Joel Osteen - Don't Make Mountain out of Molehills

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to
our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you
enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and
share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray
for God's very best in your life. Will God bless you?

(00:26):
It's always our joy to come into your homes. We
love you, and we know God has great things in.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Store for you.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
He rewards the people that seek after him. If you're
ever in our area, I hope you'll 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, and thank you again for
coming out. I'd like to start with something funny each week.
And I heard about these three people, a Russian, an American,
and a blonde. They were talking one day. The Russian

(00:55):
proudly said, we were the first ones in space. The
American said, well, we were the first ones on the moon.
The blonde said that's nothing. We're going to be the
first ones on the Sun. The Russian and American they laughed,
and what are you talking about.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Can't go to the sun. It's too hot. You'll burn up.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
The blonde said, We're not that dumb. We're gonna go
at night. All right, 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.

(01:36):
I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God
bless you. I want to talk to you today about
not making mountains out of mold hills. It's usually not
the big things that keep us from being happy. It's
the small things. I've heard it said tornadoes and hurricanes
get more news coverage, but in reality, termites do more damage.

(02:00):
Scripture puts it this way, it's the little foxes that
spoil the vines. Most of the time we're not dealing
with some major crisis like losing a job, a life
threatening illness, or a relationship breaking up. The big things
are rare. It's the little inconveniences, like not being able
to find your car keys in the morning, or being

(02:21):
in a hurry and getting behind a driver going forty
in a sixty mile an hour zone. It's the little interruptions,
like having to run back to the school and pick
up your child's jim bag that he forgot, or finding
out that your mother in law's coming in for a
surprise two week visit. It's the little frustrations like your

(02:42):
husband not picking up his socks even though you've asked
him to for twenty seven years, or your wife not
leaving the remote control where you can find it and
you're convinced that she does it on purpose. How we
handle the little things will determine what kind of life
we live. I heard these coals talking on a documentary
about the thing that they feared the most when they're

(03:06):
underground miles back in those caves, if there was an
explosion or the earth shift, just a tiny bit could
easily trap them and cut off their air supply. It's
very dangerous, But it's interesting that's not what they worried
about the most. Their greatest fear was something called black
lung disease. It's when they inhale the cold dust so

(03:28):
long that it coats their lungs and they can no
longer breathe. One of the miners said, it's the small
stuff that kills us.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
He was saying, it's not the big explosions.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
It's not the caves crashing in, it's not the dangerous
equipment that we're working with. It's simply the dust. And
that's the way it is many times in life.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
It's not the.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
Major catastrophes that keep us from being happy. It's the
seemingly insignificant things that we don't handle correctly. People have
developed a habit of making mountains out of mole hills.
They blow everything out of proportion. If they get stuck
in traffic, it ruins their whole day. If they can't

(04:11):
find their car keys, you'd think the world was coming
to an end. If their child doesn't clean up his
room on time, it's World War three. They make everything
a big deal, and they've been doing it so long
it's just natural for them to overreact and make it
bigger than it is, and they end up getting themselves upset.

(04:31):
I was in a restaurant the other day with my family,
and at the table right next to us was a
husband and wife, and the lady got a phone call.
She said so dramatically, Oh no, you've got to be kidding.
I'm so sorry, what are we going to do? I thought,
for sure she just heard terrible news. Maybe somebody was
in an accident. Maybe she found out somebody had a

(04:54):
life threatening illness.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
Her husband was just like me, He said, what is it, honey?

Speaker 1 (04:58):
What is it? She pulled the own back and whispered
they didn't have any chocolate chips at the grocery store.
I thought, my goodness, lady, I don't even know you,
and my blood pressure shot up twenty points, no telling
what yours did, all because they didn't have some chocolate chips. Friends,

(05:19):
there are enough big issues in life to deal with
without making a big deal out of things that are
not a big deal. Keep it in perspective in the
big picture. If you get stuck in traffic, it's not
a big deal. If you don't get your favorite parking spot,
it's not worth losing your peace over if the repairman
doesn't show up when he promised, let it go, This

(05:42):
too shall pass. I've seen marriages practically split apart because
somebody doesn't squeeze the toothpaste the right way. Had a
lady tell me one time that she and her husband
broke up because she couldn't stand how he chewed ice.
We have to realize the more we focus on something,
the bigger it becomes.

Speaker 2 (06:02):
If you focus on what you don't.

Speaker 1 (06:04):
Like about that person, you'll get to where you don't
see any of their good qualities. That will irritate you
more and more, and you will get to where you
don't even want to be around them. You'll forget all
about the reasons why you fell in love. Some of
you today, this could save a relationship if you would
just quit making a big deal out of something that

(06:25):
is not a big deal. I used to get so
uptight because Victoria wouldn't leave for church when I wanted
her to leave. We take separate cars on Sunday mornings,
and I wanted her to leave at a specific time
so she would not have to hurry and get here
in plenty of time to relax before the start of
the service.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
And so I did my best to encourage her and let.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
Her know what time I would like for her to leave,
and I'd make sure the keys were out and put
the stuff in the car for But it seemed like
no matter how hard I tried, she still showed up.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
Just a few minutes before the opening prayer.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
I used to Haveanie looking out the back door down
the road to see when she was coming. The whole
time I was uptight, on edge, stressed out. One day
I realized I am making a big deal out of
something that is not a big deal.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
She has never once missed the start of the service.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
If she wants to come with just a few minutes before,
there's nothing wrong with that's not hurting anything. And a
lot of times, because we have strengths in certain areas,
we expect everyone around us to have those same strengths.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
We expect them.

Speaker 1 (07:31):
To be able to do what we can do, and
if they.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Don't, it frustrates us.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
We look down on them, and even subconsciously, they can
feel a sense of disapproval. If we're not careful, we'll
go through our whole life trying to quote fix people
and make them just like us. That one little thing
will get bigger and bigger, and before long it's a
source of division that drives us apart. One of the

(07:56):
best things I've learned is God did not bring the
people into mind life for me to make them just
like me.

Speaker 2 (08:03):
God wants us to be different.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
That's why we have different personalities, different strengths, different hobbies,
different looks. If we're going to be happy, we've got
to learn how to appreciate the differences and not let
the little things that we don't like irritate us and
cause us to become resentful toward that person. They may
do some things that get on your nerves, but always

(08:26):
remember there are a few things you do that get
on their nerves. Nobody is perfect. If we're going to
be in relationship with people and enjoy it, we've got
to be willing to overlook some things. Just because they
don't have your same strengths doesn't mean that their subpar.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
They're just different.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
Our assignment is not to fix people. Our assignment is
to love people. My personality type is I'm very structured,
very routine. That's one of my strengths. And on my
desk at home, I like everything perfectly in place. I
like my phone in a certain spot, not two inches
here or two inches there. There is an exact place

(09:09):
I want it to be. And for years my office
was right outside of our bedroom. From time to time
when I wasn't in there, Victoria would come in and
she would use the telephone, and just naturally, she would
pull it closer to the front of the desk so
she could die. And she wouldn't always put it back
in the exact right place. And when I'd go in

(09:30):
and see that it was a little bit out of place,
I'd get so stressed out. I think, why don't these
people leave my things alone?

Speaker 2 (09:37):
And if they use it, I wish they'd just put
it back.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
I got so paranoid about it. I used to go
through the house just to check to see if my
phone was in the exact right place, like an old
mother hen and if it wasn't, I would start harping
and bringing all this tension into the home. Not because
somebody tore up the furniture, not because some some money
stayed out all night, simply because somebody.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
Moved my phone two inches.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
I was making a mountain out of a molehill I
never forget. One day I went into office, my desk
was out of place, and I started complaining, God, when
are you ever gonna change these people? God, when are
they ever going to leave my stuff alone? I heard
a voice right down in here saying, Joel, I'm gonna
change them as soon as you get over it. I thought, now,

(10:25):
was that God or the devil? But sometimes we're waiting
for other people to change. All the while God is
waiting for us to change. He's waiting for us to
get over it and quit making a big deal out
of something that's not a big deal. And some of you,
like I was, you're making mountains out of mole hills,

(10:46):
and it's bringing unnecessary stress. That's creating tension, division, disharmony
in the home. If you would make these simple changes
and quit blowing things out of proportion and quit losing
your cool over things that don't matter, you would not
only enjoy your life more, but you see the people
you're in relationship with come up to a higher level.

(11:08):
So I've learned people don't change by us nagging, complaining, harping,
looking down on That doesn't motivate anyone to want to
do better. That takes away all their enthusiasm. But when
you encourage people, when you're kind and understanding, when you
make allowances for weaknesses, when you overlook little things that

(11:29):
could irritate you, you're so in a seed for God
to change them.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
Every one of you has specific strengths.

Speaker 1 (11:38):
There are things that you're very good at, But do
you know if you allow it, your strengths.

Speaker 2 (11:43):
Can become your weaknesses.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
I was so organized and so overly structured that I
couldn't even enjoy my life because my phone was two
inches out of place.

Speaker 2 (11:53):
That's out of balance.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
When I heard that voice saying that I needed to change,
I made a decision that I was going to lighten
up up and quit being so nitpicky in such a stickler.
I'm happy to say today, twenty years later, I never
get upset with Victoria moving my phone. She doesn't have
a key to my office.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
I'm just kidding it.

Speaker 1 (12:18):
But too often we try to fit people into our
mold and.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
Make them just like us.

Speaker 1 (12:24):
We think if they would just change, then I wouldn't
get upset, If they would just do it the way
I want, then they wouldn't get on my nerves. Now,
give people room to become who God created them to be.
Life is too short to spend it trying to fix everybody.
And sure we should encourage people and help them grow
and come up higher, but we have to come to

(12:45):
the point where we step back and say, all right,
this is who God made them to be, and I'm
going to accept them just like they are, and just
because they don't have my same strengths just because they
don't mind that the phone is a quarter of an
inch off. I'm not gonna let that frustrate me. We
have to realize the people God brings into our lives
are to compliment us and to bring a certain flavor

(13:08):
that makes our life more interesting. But if we view
these differences in a negative light and we allow them
to annoy us, then our life will not be near
as fulfilled as it could be. I know if Victoria
was just like me, our home would not be nearly
as fun because I'm so organized and so structured.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
I can do the same thing the same way again
and again.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
But Victorious is very spontaneous. She keeps our house fresh
and fun and exciting. I've learned you've got to focus
on a person's strengths and learn to make allowances for
their weaknesses, and realize just because they're not like you
doesn't mean they're wrong.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
They're just different.

Speaker 1 (13:50):
Every person has little quirks and peculiar things that we can.

Speaker 2 (13:54):
Get on our nerves if we let it.

Speaker 1 (13:56):
But we've got to be bigger than that to where
we overlook those things and we focus on their good qualities.
As long as I've known Victoria. She's always been a
great driver. She's never had an accident, never gotten a ticket.
But one thing she does used to really bother me.
When she's driving down the freeway, instead of keeping the
car in the center of the lane, she lines up

(14:19):
her right tires close to the right side stripe in
the road.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
And of course, when I'm the passenger.

Speaker 1 (14:25):
That means I'm the one closest to the other cars.
When I look out the window and see that eighteen wheeler,
and I think to myself, I have never noticed those
little pin stripes like that before. That tells me we're
too close. And for probably ten years, every time I
would ride with her, I'd go through my same speech, Victoria,
you need to keep the car in the center of

(14:47):
the lane.

Speaker 2 (14:47):
It's dangerous over here, on and on. Victoria would always
move over.

Speaker 1 (14:51):
She would do her best to please me, but five
minutes later, she'd gravitate right back to where she was.
I'd get all up tight again, Please Victoria, move the car.
I would like to see my grandchildren. I was focused
on that one little quirk, and I used to think
that it was my assignment in life to straighten her

(15:12):
out and to teach her to drive just like I
could drive, And so I had her on my potter's wheel.
I was making her and molding her into who I
thought she should be. One day it dawned on me,
that's not my job. That's God's job. I'm not the potter.
It was like a light turned on and I heard
God saying, Joel, you can get in the car the

(15:33):
next eighty years and try to change her, but she's
not going to change. You can either lighten up and
let her be who I made her to be, or
you can spend all your time frustrated and upset trying
to change her. That day, I made a decision to
just leave it alone. I quit making a big deal
out of something that was not a big deal. After all,

(15:53):
She's never had an accident and I've had two. She's
never had a ticket and I've had a few. But
thank God, now I've been delivered. When I ride with her,
I don't even think twice. I just get my helmet
on and off we go. But you've heard that saying
I want need to ride home today, y'all. Somebody you've

(16:15):
heard that saying, don't sweat the small stuff.

Speaker 2 (16:20):
Most of the things that upset us and cause.

Speaker 1 (16:23):
Us to live all out of sink is the small stuff? Well,
I went to church Sunday, but somebody was sitting in
my favorite seat. I've been in that seat for twenty years.
That's not right. I paid for that seat. No, you're
sweating the small stuff. There are sixteen thousand seats. Find
another one. Life is too short to get all worked
up over something that doesn't really matter. Well, Joeli, I'm

(16:46):
stressed out today because somebody's talking about me at the office. Well,
let me tell you a secret. Somebody is always talking
about you. You just don't know it. Let it go
and be happy anyway. I had a mother I was
talking to last week, and she was very stressed out
because her child was still using a pacifiering. According to her,

(17:08):
it was like six months later than he should be
using it.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
She's really been out of shape.

Speaker 1 (17:12):
And I reminded her that I have never seen a
twenty year old using a pacifier. This too, shall pass.
Keep it in perspective, don't make a mountain out of
a molehill.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
And it's good to approach each day in.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
Faith, expecting God's favor, yet at the same time realizing
everything may not go our way.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
Everybody may not treat.

Speaker 1 (17:35):
Me right today. All my plans may not work out
the way I have them scheduled, but I've already decided
I Am not going to get upset and lose my joy.

Speaker 2 (17:46):
Friend's life is full.

Speaker 1 (17:47):
Of interruptions, inconveniences, things that can cause stress, and if
we're going to live happy, we've got to draw the
line in the sand and say, I am not going
to make a big deal today out of anything that's
not a big deal. That means I'm not gonna get
upset if somebody is parked in my signs spot, not
gonna live sour. If my children don't like the dinner

(18:09):
that I cook them, not gonna lose my peace. If
I go to the hardware store and they're out of
the part that I need, I realize that's a minor
inconvenience in this too shall pass.

Speaker 3 (18:21):
Now.

Speaker 1 (18:21):
I've learned that when I'm upset, when I'm stressed out,
I'm out of sink with God. I'm out of tune
with God. It's not his fault. It's not my circumstances fault.
It's not my spouse's fault, it's my own fault. I've
let myself get out of balance. Just like you have
to retune a piano on a regular basis for it

(18:43):
to sound its best, you have to retune your life.
You've got to come back to that place of peace
and find out what's stealing your joy.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
Take inventory.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
Are you making big deals out of things that are
not a big deal. Are you getting stressed over the traffic,
a delay and inconvenience? Are you trying to change everybody
allowing their weaknesses to frustrate you. Are you blowing situations
out of proportion. If we're going to stay in tune
and be our best each day, we have to make

(19:14):
adjustments on a daily basis. In other words, at the
grocery store, somebody is rude to you, No big deal.
I'm not gonna get upset. They're having a bad day.
I'm gonna stay in tune. You get out to your
car and realize that you left your lights on. Now
it won't start. Don't overreact, don't blow it out of proportion.
Stay in tune. God is still on the throne. Somebody's

(19:36):
gonna be there to help you. You're on the freeway
in a hurry to get to the airport.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
You got to catch a.

Speaker 1 (19:40):
Flight and you get behind the slowest driver in North America.
When you change lanes, that lane slows down, looks like
it's following you. Just relax. It's not worth getting your
blood pressure up over. Keep it in perspective. Even if
you were to miss that flight, If you believe that
God is directing your steps and you know that where

(20:01):
you are is where you're supposed to be, that delay
could be keeping you from an accident. That misflight may
cause you to meet someone that God's been wanting you
to meet, a divine connection. Stay in tune, don't sweat
the small stop. Here's the key. When you have a problem,
it's good to categorize it. Ask yourself, is this a

(20:21):
five minute problem, a five hour problem, or a five
year problem. A five minute problem would be things like
not finding the car, keys, burning the toast, getting caught
by a train. A five hour problem would be missing
the flight, having to work, laid the car won't start.
If you'll categorize your problems, I think you'll be amazed

(20:44):
at how much stress and frustration and worry we give
into over a little five minute and five hour problems.
By the end of the day, they're going to be gone.
By the time you go to bed that night, it's
going to all be cleared up. It's really not worth
getting upset over. I heard somebody say, if you can't
flee it, don't fight it, just flow with it. In

(21:08):
other words, if you can't change it, just relax, stay
in peace and go with the flow. If you get
stuck in traffic, you can't change it, just flow with it.
If you burn the toast, you can't unburn it. It's
over and done. Put in a new piece and move on.
If you have to work late and you don't want to,
being upset is only gonna make it seem like it

(21:29):
takes longer, just gonna make you miserable.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
That's a five hour problem.

Speaker 1 (21:34):
Make it decision. You're gonna stay in peace and be
your best knowing, but by the time you go to bed,
it's gonna all be over and done.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
I think it's interesting.

Speaker 1 (21:43):
The Apostle Paul never prayed for every challenge to go away.
He prayed that God would give him the strength to
go through them with a good attitude. Our level of
maturity can be seen by how much it takes to
get us upset. You've heard the saying a small pot
boils the quickest. That means if we don't have much character,

(22:06):
will always be stressed out making mountains out of mole hills.
If we lose our cool because our child for God
is homework and we're aggravated because somebody didn't do something
at work we wanted them to, and we're upset because
the cars making a little funny sound that we're not
passing the test. We've got to grow and mature to

(22:27):
the point to where we can say what the apostle
Paul said and acts twenty four. None of these things
move me. What's amazing is Paul knew in his future
there were challenges, obstacles, heartache. He knew he was even
headed for prison. Yet he said, in effect, it's no
big deal. I'm not worried about it. I know God

(22:49):
is still in control. I have a destiny to fulfill.
I can't flee it, so I'm not gonna fight it.
I'm just gonna flow with it. I love the fact
that Paul treated big things even as small things. When
you view your challenges from God's perspective, you can reduce
them down to size, and even a big problem, you'll

(23:09):
see it as a little deal. If we're not going
to make mountains out of mole hills, we've got to
learn to lighten up and see the humor in life.
Was in a hotel the other day and I got
up early in the morning and I called room service
to order Victoria some coffee in Nobody answered, we had
to catch a flight real soon, and so I put
on some jim shorts and a T shirt and I

(23:31):
ran downstairs to see if I could get her some coffee.
In a lot of times, the hotel will have free coffee.
When I got off the elevator, over to the left
by some ballrooms, I saw several tables and they had
big containers of coffee, and so I went and got
Victoria cup and put in it what she likes. As
I was walking back to the elevator, I heard this
lady's voice say, very sternly, excuse me, sir, that will

(23:55):
be three dollars. I turned around kind of laughed and said, oh,
I'm sorry, I thought that was free. Can I put
this charge on my hotel room? She was still kind
of aggravated. She said, no, sir, you may not. We're
not associated with the hotel. It'll be three dollars in cash. Well,
I didn't have any cash, and I said, well, let
me run up to my room real quick and I'll

(24:15):
bring it right back down. She looked at me and said,
how do I know you're gonna come back? I said,
look at this face. Would I lie to you? I
am so innocent. I promise i'll come back. She said, no, sir,
you need to leave something, and so I said, well,
I'll leave the coffee. She said, no, you've already bought that.
I can't reuse that. You need to leave something else.
I only had a T shirt, jim shorts, and tennis shoes.

(24:38):
I wasn't gonna leave my tennis shoes. I wasn't gonna
leave my T shirt, and I sure wasn't gona leave
my jim shorts. She finally said, all right, well, let
me go check with my manager and see what we
need to do. As soon as she got out of
my sight, I ran to my hotel room as fast
as I could. I came back down. When I got there,
she said, I was just about to come looking for you.

(25:00):
I thought, dear lord lady, what are you doing selling coffee?
You need to be working for the FBI. I paid
her my three dollars, and just as I was about
to leave, she said, hey, wait a minute, aren't you
that minister. I said, no, ma'am, I'm a dentist. I
wasn't about to tell her who I was. I repented later.

(25:25):
What am I saying? Instead of getting bent out of shape?
I forgot what I'm saying, yo, instead of getting bent
out of shape, see the humor in life. Don't blow
things out of proportion. Don't overreact. That was a five
minute problem that wasn't worth getting stressed out over. Friend's

(25:46):
life is too short to go around making mountains out
of mole hills.

Speaker 2 (25:50):
So somebody didn't treat you right.

Speaker 1 (25:52):
Big deal. Let it go.

Speaker 2 (25:53):
Stay in tune.

Speaker 1 (25:55):
So your plans didn't work out, you got delayed, Big deal.
God's directing your step. Just flow with it. Maybe you've
got a tough week ahead of you. But instead of
making it bigger by dreading it, do like the apostle Paul,
see it from God's perspective. Reduce it down to size.
God is still on the throne some of you today.
You'd see your life go to a new level if

(26:17):
you just quit making a big deal out of things
that are not a big deal. Remember, it's not our
job to make everybody around us just like us. Give
them the freedom to become who God's created them to be.

Speaker 2 (26:28):
The next time you have a.

Speaker 1 (26:29):
Challenge, ask yourself, is this a five minute, a five hour,
even a five month that's not worth living stressed out over?
Get up in the morning and say to yourself, I
will not make a big deal out of anything that's
not a big deal today. If you do that, you're
passing the test. No matter what comes your way, you'll
be able to say, with the Apostle Paul, none of

(26:51):
these things move me. You'll not only be happier and
more fulfilled, but your relationships will come up to a
higher level. And I believe and declare you will come
everything God's created you to be, and you will have
everything God intended for you to have. Amen. Do you
receive it today? We never like to close our broadcast
without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord

(27:13):
of your life. Would you pray with me, just say, Lord, Jesus,
I repent of my sins. Come into my heart.

Speaker 2 (27:21):
I make you my Lord and savior.

Speaker 1 (27:24):
Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you
got born again, Get in a good Bible based church.

Speaker 2 (27:30):
Keep God first place. He'll take your places that you've
never dreamed of.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
Thank you for listening to the Joelous Deine podcast. Help
us continue to share the message of hope with those
all over the world. Visit Jolus dein dot com slash
give Hope to give a gift today.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
Thanks so much for listening to today's message.

Speaker 1 (27:50):
I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest
podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. We're
praying for you.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
I know God's best is still ahead.

Speaker 1 (27:59):
We'll see you next Timehm.