THIS ONE COMES FROM ANN, FROM ILLINOIS, AND SHE ASKS,
"I COME FROM A LONG LINE OF WORRIERS,
I WAS RAISED THAT WORRY EQUALS LOVE.
WHEN I WORRY, I FEEL LIKE I'M NOT ALLOWING GOD HIS RIGHTFUL
PLACE IN MY LIFE, AND I'M TRYING TO TAKE CONTROL.
SO, HOW DO I STRENGTHEN MY FOUNDATION IN THE TRUTH,
RATHER THAN THAT LIE THAT I WAS RAISED WITH?"
JOYCE: SO, SHE WAS RAISED TO BELIEVE THAT WORRYING
ABOUT SOMEBODY WAS LOVING THEM, WHICH THE BIBLE TEACHES
US THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
YOU KNOW, WORRY IS INTERESTING, WE'RE ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE,
"DON'T WORRY," BUT THEY SEEM TO KEEP
DOING IT, ANYWAY.
AND THE THING I HAVE FOUND, IS THAT IN ORDER
TO STOP WORRYING, YOU HAVE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND
THAT IT DOES ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD, DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING.
THE BIBLE SAYS IT CAN'T ADD ONE INCH TO YOUR STATURE,
IT CHANGES NOTHING, EXCEPT IT--
IT DOES CHANGE YOU, BECAUSE IT CAN ACTUALLY
MAKE YOU SICK, PEOPLE THAT WORRY
ENOUGH HAVE ANXIETY, AND IT MAKES THEM SICK.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE ARE WORRIED ALL THE TIME,
WE BECOME HARD TO GET ALONG WITH.
IT'S LIKE, WE'RE SO FOCUSED ON THIS PROBLEM,
AND THE MORE YOU WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING THE BIGGER
IT SEEMS TO BE.
AND SO, THAT-- YOU KNOW, MY ADVICE IS,
IS JUST TO OF COURSE, STUDY THE SCRIPTURES
THAT TALK ABOUT WORRY, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH
POWER IN GOD'S WORD, IT'S NOT LIKE JUST READING
WORDS OFF OF ANY BOOK, THEY'RE WORDS THAT ARE
FILLED WITH POWER.
SO, IF YOU READ SCRIPTURES ABOUT NOT WORRYING,
MEDITATE ON THEM, THEN IT'LL BECOME PART OF YOU,
AND ALSO JUST REMINDING YOURSELF,
THIS THIS DOES ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD,
I AM WASTING MY TIME DOING THIS.
GINGER: I CAN HEAR THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN ANNE'S FAMILY,
YOU KNOW, "I ONLY WORRY BECAUSE I LOVE YOU,"
AND WHAT SHE'S SAYING ABOUT CHANGING THAT LIE THAT
SHE WAS RAISED WITH, A LOT OF US HAVE TO CHANGE
THE THINGS THAT WE WERE RAISED WITH,
TO FOLLOW WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS, SO, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
HERE'S DONNA, FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
SHE SAYS, "IF WORRY, ANGER, FEAR, AND SO ON,
ARE ALL HINDRANCES, WHY DID GOD CREATE
THESE EMOTIONS IN US?" JOYCE: WELL, I DON'T KNOW
THAT GOD CREATED 'EM SO MUCH AS THE DEVIL HAS TRIED
TO WARP THINGS THAT GOD GAVE US TO BE GOOD.
YOU KNOW, GOD WANTS US TO BE AT PEACE,
AND TO TRUST HIM, AND SO, THE DEVIL COMES
IN WITH WORRY.
I DOUBT VERY MUCH THAT ADAM AND EVE WERE WORRIED
IN THE GARDEN BEFORE THEY FELL INTO SIN.
SO, WE CAN'T SAY THAT NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE FROM GOD.
GINGER: SO, WE CAN'T SAY, "GOD GAVE ME THIS,
THAT'S WHY I FEEL THIS WAY." JOYCE: YEAH, IT'S PART OF OUR
HUMAN CONDITION, AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS
THAT GOD CAN HELP US OVERCOME IN HIS WORD.
SO THAT ALONE, CAN REALLY GET YA IN TROUBLE, IF YOU THINK,
"WELL, GOD GAVE ME THIS," BECAUSE HE DIDN'T.
EVERYTHING FROM GOD IS GOOD, AND EVERYTHING THAT'S BAD
IS FROM THE DEVIL.
GINGER: AMANDA, FROM GEORGIA, SAYS,
"I HAVE A HINDRANCE WITH FEELING LIKE I'M NOT WORTHY
OF GOD'S FAVOR AND ALL THE GIFTS HE GIVES ME,
HOW DO I GET OVER THAT?" JOYCE: WELL, THERE'S SO MANY
GREAT THINGS IN THE BIBLE ABOUT HOW MUCH GOD LOVES YOU,
AND HOW HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU FAVOR, AND YOU'RE PRECIOUS
IN HIS SIGHT.
AND YOU KNOW, I HAD SUCH A HARD TIME WITH
FEELINGS THAT GOD WAS NEVER PLEASED WITH ME,
AND IT ALWAYS--IT CAME FROM-- MY DAD WAS NEVER
PLEASED WITH ME, AND SO, I ALWAYS WAS AFRAID
THAT GOD WASN'T, AND I HAD A REAL
PROBLEM WITH GUILT, AND SO I UNDERSTAND
WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT.
THE THING THAT HELPED ME WAS BEGINNING TO CONFESS
THE WORD OF GOD OUT LOUD, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DO WE BELIEVE
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY TO US, BUT WE BELIEVE WHAT
WE SAY TO US, AND PEOPLE DO TALK
TO THEMSELVES ALL THE TIME, THEY MAY NOT DO IT OUT LOUD,
BUT THEY TALK TO THEMSELVES ALL THE TIME.
AND SO, I RECOMMEND CONFESSING THE SCRIPTURES,
AND CONFESS JUST SIMPLY MEANS, TO SAY THE SAME THING AS,
SO, TO SAY THE SAME THING THAT GOD SAYS,
INSTEAD OF THE THINGS THAT THE ENEMY HAS PUT IN YOUR
MIND THAT ARE LIES.
AND SO, I WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE, "GOD LOVES ME,
HE VALUES ME, I HAVE FAVOR WITH GOD,
EVERYTHING I LAY MY HAND TO PROSPERS AND SUCCEEDS,
I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST."
AND I'VE BEEN WALKING WITH GOD SERIOUSLY FOR 45, 46 YEARS,
AND I MADE THOSE CONFESSIONS THIS MORNING.
I STILL DO THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IF THERE'S
ANYTHING THAT THE DEVIL WANTS TO TAKE AWAY FROM US,
IT'S THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST,
AND HOW MUCH WE'RE LOVED.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU WITH A PERFECT LOVE,
AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, IT MAKES YOU POWERFUL.
GINGER: YEAH, WHAT A GREAT REMINDER, YOU DON'T GROW
OUT OF IT.
JOYCE: NO, YOU DON'T.
GINGER: YOU ALWAYS NEED TO CONFESS THE WORD.
JOYCE: IT'S JUST LIKE WE NEVER STOP EATING.
YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE YOU ATE YESTERDAY,
DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT AGAIN TODAY.
AND SO, EVEN THINGS THAT YOU THINK YOU REALLY KNOW,
IT'S GREAT TO REMIND YOURSELF OF THEM, ONCE IN AWHILE.
GINGER: LAURA, FROM TENNESSEE, SHE SAYS,
"I'VE HAD A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MOM FOR YEARS,
AND I'VE FINALLY CUT OFF COMMUNICATION WITH HER,
BECAUSE OUR RELATIONSHIP IS TOXIC.
I KNOW GOD SAYS WE'RE TO HONOR OUR PARENTS,
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT IN THIS SITUATION,
AND I'M WORRIED THAT THIS WILL AFFECT MY RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD.
I KNOW THIS WAS A BIG ISSUE FOR JOYCE,
WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE ME?" JOYCE: WELL, ONE THING IS,
IS SOMETIMES IF SOMEONE IS JUST CONTINUING TO UPSET YOU
OR ABUSE YOU VERBALLY OR IN WHATEVER WAY,
YOU DO HAVE TO DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THEM,
BUT SHE HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO UNFORGIVENESS
IN HEART, AND ONE OF THE BEST THINGS TO DO IS TO PRAY.
PRAY FOR HER MOTHER TO SEE THE TRUTH,
PRAY THAT SOMEDAY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE
A GREAT RELATIONSHIP.
I DON'T EVEN NECESSARILY THINK IT WOULD BE A BAD IDEA
TO SEND A TEXT OCCASIONALLY, OR A CARD, THAT JUST SAYS,
YOU KNOW, "I LOVE YOU, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T SPEND
MUCH TIME TOGETHER RIGHT NOW, AND I PRAY THAT SOMEDAY
THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT," YOU KNOW, "I'M PRAYING FOR YOU."
AND YOU JUST-- BUT SOMETIMES YOU DO HAVE
TO SEPARATE FROM SOMEBODY IF THEY JUST KEEP HURTING YOU
OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER AGAIN.
GINGER: SO, THAT UNFORGIVENESS IS PROBABLY
THE BIGGEST HINDRANCE THAT COULD COME IN THERE.
JOYCE: ACTUALLY, I THINK UNFORGIVENESS IN OUR HEART
TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE IS THE BIGGEST HINDRANCE
WE HAVE IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
I THINK THAT, THAT'S-- THAT'S JUST--
WATCHMAN NEE SAID, "THAT MORE GROUND IS GIVEN
TO THE DEVIL IN THE BELIEVER'S LIFE THROUGH UNFORGIVENESS,
THAN ANYTHING ELSE." AND IT'S ONE THING TO--
YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH MY PARENTS,
BUT I DID WHAT I FELT THAT GOD WANTED ME TO DO,
AND I DID END UP TAKING CARE OF THEM UNTIL THEY DIED
AND I CAN'T SAY IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I GOT THRILLED ABOUT,
BUT GOD GAVE ME THE GRACE TO DO IT,
AND I KNOW IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO,
AND IT ENDED UP IN MY DAD'S SALVATION,
AND HE WAS REALLY A CHANGED MAN.
SO, THERE'S-- SHE JUST HAS TO WALK THIS
OUT DAY BY DAY, AND YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE
THAT'S WHERE SHE'S AT RIGHT NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT
THAT'S WHERE GOD WILL HAVE HER A YEAR FROM NOW.
YOU KNOW, SHE MAY MAYBE JUST NEED
A BREAK FOR A WHILE, AND THEN REVISIT IT,
AND SEE WHAT GOD'S SAYING TO HER THEN.
GINGER: MIGHT THEY'RE ALSO BE A SITUATION WHERE THAT
RELATIONSHIP IS NEVER RESTORED, THAT THE DISTANCE HAS
TO STAY THERE, BUT SHE CONTINUES
TO PRAY AND...
JOYCE: YEAH, IT COULD BE, BECAUSE IT--
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEBODY
THAT DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.
AND YOU CAN'T-- YOU KNOW, RELATIONSHIPS,
GOOD RELATIONSHIPS, CAN NEVER BE ONE-SIDED.
IT CAN'T JUST BE, "WELL, I'M DOING ALL
THE GIVING AND YOU'RE DOING ALL THE TAKING,"
AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE CONSTANTLY FINDING
FAULT WITH ME." AND YOU HAVE--
YOU HAVE TO COME TO SOME TERMS.
AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'VE TRIED
TO TALK ABOUT THIS, OR IF THEY'VE TRIED TO TALK
ABOUT IT, OR IF HER MOTHER JUST SIMPLY WON'T LISTEN
TO ANYTHING.
THERE'S TOO MANY FACTORS INVOLVED THAT WE DON'T KNOW
TO GIVING SPECIFIC ADVICE.
GINGER: BUT GOD KNOWS.
JOYCE: BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO NOT
BE UNFORGIVING, AND TO PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES
TO BE BLESSED.
AND YEAH, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, WE THINK,
"WELL, I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE BLESSED," YOU KNOW.
AND I WAS HONEST WITH GOD, IT'S LIKE,
"I DON'T WANT MY DAD TO BE BLESSED."
AND WHAT HE PUT ON MY HEART WAS WHEN WE PRAY FOR OUR
ENEMIES TO BE BLESSED, THE FIRST THING GOD WILL
BLESS THEM WITH, IS TRUTH.
AND SEE, THAT'S REALLY WHAT THEY NEED MORE THAN ANYTHING,
IS TO SEE THE TRUTH.
AND I CAN TELL YOU PRAYER IS MARVELOUS,
I HAVE SEEN SO MANY PRAYERS ANSWERED,
AND IT'S JUST-- IT'S JUST A GREAT THING,
INSTEAD OF GETTING ALL WORRIED AND UPSET ABOUT THIS STUFF,
TO PRAY ABOUT IT.
GINGER: THIS IS ANDREW, AND HE'S SAYING, "HOW CAN I LET
GO OF ALL OF THE RULES THAT I'VE SET FOR MYSELF?
I REALLY FEEL THAT THEY'VE BEEN PREVENTING ME FROM
GETTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD."
JOYCE: WELL IT'S-- FIRST OF ALL, IT'S GOOD THAT
HE'S RECOGNIZING IT.
SO, THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
AND I THINK HE JUST NEEDS TO STAY CLOSE TO GOD
IN THIS AREA, AND REALIZE THAT WHEN
JESUS DIED FOR US, THAT HE FULFILLED THE LAW,
AND HE DID THAT FOR US.
AND SO, WE DON'T LIVE UNDER RULES AND REGULATIONS,
WE LIVE LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND YOU CAN KINDA BECOME ADDICTED TO YOUR OWN RULES.
I HAD A LOT OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, I HAD--
MY HOUSE HAD TO BE CLEANED EVERYDAY,
THIS HAD TO BE DONE EVERY DAY, A LOT OF THAT STUFF COMES FROM
HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OURSELF.
AND SO, IF I WERE HIM, I WOULD WORK WITH
THE HOLY SPIRIT ON LEARNING WHO HE IS IN CHRIST,
AND TO JUST KEEP REMINDING HIMSELF THAT SALVATION
IS A FREE GIFT, IT COMES TO US BY THE GRACE
OF GOD, AND WE RECEIVE IT BY FAITH,
BUT THE SAME WAY WE RECEIVE SALVATION,
IS THE WAY THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LIVE.
AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S NOTHING FOR US TO DO,
I MEAN, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN LAWS AND DISCIPLINE.
I WORKOUT THREE TIMES A WEEK, BUT NEXT WEDNESDAY I HAVE
TO MISS BECAUSE I'VE GOT ANOTHER APPOINTMENT,
WELL I'M NOT GOING TO BE WORRIED AND BOTHERED ABOUT THAT,
YOU JUST-- YOU HAVE DISCIPLINE,
YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE
TO BECOME A LAW.
GINGER: YEAH, WELL, THE BEST THING ABOUT ALL OF THESE
HINDRANCES IN OUR LIFE, IS THAT WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOD'S
WILL FOR THOSE TO STAY THERE.
SO, WHEN WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON IT,
WE'RE PRAYING FOR HELP, THAT IS A PRAYER THAT WILL
DEFINITELY COME ACROSS, "YES, I WILL HELP YOU
WITH THAT." JOYCE: YES, AND TO PRAY
AND ASK GOD TO HELP YOU, NOT JUST TRY TO MAKE
IT HAPPEN YOURSELF.