Joyce Meyer

The Way to Get Out of the Mess You're In

When I was interviewed by Time magazine once, the interviewer asked me, "Does God want people to be rich?"
I knew that simply saying yes or no would get me in trouble, so I explained it like this: "God wants His people to have everything they can handle and keep Him first in their lives, be a blessing to other people and keep a good attitude."

He then said, "So you do believe God wants people to have possessions and material wealth."

I said, "Yes, if they can handle it."

So he challenged me with this question: "What do you tell the housewife whose husband has left her, she has three kids, the refrigerator is broken down, the car is broken down, and she doesn't have your life? What do you tell her?"

I said, "I tell her to do the same thing I did: Don't quit and don't give up. Persevere and keep doing what God is telling you to do, and little by little, you will get where you want to be."

It Didn't Just Happen Overnight

We descend into trouble a little bit at a time, not all at once. We get into messes in our lives through years of making bad choices. And we can't expect to get our lives straightened out overnight.

Yes, God is a miracle-working God, and He can fix our problems in a moment if He wants to. But it usually doesn't happen that way. It wouldn't be good for us if He just waved a magic wand over us and fixed our messes instantaneously because we wouldn't learn anything and would just do it all over again.

The way we get out of trouble is through learning how to make right choices. And if we make wise decisions and do what God tells us to do, we'll have what He says we can have.

Now, the blessings are not just stuff. The world is full of people who have a lot of money, yet they're miserable anyway. God wants to bless His children so we can have the life Jesus died to give us - abundant life - and so we can be a blessing to others, not just so we can have stuff.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, "…I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live." It's a simple message: Do what I tell you to do and you'll be blessed. Don't do what I tell you to do, and you won't be blessed.

I want you to really hear what I'm saying: The promises of God are for "whosoever will," and not just a select group of people who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth. If you will obey God's direction for your life and trust Him, you will have what God says you can have.

Whatever your mess is, be determined to do what's right so you can see good results, no matter how long it takes. God is faithful to His Word. The key is being committed to obey God. And being committed requires diligence, perseverance, dedication, fortitude and patience.

Make up your mind that you can get out of the trouble you're in. Your financial situation can be turned around. Your marriage can change and improve. You can have a healthy body. You can have peace and joy. You can have a great relationship with God.

Jesus said He came so we might have and enjoy our life. He wants us to have peace, joy and freedom from worry and anxiety. As we really love God and seek Him, He will give us His wisdom and show us the path of the blessed life we can have in Christ.

For more on this topic, order Joyce's two-DVD set Wisdom and the Blessed Life. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org <http://www.joycemeyer.org>.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 80 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and The Love Revolution (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org <http://www.joycemeyer.org>.