RCCG Victory Temple Chantilly's Podcast

"Those who trust in the Lord…cannot be shaken." Ps 125:1 NIV

People are naturally attracted to leaders who convey poise and self-assurance; they won't follow one who lacks self-confidence. An excellent illustration of this is an incident that took place in Russia during an attempted coup. Army tanks encircled the government building that held President Boris Yeltsin and his prodemocracy supporters. As the army moved into position, Yeltsin strode from the building, climbed up on a tank, stared the commander in the eye, and thanked him for turning to the side of democracy. Later the commander admitted that although he hadn't intended to go over to Yeltsin's side, the Russian leader appeared so confident, the soldiers decided to join him. Great achievers exhibit confidence regardless of circumstances. But true confidence doesn't come from having the approval of people around you. The Bible says, "The Lord will be your confidence" (Pr 3:26 NKJV); it's about knowing He has called you and equipped you to do the job. Paul wrote, "We feel certain before God...It is God who makes us able to do all that we do" (2Co 3:4-5

NCV). Even though others may not believe in you, knowing God believes in you enables you to believe in yourself. David wrote, "Many are saying of me,

'God will not deliver him.' But you are a shield around me...the One who lifts my head high" (Ps

3:2-3 NIV). A confident leader can say to those who follow him or her, "I have confidence in the God who called me. I have confidence in you. I believe that together we can accomplish what God wants done."

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"Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." Col 3:12 NLT

John Gray wrote the best-selling book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. His underlying thesis is this: In order to get along with someone, you have to try and see life from their perspective.

And that's not easy. Paul writes: "Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts" (vv. 12-15 NLT). Those who need others to think and act exactly the way they do are often masking insecurities. They have a deep-seated need to have their views and actions confirmed in the behavior and thoughts of others.

But that's not how life works. Disagreements happen in any relationship where more than one person is involved. We are all unique, and we are not likely to agree on everything. But the way we approach our disagreements can determine whether our relationship makes it to the finish line.

Fighting fair, opening yourself to the ideas of others and to new ways of doing things, is how you grow.

And who knows, in the end you may even "agree to disagree." The important thing is to respect the other person's ideas and seek to create an environment where the two of vou can feel free to express your feelings and be who you really are without fear of being judged.

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"It is good to give thanks to the Lord." Ps 92:1 NKJV

Journalist Fulton Oursler tells the story of an elderly nurse called Anna. Born a slave on the eastern shore of the state of Maryland, she had attended Fulton's birth, plus that of his mother. He honors her for teaching him the best lesson he ever learned about giving thanks and finding contentment: "I remember her as she sat at the kitchen table in our house; the hard, old, brown hands folded across her starched apron, the glistening eyes, and the husky old whispering voice, saying, 'Much obliged, Lord, for my vittles! I asked, 'Anna, what's a vittle?' 'It's what I've got to eat and drink-that's vittles, the old nurse replied. 'But you'd get your vittles whether you thanked the Lord or not,' I said. 'Sure,' said Anna, 'but it makes everything taste better to be thankful!" The excitement that comes from getting something new, or even something you have worked hard for, is often short lived and quickly replaced by your desire for the next thing. Solomon put it this way: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing" (Ecc 1:8). So, what's the solution? Having an attitude of gratitude! Stopping regularly to remember the goodness of God that makes it possible for you to enjoy every blessing you have, and remembering to say, "Thank you, Lord." The psalmist had a heart of gratitude. He wrote, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night" (Ps 92:1-2 NKJV). So, always be thankful to God.

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"I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?" Jer 32:27 NKJV

Remember past victories. Notice how King Jehoshaphat prayed: "Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?" (2Ch 20:7 NKJV). If God has ever performed a miracle for you or for anybody else, He can do it again. So, read His Word and strengthen your faith by recalling His great deeds. E Exalt God above the problem. "O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?" (V. 6 NKJV).

In his anguish, Jehoshaphat asked rhetorical questions that exposed how big his God was compared to the problem. Sometimes it's difficult to look past the problem when the reality of it is so close. If you close one eve and put a coin over your other eye, you can blind yourself to something as big as the sun. Getting the idea? S-Solicit the prayers and support of others. "Jehoshaphat... proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah...they came to seek the Lord" (vv. 3-4 NKJV). Jehoshaphat didn't ask the people for their opinions but for their prayers, because that's what moves the heart of God. S Stand on the promises of God. When you do, you can say like the psalmist, "As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands" (Ps 119:143 NLT). That's God's formula for stress-now use it.

I Remember past victories.

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Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you." 2Ch 20:17 NKJV

Trust what God tells you. "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord...Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you" (v. 17 NKJV). God's way of resolving our problems can frequently go against our logic. Maybe that is why we are hesitant to approach Him in certain matters. Why would God instruct Jehoshaphat's army, which was clearly no match for three armies, to show up prepared for a battle they were not intended to fight? That didn't make any sense! God will many times tell us to

"position" ourselves to deal with a demanding task or problem we feel completely inadequate to tackle.

Our challenge is to obey Him and position ourselves to win. How do you do that? (1) You "position" yourself when you choose to enter college, even though you may not have achieved well in high school. (2) You "position" yourself when you resign from a job at God's urging and start a new business, even though a long list of customers or clients isn't waiting in the wings. (3) You "position" yourself when you sit down at your computer each day to write a book you have always desired to write-without a head full of knowledge but with a heart full of faith that God will join you there with His words. God's instruction is to position ourselves for victory. He wants us to show up, so He can show Himself strong on our behalf See 2Ch 16:9 NKJV).

"Do not fear or be dismayed."

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"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" Lk 12:25 NLT

King Jehoshaphat heard that he was about to be attacked by three different armies. Talk about stress! His response is the example you need to follow when life gets overwhelming. His story is told in 2 Chronicles 20. Using the word S.T.R.E.S.S., we learn the following lessons: S- Seek God's guidance. "Jehoshaphat…set himself to seek the Lord" (v. 3). Years prior when his father, King Asa, faced a similar threat, he responded by collecting the silver and gold from the temple and his palace and using it to bribe one of the raiding kings to defect to his side. That solved the immediate problem-but not without negative consequences.

Although the invasion endeavor was abandoned,

God became angry at his reliance on another king to help him conquer his enemies (See 2Ch 16:1-9). So, He pronounced Asa's punishment for the rest of his reign: "In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars" (v. 9 NKJV). He would live with the stress of constantly being at war, because he had not sought after God's counsel first.

So, Jehoshaphat, his son, decided that he wasn't going to take that route. How about you? Do you stress out, attempting to figure out a solution instead of finding out how God wants you to deal with it? Think of the last problem you faced. Did you rely on the opinions of others or on your own ideas, or was your first idea to seek God? God promises this: "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jer 29:13 NKJV).

So, talk to God about it!

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"Then [Elisha] arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant." 1Ki 19:21 NKJV

To get the job done right, you must surround yourself with the right people. That's why good leaders are continually on the lookout for good people. But the person you get isn't always determined by what you want but by who you are. In most instances, you attract people who possess many of the same qualities you do. Not only was Elisha like Elijah, he wanted a double portion of the Spirit that was upon Elijah. Who you are, is who you will attract. It's possible to go out and recruit people unlike vourself. but it's crucial to recognize that those who are different from you may not naturally be attracted to you. Furthermore, if you're not entirely happy with the kind of people you attract, it may be time to improve yourself. You need to be aware of these five tendencies in yourself, and when you see them, deal with them: (1) Pride. Nobody wants to follow someone who thinks thev're better than everyone else. (2) Insecurity. If you're uncomfortable with who you are, other people will be too. (3) Moodiness. If people never know quite what to expect from you, they stop expecting anything. (4) Perfectionism. People respect the desire for excellence, but they don't like unrealistic expectations. (5) Cynicism. Others don't want their parade rained on by someone who sees a black cloud around every silver lining. These five hang-ups are so damaging that if you're wise, you will surround yourself with people who are willing to point them out and help you become a more effective leader.

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We are each responsible for our own conduct."

Gal 6:5 NLT

Being accountable for yourself, your thoughts, and your actions is a very important part of being a contributing member in a relationship. But sometimes we take things too far by assuming an unhealthy responsibility for others, then using it as an excuse for not being accountable for ourselves and our own circumstances. For example, we blame an unplanned pregnancy for our failure to go to college. Or we blame our unhappiness on the fact that we stayed married for the sake of the children.

We focus so much on other people and taking responsibility for their lives that we never take time to look for solutions to rise above our own situation.

And eventually all the woe and hard times become our identity. We don't just complain; we become chronic complainers. Let's be honest, sometimes our tales of woe are simply excuses, made-up versions of the truth to hide the fact that we have decided to blame everyone else for our circumstances. That way we don't have to take responsibility for our lives. The fact is, we all make choices in life; to go or stay, to confront or ignore, to complain or look for a solution. Whether it's your spouse, your kids, or your parents, it's never a good idea to take responsibility for others if you're doing it to avoid deciding what you need to do for yourself. The Bible says, "Pay careful attention to your own work...then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct" (vv. 4-5 NLT).

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"Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise." Pr 31:28 MSG

Where do children learn to think highly of their mothers? Who sets the pattern for their young minds, positioning Mom as the much-loved and respected member of the family-instead of being merely considered "chief cook and bottle washer?" At school, children learn the skills necessary to succeed on the job, but at home, they learn the skills necessary for building a family. And the best public relations agent for Mom-is Dad. Father, you wield tremendous influence over what your children think of their mother and women in general. When your children grow up with warring parents, they think, "If Dad can argue with Mom, then so can I." In short, your attitudes and actions become the attitudes and actions of your children. In a world that often discounts the contribution of women, especially homemakers, it's up to you as a husband and father to say in a dozen different ways, "Your mother is a wonderful woman! She works hard and she deserves tremendous credit for what she gives us all. As far as I'm concerned, she is number one!" Proverbs 31 says, "Her children respect and bless her." Who did they learn that from? Television? Their peer group? School? No, they learned it at home.

Here is the bottom line: The way you treat your wife is probably the way your son will treat his wife. Your children may not follow your advice, but often they will follow your example. "Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise" (V.

31 NLT).

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"Jesus answered...he will have whatever he says." Mk 11:22-23 NKJV

Jesus taught us that when we speak His Word in faith, we will "have" whatever we say. That's a powerful faith! When you speak God's living Word over your situation, it's like flipping a switch; His power is activated, and His promises start coming to pass in your life. So, begin each day by speaking the following Scriptures over your life: (1) "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps 118:24 NKJV). Confession: "Lord, thank you for the gift of this day. I will celebrate your goodness and enjoy each moment of it." (2)

"His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (La 3:22-23

NKJV). Confession: "Lord, today I will seek to honor You in all that I do. And if I fail and fall short, I will still walk in Your mercy and grace." (3) "The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary" (Isa 50:4 NKJV). Confession: "Lord, I will know what to say because You have instructed me and given me the tongue of the learned." (4)

"This is the day in which the Lord has delivered [your enemy] into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?" (Jdg 4:14 NKJV). Confession:

"Lord, regardless of what comes my way today, You will defend, protect, and vindicate me. So, this day I will walk in your joy, favor, mercy, guidance, protection, and blessing."

"You will defend, protect, and vindicate me."

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