The Blessing and the Burden | Joel Osteen

God bless you and welcome. Thanks for letting us come into your homes and if you're ever in this area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you, we'll make you feel right at home, but thanks so much for tuning in. I like to start with something funny and I heard about this husband and wife, they'd been arguing. Now they were giving each other the silent treatment. The man had to get up early the next day and catch a flight and he needed his wife to wake him up. Not wanting to break the silence, he left a note on her bed that said, please wake me up at 5 a.m. The next day, he got up at 8 o'clock, missed his flight, he's so upset, thought I'm gonna go and find out why she didn't wake me up. There was a note on his side of the bed, it said, wake up, it's 5. Hold up your Bible, say it like you mean it. This is my Bible, I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess, my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk to you today about the blessing and the burden. We all love when a dream comes to pass. We get the promotion, we move into the new house, we meet the right person, we know that's the favor of God.

But with every blessing comes a burden. Life is full of contradictions. It's a blessing to move into that bigger house, it's a burden to have more to clean. It's a blessing to have that baby, it's a burden to get up in the middle of the night. It's a blessing to marry that beautiful girl, it's a burden to not have any more money. God blessed me with a large ministry, with opportunity, with influence, but with this big blessing came big burdens. More critics, more opposition, more funds to raise, more responsibility. The mistake we make is we want the blessing without the burden. That's not reality, they come as a package. The key is to learn to enjoy the blessing while the burden is still there. Some burdens are not going to go away. Not being negative, but you'll never get to a place where you're problem free. Nobody's talking about you, no conflict, no traffic, no bills. If you're always trying to pray away the burdens, you'll be frustrated. God wouldn't have given you the blessing if you couldn't handle the burden. It all boils down to what are we focusing on? Well, Joel, when my baby gets out of diapers, when they're not so much work, then I'll be happy again.

That child is a gift from God. Some people would give anything to have a baby like yours. Don't stay focused on the burden and miss the blessing. When these people stop talking about me, then I won't be upset. The reason they're talking about you is because you're making a difference. God has blessed you with influence, with that blessing comes opposition. That's a part of the package. Don't be frustrated by it. If I didn't have to deal with these coworkers, take all my time and energy, then I wouldn't be stressed out. You prayed for a promotion, God answered your prayer, gave you a management position. Don't pray for a bigger blessing if you're going to complain about a bigger burden. The problem is you're focused on the burden. You need to change your perspective. Start looking for what's right, seeing what's good. Have the grace to be where you are with a good attitude. Not sour, discouraged, why is this taking so long? No, enjoy where you are on the way to where you're going. Life is a journey. After you accomplish this goal, there'll be another mountain to climb, another set of burdens to deal with. Don't get so caught up in where you're going that you miss the beauty of this moment.

Enjoy the season that you're in. If we're not careful, we won't enjoy our teens. We're in a hurry to get out of school. We won't enjoy our 20s. We're stressed out trying to find a job, trying to meet the right person. We won't enjoy our 30s. We're pressured raising these kids, trying to be good parents. We won't enjoy our 40s. We're trying to get into management. Get that promotion, make sure we have savings. At some point, you have to put your foot down and say this is the day the Lord has made. I'm going to enjoy where I am right now. I may have a few burdens, but I know it's because I have big blessings. It's because God has been good to me. See, you could be in one of the best seasons of your life. And not realize it because you're focused on what you don't like on how long it's taking on somebody that's not doing right Instead of enjoying the blessing you're letting the burdens weigh you down My brother Paul was the chief of surgery in a hospital in Little Rock for many years At one point he and his wife Jennifer had three children under the age of six Paul was working 80 hours a week at the hospital and then he had come home and have babies to deal with Diapers to change and kids waking up in the middle of the night. It's very stressed out One day an elderly patient that he had known for many years came in for a checkup And she had recently lost her husband of over 50 years Paul was in a hurry that day as usual running late to the next appointment He rushed through her exam trying to make up for lost time Just as he was about to leave she asked if she could speak to him for a moment

He thought it was going to be a medical question some big health issue, but she said dr. Paul I just want to know how are you doing? Paul was kind of taken aback and he apologized for being in such a hurry and Explained how things were very hectic at home with the little babies and how he'd been swamped at the office He said I'm just a little frustrated right now, it's a very difficult season I wish I had more time. I can't wait to get through it He knew she had lost her husband and being polite He asked her how she was doing and if there was anything she wished for her eyes lit up She said Oh, dr. Paul, I'd give anything to be where you are as a young parent I'd give anything to hear the pitter-patter of my children running through the house again I'd love to be able to change a diaper to rock them back to sleep how I long for those days She looked Paul in the eyes and said one day you're going to miss the very thing. You're trying to hurry through Paul left that day with a new perspective. He couldn't wait to get home to change a diaper He looked forward to getting up in the middle of the night and rocking his children back to sleep What happened? He went from focusing on the burdens to focusing on the blessings Are you trying to hurry through a season focused on what you don't like upset frustrated? There's a blessing in that season God wouldn't have you there if there wasn't something good if you would do like Paul and change your perspective Instead of focusing on the burdens start focusing on the blessing then you'll enjoy your life and not just endure it I heard about this college student. She wrote her parents a letter said dear mom and dad There was a riot on campus from the smoke. I inhaled I developed a life-threatening lung disease At the hospital. I met a parking lot attendant. We fell in love. Our baby is on the way After one month when he gets off for probation, I'm going to drop out of college We're going to move to Alaska and get married signed your loving daughter At the bottom there was a PS. It said none of this is true, but I did fail chemistry She wanted to make sure her parents had the right perspective Could it be the things that are bothering you stealing your joy in the big picture It's not as bad as you think You've magnified it made it bigger than it really is You need to shift your focus from the burdens to the blessing from what you don't have to what you do have

From what's wrong in your life to what's right in your life Maybe you're at a challenging time at work instead of complaining Focusing on the burden the right attitude is Lord. I'm grateful to have this job I know people that are unemployed father. Thank you for blessing me with this opportunity Instead of complaining about your spouse Focusing on what you don't like Lord. Thank you for blessing me with my spouse. They're not perfect They have some flaws. So do I but Lord, I'm grateful that I have somebody in my life to love if you stay focused on the burdens on what you don't like over time, it's going to sour your relationship a Mature person knows how to enjoy the blessing while the burden is still there Don't put your life on hold Waiting for everything to be perfect. Then you're going to be happy Then you're going to start being your best The way to pass the test is to be your best right where you are in the midst of the difficulty When you're not being treated, right when the medical report wasn't good Friends life is flying by we have no guarantee that we're going to be here tomorrow make the most of this day There will always be something to deal with, something to worry about. People, traffic, opposition, health issues. If you stay focused on your burdens, you won't enjoy your blessings. In the book of Luke, an angel appeared to a young lady named Mary. He said, Mary, you are highly favored of God. You're going to have a baby without knowing a man. He will be the Messiah. You couldn't get any more favored. You've just been told you're going to give birth to the Savior of the world. Mary was blessed, but with that blessing came a burden, a contradiction.

She was favored but misunderstood, favored and controversial, favored but talked about. Everywhere she went, people whispered, there's that young lady. She says she's having a baby without a man. Yeah, right, we've heard that before. On one hand, she was excited, couldn't believe it was happening. On the other, her life was much more complicated. She had to tell her fiance what happened. I can imagine. She said, Joseph, honey, when you have a moment, we need to talk. He says, fine, let's talk right now. She said, well, I don't really know how to tell you this, but somebody stopped by the house the other day and now I'm pregnant. It's not what you think. It's all good. I'm faithful, but I'm going to have a baby. After she picked Joseph up off the floor, he said, I'll tell you what, we'll just call off the wedding. I won't tell anybody. I won't embarrass you. Let's just go our separate ways. Here's my point. You can be favored and have complicated situations, favored but talked about, favored but frustrated. Don't let the fact that you have difficulties, opposition, things you don't understand make you think

that you don't have God's blessing. It's just the opposite. The fact that those things are coming against you is a sign that you are favored. You are blessed. That's why you have some burdens. It's a part of the package. Now, Mary could have stayed focused on the burden, tried to prove to people that she was faithful, tried to protect her reputation, lived stressed out. She didn't do that. She accepted the burden as a part of God's plan. She knew with this big burden comes a big blessing. Here's the whole key. She was okay with it. She didn't get upset. She didn't live worried. She stayed in peace, kept doing the right thing, running her race, and God brought the promise to pass. But Mary's life would have been a lot easier if the angel had not appeared to her. She wouldn't have had to deal with the opposition, the ridicule, the stress, and she would have never reached the fullness of her destiny. Sometimes God will ask us to do things that are difficult. It's much easier to stay in our comfort zone and play it safe, but God loves you too much to let you miss your destiny. He's saying today, you are highly favored. I'm going to take you further than you can imagine. I'm going to open doors that no man can shut.

Now, you can handle the blessing. That's easy. The question is, can you handle the burden? Will you do like Mary and keep a good attitude, knowing that that difficulty is a part of the package? Will you keep yourself encouraged and not be frustrated by the process? What's interesting is Mary never asked to have this baby. She never prayed that she would be the one to carry Jesus. She was not looking for fame, for notoriety. She was happy with who she was. She was about to get married, making wedding plans, calling her girlfriends. It was one of the most exciting times of her life. Right in the middle, she was interrupted. Her plans were put on hold. Now she has to tell friends and family members, something's come up, the wedding is off. It went from being a very celebratory, exciting time to being a very stressful, discouraging time. But you never read where Mary complained. She never said, God, why is this happening to me? At one point, it almost seemed like the burden was bigger than the blessing. She's having a baby, but nobody knows who the child is. They didn't hear the angel. All they know is this young girl is supposed to be a virgin, but now she's pregnant. She's about to have a child. That said one thing to them, she's not telling the truth.

She hasn't been faithful. It was a heavy burden to carry, having your reputation tarnished, having your wedding called off, having to make excuses to family, friends, your fiancé. It was embarrassing, humiliating. It would have been different. If Mary would have prayed God, please let me have this baby, but she didn't do that. The reason God chose Mary is because he knew he could trust her. He knew she would carry that burden with a good attitude, without complaining, without having a chip on her shoulder. As God was searching for who it would be, no doubt he came across other ladies and this one and this one. But when he came to Mary, he said, there's somebody I can count on to be uncomfortable for a season to carry out my purpose. There's somebody I can trust to not understand what I'm doing, to have her plans interrupted, to have her life not make sense temporarily so I can bring about the Messiah. We talk a lot about us trusting God and believing that he's in control, that's important. But my question today is, can God trust you? Can he count on you to be uncomfortable for a season, to go through things you don't understand, to have it take longer than you thought, yet you still have an attitude of faith, you still have a smile on your face, you still come to church, you're still good to other people? Like Job, your attitude is, though he slay me, yet will I trust him. The burdens you have to carry, the child that's difficult to raise, the trouble at work. When God laid out the plan for mankind, he passed over this one and another and another. When he came to you, he said, like Mary, I can trust them. I know what they're made of. They're not weak. They're not complainers. They don't try to figure everything out.

I can count on them to bring about my purpose. When you face difficulties, the burden seems heavy, you didn't ask for it. Keep the right perspective. It's because God can trust you. Well, Joel, why am I having to raise this child this hard? This is not what I had planned in life. Do you know how many people God passed over before he got to you? He chose you because you can handle it. You're strong, you're tenacious, you're filled with can-do power. Other people would have given up. Others would have gotten bitter. Some would have a chip on their shoulder, but God looked at you and said, I can count on them. Put your shoulders back, hold your head up high. If it was easy, anybody would do it. If you were ordinary, you wouldn't have an extraordinary challenge. If you were average, you wouldn't be facing Goliath. The reason the burden is so big is because you are big. You're a giant killer. You're a history maker. You are destined to leave your mark on this generation. For 17 years, I worked behind the scenes at Lakewood doing the television production. When my father went to be with the Lord in 1999, even though I'd never ministered before, I knew I was supposed to step up and pastor the church. I didn't ask for it, but I couldn't get away from it. I felt it so strongly. So I started ministering most weekends. It was difficult enough learning how to prepare a message and getting up in front of people. In one sense, I was comfortable knowing that most everybody at the church was very behind me.

They loved my parents, very loyal. When I'd get up to speak, they'd cheer and cheer. But we never dreamed the church would grow. People started watching all over on television and networks put the program on. In a few years, I looked up and everybody wasn't cheering me on. Critics had come out of the woodwork and opposition, people writing articles saying we were anything but good. I thought, God, this is not what I signed up for. I was minding my own business, happy behind the scenes when nobody knew my name. That was a lot easier, less stressful. Now I had these bigger burdens to deal with. Over the years, I had learned to trust God and believe that He's in control. I realize now, and I say this humbly just to make this point, God chose me not just because I trusted Him, but because He could trust me. When you face tough times and things you don't understand, the pressure seems strong, remember, that's not random. God chose you because He knows you have what it takes. He knows you're not average. He passed over people with less faith, less strength, less tenacity. He chose you on purpose. He knew when the going got tough, you'd get going. He knew when it was all said and done, you'd still be standing strong. He knew you wouldn't let the critics talk you out of it. He knew you would have a merry spirit, a spirit that said, I may not understand it, it may not seem fair, I may be uncomfortable. bring it on. Let it happen. I am well able. God, I not only trust you, but you can trust me. Our attitude should be, God, you can trust me to stay faithful when I don't feel like it. You can trust me to do the right thing when the wrong thing is happening. You can trust me like Paul and Silas to sing praises

in a midnight hour. You can trust me like Esther to not compromise even though my life's on the line. You can trust me like David to face Goliath without fear. You can trust me like Abraham and Sarah to believe even when it seems impossible. Now, I know today I'm looking at people that not only trust God, but can I tell you, God can trust you. He handpicked you, given you grace for every season, strength for every battle, and sometimes when the burden seems heavy, you didn't ask for it, doesn't seem fair, you have to keep reminding yourself the reason it's you and not somebody else is because God can count on you. You have what it takes. Now, I've learned the bigger the burden, the bigger the blessing. Like Mary, people may be making fun, making light, but don't worry, your time is coming. The baby is on route. The promise is headed your way. When you give birth to that promise, you're going to forget all about the burden. The blessing God has come in your way will far overshadow anything that you've been through. Looking back in my own life now, 16 years later, having outlasted the critics, overcome the opposition, seeing God promote, establish, take me where I've never dreamed, I can tell you firsthand, it was well worth it. The blessing, the joy, the fulfillment that comes from simply staying faithful, enduring hardships, passing the test is more rewarding than you can imagine. You'll be able to say like Paul, these light afflictions were for a moment, but they worked in me an eternal weight of glory. If Mary were here today, she would tell you it was a heavy burden to carry the Messiah, but it was well worth it. The burdens you're having to endure. One day you'll look back and say, I wouldn't change a thing. I didn't like it. I was uncomfortable, but God used it

to propel me into my destiny. Yes, it was a heavy burden, but it brought me into a heavy blessing. This is what happened with David. He was anointed to be the next King of Israel, chosen by the prophet Samuel to lead God's people. He went out and defeated Goliath and overnight became a national hero. He was highly favored, but with that big blessing came his sheer of burdens. King Saul was jealous of him, spent months chasing David through the desert, trying to kill him. David could have said, God, I thought you anointed me to be King. You didn't tell me with this blessing came this burden. You didn't tell me that even though I was doing the right thing, this man that's supposed to be my friend would make it his life mission to try to keep me off the throne. That was all a part of God's plan. God handpicked David because he knew he could trust him. Other people would have gotten bitter, discouraged, tried to take revenge. Not David. He wasn't a complainer. He knew he had grace for every season. He kept doing the right thing and at the right time, God took care of Saul and David took the throne. It's easy to handle the blessing. We love giving birth to the dream. We love taking the throne, but God is looking for people who can not only handle the blessing, but who can handle the burden. People who won't give up because they had a bad break. They came down with an illness. The business didn't make it. You wouldn't have that opposition if you weren't highly favored. That Saul wouldn't be trying to stop you if you didn't have royalty in your blood. The enemy wouldn't be working overtime if you weren't about to take the throne. Don't get discouraged by the burden. Keep doing the right thing. The blessing is coming. The baby's coming. The promise is coming. The health is coming. The victory is on the way.

Here's what I'm saying. I know God can trust you with the blessing. Make sure he can trust you with the burden. Paul said this, a wide door of opportunity is open to me and there are plenty of opportunity adversaries. With every wide door, there will be plenty of opposition. Instead of being discouraged by it, you can be encouraged knowing that that's a sign that new doors are opening. Breakthroughs are headed your way. Favor is in your future. Our attitude should be, I am in it to win it. I am in it to win it. I'm not going to get discouraged because it's taking longer than I thought. I'm not going to give up because people have come against me. I'm not going to live frustrated because I'm disappointed. I'm lonely. I've had some tough times. No, I know I've been armed with strength for this battle. I know the forces that are for me are greater than the forces that are against me. Like Mary, you may be carrying a burden that you didn't ask for. Remember, it's because God can trust you. Keep the right perspective. You are highly favored. Your time is coming. The burden you're having to endure is going to pale in comparison to the blessing God is about to release. I believe and declare, you're going to give birth to promises that are going to take you further than you've imagined. God is going to propel you where you could not go on your own. Like David, you're going to outlast the opposition, take your throne and become everything God's created you to

be in Jesus' name. If you receive it today, can you say amen? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take you where you've never dreamed.