are poisonous thoughts. They will keep you from your destiny.
I’m asking you to be extremely aware of what you’re dwelling on. What thoughts are you allowing to take root? Poisonous or nonpoisonous? Helpful or hurtful? Have you trained your ear like little Spirit the dog to have selective hearing?”
Joel shared a story about a mother and her two small children (a boy and a girl). After the service concluded they came up to him. The boy hung onto Joel and didn’t want to go. He was about 5 years old. Joel hugged him and they talked for a little while and finally they high-fived and they walked away. A couple of minutes later, the boy came back and said he wanted to whisper something in my ear. Joel says, I leaned down, and I’ll never forget what he said. “I wish you were my dad.”
Joel shares that it almost broke his heart. Joel told him this, “Every morning, look up and just imagine your heavenly Father is smiling down on you. He’s saying, ‘You’re the apple of My eye. You’re My most prized possession.’”
Just as that little boy wished Joel was his dad, I too, wished I had a dad of my own, and just as Joel spoke something so wonderful into that boys life, that I’m sure he will never forget, I heard my heavenly Father say something to me I will never forget. He said, “You are mine, and I am yours.” Just thinking of that I get teary eyed. Thank You Father for your amazing love.
Beloved, here’s some selective hearing that I wrote down intentionally for you to tune yourself into that I myself speaking out loud into my day; into my life!
Beloved, if someone ever tells you, you have selective hearing. Say, that’s right! I only hear what God says about me.
“I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”
“I have the victory in Christ Jesus.”
“I am more than a conqueror.”
“Because Jesus died for me on the Cross, I am forgiven... I am loved!”
“The peace of God that surpasses all understanding guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”
“My thoughts I can control, because I have the mind of Christ.”
“I’m God’s masterpiece created anew in Christ Jesus.”
“I am a workmanship for God’s good work— I matter!”
“My God gives me hope and has determined a positive future for me.”
“Whenever I call out to My Father and God, He will listen.”
“I will be generous in my life, because I will be a lender and not a borrower.”
“I don’t need to fear, because I was given a Spirit that isn’t timid but is powerful, of love and self-confidence!”
“My greater days are ahead of me.”
I am the head and not the tail— I will be successful at whatever I put my mind to.”
“God fights my battles, and will never leave me. In fact! He places me in the seat of honor before my enemies and blesses me.”
“I will be blessed and highly favored well into my years!”
“As for me and my household, we will serve The Lord!” Amen.
Beloved let this be the tune of your station— Keep God first in your thoughts and He will keep you in perfect peace. Amen.
How? By doing this everyday:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8 NLT)
My Takeaway and Prayer:
Life is full of disappointments and that is inevitable, but discouragement or encouragement is a choice we will have to make in those moments. As Joel says, “Our thoughts set the direction for our lives. What station or channel are you tuned into?”
Those are sobering and self-examining words for myself and I believe for you as well. God can help us with those decisions and I’m believing and declaring that when it is all said and done, what we are tuned into is Jesus! Amen.
Heavenly Father, only You knew the best plan to get us to tune into what would give us life and life in abundance— Your Son Jesus dying for our sins on the Cross. I confess that tuning into the right channel isn’t always easy or at the top of my list to do. But I thank You that I and everyone else can humbly ask You to always remind us to tune back into You; The giver of life! I pray, that my life will be a testimony of being tuned into the right station and despite the many voices that speak death and defeat into me, I will weed them out to hear Your encouraging words to me, and that is, “You are mine, and I am yours!” In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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