Enjoy Where You Are | Joel Osteen

Too often, we're going to enjoy life when we accomplish a goal, when the kids are raised, when we get the promotion. Joel, when I lose 10 pounds, when I get through this problem, then I'll be happy. Our joy is always in the future, when we cross the finish line. The problem with this approach is there's always some reason we can't be happy. Something's going on that's causing us to be stressed, uptight. But the key is to find joy in the journey. You're not there yet. You're still waiting for things to improve, still believing for the promise. But in the meantime, you're enjoying where you are, while you're on the way to where you're going. If you're so focused on the finish line, what's not working out, this trouble at the office, then you'll miss the beauty of this day. You won't laugh at the funny thing your child does. You're too busy. Got to get them dressed, feed them breakfast, get them to school. You won't enjoy your spouse. You're too busy trying to fix them, focused on their flaws. When they improve, then you'll have fun together. I know people that hurry through the week. They don't like going to work, dread driving in the traffic, have to put up with this cranky coworker. They can't wait till the weekend gets here. How much of your life are you missing, trying to get to the next thing? What you think is better, then you can be happy. Try a different approach. Instead of rushing through what you don't like, trying to get to the next goal, slow down and find the joy in the journey. Look at all the good things in your life right now. Don't take for granted the people God's given you to love. They may not be perfect, but neither are you. Enjoy this husband. He gets on my nerves. I bet you get on his nerves too. Some people would love to have your husband. They'd give anything to have that man. I see a lady holding up her husband's phone number. That's how she's going to get joy. But these children, there's so much work. All I do is cook, clean, run them places. Do you know how many people are not able to have children? They'd do anything to have those kids. What you see as common is really uncommon. What we think is ordinary is really extraordinary. Well, it's Monday. I have to go to work. Try a different approach. I get to go to work. I have a job. I have income. I have resources. I can't stand driving in this traffic. It's so stressful. How about I get to drive in traffic? I have a car. I have opportunity. I got to clean the house again today. That's the story of my life. No, I get to clean the house. God's blessed me with a place to live. If you'll have the right perspective, you'll find joy in the journey. Not in my dream house yet, but Lord, I'm grateful for this apartment. Haven't met the right person yet, but Lord, I'm grateful being single. This place I'm working, it's not where I want to end up, but Lord, I'm grateful that I'm employed. See the enemy would love to deceive us into enduring life, not enjoying life. Having children, not enjoying them. Being married, but not enjoying it. Having a house, job opportunity, but always some reason we're not happy. We got to get to that next thing. Then we'll enjoy life. Now you have to learn this principle. There is joy in your journey. There are things in your life right now that you can enjoy if you'll have the right perspective. Paul said in Philippians, whatever things are wholesome, good, pure, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. It's significant that he used the word if, if there be any virtue. He was saying, you have to look for the good. In your family, look for the good. In your spouse, yes, you can point out 23 flaws. How about looking for the good? In that challenge, maybe a lot's coming against you. Look for the good. God is sustaining you. People are encouraging you. This one area has improved. If you're going to find joy in the journey, you have to look past all the wrongs and see the rights. And sometimes it's just the fact that you shouldn't still be here. The opposition should have taken you out. The sickness should have defeated you. How you were raised should have held you back. But you can say, thank you that I'm still standing. Thank you that I still have air to breathe. Thank you that you're still for me. Luke 24, Jesus had been crucified on a Friday. That Sunday, two of his disciples were walking from Jerusalem to a city called Emmaus. You can imagine how discouraged they were. The man they had followed, given their life to, was now gone. As they were on this journey, talking about everything that had happened, they got a little heartache. Jesus came up and started walking with them, but they didn't recognize who he was. He was in a different form. Jesus asked what they were discussing and why they were so concerned. They said, in effect, where have you been? Haven't you heard they've taken our Messiah and crucified him? Now we're without a leader. Jesus began to talk to them about what the prophets had predicted, how he had to come that he'd be raised on the third day. Verse 27 says he explained what the scripture said about him. What an incredible moment this was. They're walking with Jesus who's just risen from the dead, who's helping them to understand passages from the Old Testament that prophesied what would happen, how this was all a part of God's plan. Well, it was a seven-mile walk from Jerusalem. They were about to arrive in Emmaus. It was late at night. They asked Jesus to stay with them. As they were eating dinner, Jesus broke the bread and their eyes were open. They recognized who he was. Jesus suddenly disappeared. Think about that long walk with Jesus. They were so focused on what didn't work out, this great disappointment, their leader is gone, that they didn't recognize the miracle in the moment. All they knew was life was unfair. This wasn't right. They were discouraged. Yet that whole time, the risen savior was in their midst. How many times on our journey are we not recognizing what God is doing? We're so caught up in the stress of the day, dealing with this problem, had a setback in our finances that we don't see all the good things, how God is sustaining us, favoring us, guiding us. We've been through challenges, but in the midst, our children are still healthy. We have opportunity. The right person showed up when we needed them. Don't get so focused on what's wrong that you don't recognize what's right. It's interesting that these disciples were on a journey with Jesus. One principle it shows us is there was joy in the journey, but they didn't recognize it. How many of us are seeing the joy in the journey? We see the traffic, we see the struggle. These children are a lot of work, but are you seeing the joy? Could it be like these disciples that God is doing great things in your midst, but you don't see it? The scripture says, God opened their eyes and suddenly they recognized Jesus. My prayer is, God open our eyes. Help us on the journey of life to not miss the miracles of the moment, to recognize your goodness, to be aware that you're at work. I don't want us to come to the end of life. Man, I didn't enjoy my 20s. So stressed raising kids. I didn't enjoy my 30s. Pressures of work were so bad. Didn't enjoy my 40s. Had financial difficulties. My 50s, I had that health issues. My 60s, we had inflation, the pandemic. The Texans couldn't win. We look up and our life is past, but we didn't enjoy it. It's always something, some problem, some person, some delay. You could be in a great moment right now, but like these disciples, you're letting what went wrong so focused on where you're trying to go that you're missing all the good things. They look back and thought, man, Jesus was walking with us. He was explaining the scriptures. We were right there in his presence. We should have stopped taking it all in and enjoyed it. Instead, they're just trying to get to Emmaus, trying to get past the disappointment. I'm not saying that we don't have difficulties. There's pressure, stress. What I'm saying is there is good in every season. You have to find joy in the journey. Sometimes like these disciples, we don't see it till it's gone. In the moment, we don't recognize it, but later we look back and think that was a great time. We talk about the good old days. Can I tell you, you are living in the good old days. There are great things happening right now. Great memories, great people, great opportunities. Don't do like them and miss it. A few years before my father passed, three of my sisters, along with their spouses, their husbands, they worked on staff with us here at Lakewood. That was four of the five children. My brother Paul hadn't come to join us yet. On Sunday nights during church, I would look down the row and see Lisa and her husband, Tamara and her husband, April and her husband, then Victoria and myself. I would tell Victoria often, we are living in the good old days. This is an amazing time where we're all here together. Somehow I knew not to take it for granted. It's just my family. No big deal. I recognized that it was unusual. We made the most of that time. Over the years, we started churches, fulfilling their calling. The people in your life are not always going to be there. Don't take them for granted. I like to accomplish dreams, achieve goals, go fast. I have to remind myself what I'm telling you, slow down and enjoy the journey. It's easy to live busy, stressed, upset, but today is a gift from God. Don't just endure it, enjoy it. 20 years from now, you're going to look back with fond memories of today. You're going to think those were the good old days, raising my children, working for that company, going to Lakewood. I wonder if you're living in the good old days and you don't recognize it. You're uptight, focused on what's wrong, trying to achieve those dreams. Start finding joy in the journey. I remember about to leave for church and I was in the garage putting things in the car. I said, come on, Jonathan, let's go. He had one of those label makers that we used to use. You hold it in your hand and you select the letter on the dial. You click it, you can make labels. He was so focused on what he was doing. I said, Jonathan, we're going to be late. We have to go. He said, okay, dad, just give me another second. I said, we don't have a second. He was getting more and more uptight. He finally finished, pulled the label out, ran over and handed it to me. It read, best dad in the world. I thought, oh, we have a little more time. Let's make a few more of these. Somehow I wasn't in a hurry anymore. Many times it's the small things in life that give it real meaning. Yes, it's great to accomplish big goals, get married, have a child, move into the new house. Those are mountaintop moments. Some people live for them. That's when they're going to be happy, but those are few and far between. Even the heroes of faith, Moses parted the Red Sea, delivered the Israelites out of slavery. That was amazing, but what was it, a month of his life? What about the other 120 years? You have to learn to enjoy the journey while the Red Seas aren't parting. While you're waiting for the next big things, you're enjoying the small things. You're finding the good in your everyday life, taking time to laugh with your children, taking a walk with your spouse, seeing the sunrise in the morning, hearing the birds sing, not too busy, not too stressed to enjoy the simple things in life. I learned a lot of this from Victoria's side of the family. They love to laugh. They take time to enjoy each other. We were having lunch one Sunday a while back after church at our house. Victoria's mother was there, Georgine, Victoria's brother and all their family, a whole bunch of us. We sat down together. 30 minutes later, I was finished eating. I got up and went to the back to watch the ball game. Three hours later, I watched the whole game. I came back and they were still sitting at the table in the same seats. I said, are y'all eating dinner now? Victoria said, no, we're still sitting here from lunch. I looked at her kind of puzzle. She said, Joel, we're just enjoying each other. I thought, man, I can enjoy my brother Paul in a couple of minutes, but you know what they were doing? Finding joy in the journey. Wasn't a mountaintop moment. They weren't celebrating a birthday. Sure, they had challenges, difficulties, but they took time to see the good, to enjoy what God had given them. Sometimes we're waiting for these big miracles, but it's mundane. The fact that you're alive is a miracle. You have people in your life to love. That's a miracle. You have your health, sound mind, opportunity. Let's not be like those disciples and miss the moment because it looks common. That's just my family, Joel. We see it as just another ordinary day. But the fact is, there are no ordinary days. Each day is a gift from God. He could have chosen anyone to be alive at this time, but He chose you and me. We can see all the wrong, what we don't have, live pressured, stressed, or we can focus on the good. We can appreciate even the simple things in life.