What I Would Tell My Younger Self | Gaining Wisdom

Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. If this program is impacted you, I love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org everywhere you can go back and advise your younger self before some of those mistakes were made pestering Lori has been thinking about his one and only pregnancy doing younger just be a nice person. You're a child of God be known for your generosity be known for your love and compassion that your anger be known as a person that builds people up, not as a person chairs people down be a nice person and growing older learning some of the lessons of life.

There's even more wisdom comes when we embrace God's word is her pattern of living today on a new beginning. Greg Lori looks to the Bible for practical principles we can do you if you miss some of the principles she's already had a job by listening to the previous two programs online harvest, good insight coming your way worth taking what I say young Greg is an older Greg, what advice would I give myself, let me give you a little bit of advice and say things to you that you need said to you as a younger person. This first one may be surprising, marry the right person marry the right person was and if you're single.

I believe God has a person picked out for you that you can start praying for your spouse right now even though you don't know, maybe you do know Munoz, but you can start praying for them now, but when you're looking at potential candidates of food to spend the rest of your life with looking if you could be the potential mother or father of your children who could be the grandparent of your grandchildren. Start here. Look for a godly person find some of it even more godly then you don't find some person who is not a Christian and marry them. The Bible says don't mean equally yoked together with nonbelievers, what fellowship does light have with darkness. Don't do that doesn't honestly marriage is challenging enough, don't marry a nonbeliever on top of it. You need someone you can pray together with and commit things to the Lord with look to God for the strength marriage can be challenging in life, but once you make this commitment. It should be a lifelong commitment. Wedlock should be a padlock and I mean that in the best way and if you're unwilling to do this if you want to just experiment with it then get married and maybe get divorce if it doesn't work out do us all a favor and stay single but rather think about this.

Pray about this and take your time. The Bible says love is patient, some people want to rush in the marriage. All we have to get married immediately. No get to know one another. The Bible says many waters cannot quench love. Neither can floods surround it. If your love for that man. That woman is a real love. It will stand the test of time I heard this great advice that was given to me by a friend of mine named Cliff barracks.

He said there are eight words you should be willing to say to your spouse every day eight words. Here they are, say I'm sorry. Please forgive me and I love I'm sorry.

Please forgive me and I love you and I would have these words as well.

It was my fault so I put this in one of my devotions, and by the way, we have a daily devotion and harvest.org. You can sign up for it and I sent some devotional thoughts in Scripture to you each and every day. But anyway in my devotion, I wrote out what I just said to you the eight words I can change your marriage and a friend of mine Larry read it and he walked into the room where his wife was and he said to her, just out of the blue, I love you please forgive me and I'm sorry she was done she, her eyes welled up with tears. Larry, thank you for saying that to me that's so beautiful. What prompted you to say that he says I just read in Greg's devotion. I thought it would try it out published and told her that went to work pretty well.

You have to mean the words when you say them.

I'm sorry. Please forgive me.

I love you and was my fault as of the Bible says wives are to respect their husbands husbands are to love their wife as Christ loves the church make the right decision and marry the right person. Here's another thing tell those you love that you love to know the people you love that you love them, don't. Don't wait, don't say will be no, I'm sure they know, but it never hurts to have someone say I love you. They can read your mind say because there's going to come a moment when you're going to have a last conversation with someone you love, you may not realize it was your last conversation.

That's why it's a good thing. The end your conversation with. I love you.

The Lord called our son Christopher home 13 years ago. I know that he knew that I loved though I missed him desperately though. We were devastated by this horrific event we always told him we loved him and that's a very important thing to do. Don't wait to their funeral. They won't hear what happens at their funeral all bring flowers and a bring your flowers now stop what you're doing.

Think about people you love your parents, your children, your siblings, some of this meant a lot to you. Send them a text send them an email. Even better, write it on a car you know why it's called write it on the card because they can keep it. They can pull it out to say I just wanted to take a moment to say I appreciate you and I love you. Thank you for all that you've done for me. Here's what an older Greg would say to a younger Greg take better care of your harried and lose it know that's not the point here is keep short accounts and forgive keep short accounts and forgive. Listen to this.

People are going to disappoint you in life.

Even people you love again let you down there going to say something that hurt you. Something's going to happen. You'll feel that you've been betrayed. Maybe you have been betrayed. Maybe you just think you been betrayed, but whatever it is you're going to face hurt and pain in life. Here's what you don't want to do harbor grudges against people because that can hurt you. Recent studies suggest that those that do not forgive are more likely to experience high blood pressure, bouts of depression and problems with anger, stress and anxiety. So when I forgive someone I'm not letting them off the hook. I'm avoiding a lot of misery in my own life. Forgive, this is not about absolving the perpetrator. It's about healing the victim. There's a man who directs the Stanford forgiveness project in these" forgiveness isn't giving into the other person is getting free of the other person as I've said before, when you forgive someone you set a prisoner free herself.

Don't live in a prison that you put yourself in of anger and bitterness and resentment and have it actually ruin your life. Ephesians 430 says be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God through Christ has forgiven you. Here's another one.

What an older Greg Saito younger Greg just be a nice person.

This is my advice to everyone, not just young people be a nice person you know if you disagree was someone fine.

But don't be obnoxious about it.

They have a new word now for people that rant and this is usually reserved for the women that probably should come up with one for guys as well. But you see these little videos that will pop up in the call them Karen.

I don't know how this started.

It started with a woman in Karen and I'm sorry if your name is Karen but some of the stay all day. There were like Karen and you have a video someone from each on the cell phone of some woman ranting about something.

Whatever it is in and they're getting all upset there screaming and yelling. Don't be that person ever. You're a child of God be known for your generosity be known for your love your compassion that for your anger. Ephesians 431 says don't use foul or abusive language that everything you say. Be good and helpful so your words may be in encouragement to those that hear them be known as an encourager, not discourage her be known as a person that builds people up, not as a person who chairs people down to Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. I don't know if you know about this, but we have a weekend service called Harvest at Home exclusively for people that are tuning in literally from around the world listen to this. We even have harvest groups where you can get. It was small group with folks from all around this planet of ours, studying the word of God. So join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for Harvest at Home@harvest.org you're listening to a series of very practical pre-ship from Pastor Greg's message. What I would tell my younger self.

And if you need to hear any part of this counsel again go to harvest.org that brings me to my next point. This was very practical and you might be surprised by you ready for this is that deep theological insights about life what would an older Greg Saito younger Greg.

Have fun. Yes, you heard me right. Have fun some of the simplest joys of life are before you every single day. Savor the sunset enjoyed the meal linger with family and friends.

Don't be in such a rush to the next thing, live in the moment and I think one way to do this is put the cell phones away word of advice when you sit down for a meal.

Don't take cell phones to the table. You have a little want to get feelers to maybe take the watch off to just have a conversation with the people around you in more than one occasion had been with people in everyone's on their cell phone and I'll text them. Be here now. Let's put these phones away. Let's have a conversation with each other.

Here's what I found the greatest joys in life will come from your relationship with God and with others, but sometimes were always thinking about what's going to come out when this comes on going to be so happy when this happens, it'll be so great. Wait, what about the moment right now-the greatest moments of life are often be in between.

Once let me use Christmas as an example, we get so psyched about Christmas, don't we. I can have the wood to Christmas.

I can hardly wait to open my present door. I can hardly wait until the people I buy presents for open them and it's all about that moment and you miss the in between moments.

Let me use. Disneyland isnever been back there for a while but you know it's so exciting when you pull into the parking lot at Disneyland. It's so thrilling when you actually walk into the park and follow it so great. I'm so glad to be here, but after three or four hours.

You're kinda looking forward to leaving right we get so psyched about the event you miss the things that happen before the events and after the event. So savor those in between moments try to laugh more.

Paul the apostle said, rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. So where was Paul when he wrote that I was laying on some beach sipping an iced tea, soaking up some raised Nona. He was imprisoned, but despite the fact that he was imprisoned writing to the believers in Philippi, he says red joys in the Lord always lighten up. Don't take yourself so seriously criticize less complement more. Here's another one be a generous person be a generous birthday my table. Greg, I'm not wealthy I can afford to be a generous person. This is nothing to do with how much money you have in your bank account, which is an attitude in life. Be a giver not a taker be the person that offers add something to someone else that you will split your meal, not I'll be honest, I don't like the split my meal with ending when I go to a restaurant with my wife Josie would even order of the common order hamburger. She says London order a solid okay I'll see you're gonna want some of my burger. No, I don't want any of your burger. I just want a solid, okay fine so the burger comes her solid comes in no immediate my burger. I'm almost to the last bite. I'm looking forward to it. Just as I'm ready to to get my wife will say can I have a binder that can sure hear it's hard sometimes for us to share be a generous person in life. Don't be the cheapskate that disappears when the bill shows up in the restaurant awarded Joe go. I don't know. We just disappeared that he come back to minutes later will get the check to me a break. Don't be that person be the person that's generous in giving, by the way, that applies the relationship with God you want my advice, give faithfully of your finances to the work of God. I started doing this when I was a very young man when I was literally living at poverty level. I believe that everything I had was given to me by God, and we would take our tied 10% and we we give to the Lord at church and then we would give above and beyond that in special offerings. I've never regretted that Malachi 310, the Lord makes his promise. Test me in this, says the Lord, by the way, the Lord never says test me in anything except this one thing, just me and this is the Lord bring your ties into the storehouse, and I will open up the windows of heaven and pour so much blessing on you, you won't have room enough to receive it. There are three things we can give to God our time are talent in our treasure God's giving you your life. God's giving you every beat of your heart. He's given you your time. Invest your time wisely serving the Lord. The Bible says redeem the time, because the days are evil and a better translation of that would be make wise use of every opportunity.

So bring your time to the Lord. Then you bring your talent God is giving you talent, dedicate your talent to the Lord.

Use your talent for the glory of God is able. I'm not a preacher so what I don't know that we need more preachers but we need more Christian businessmen and we need more Christian entertainers. We need more Christians in sports and we need more Christians in accounting and we need more Christian attorneys. How many were Christians in politics and we need more Christians in so many areas of life. Just men and women that think I'm here to glorify God on to bring my time on the ring my talent and finally in a bring my treasure everything you have is been given to you by God be a generous person. Here's a little piece of advice you might be surprised by but I would say this to a younger person.

Take good care of your health. You will just do the practical things in life. Oh, I know some will say will that's not really spiritual and I love to quote first Timothy 48.

It's his bodily exercise profits, little that's true. The Bible says that maybe that's not the best translation. Another translation puts it this way physical training is good but training for godliness is far better. So the point of it is this put God first were to cover the point, but that doesn't mean neglect your body God gave you your body your soul is in a body in the Bible says glorify God with your body so don't neglect your health. Make sure you go to the doctor for checkups. Make sure you do the proper things in your nutrition and your exercise and all the other things in life is another piece of advice in older me would give to a younger me make the right choices every day we get up. We have lots of choices in front of us starting with Taco Bell. Have you driven do a talk about lately. There's so many oxides I don't even know it's happening anymore.

I went there the other day with my wife and another sophomore watching a movie and in the movie there's a scene where there's a man and a young man having I hamburger at a little counter in a restaurant and we both looked at each other and said let's go get a burger with the problem was.

McDonald's was too far away and talk about was closer so we ended up at talk about how to go from a burger to talk about. I don't know that we get to them.

You were like Kathy think what is all this stuff.

I don't know what I cheesy granita crunches. What is this and so they cared ended up ordering just tacos because I know it goes on and then there's Sirius XM give Sirius XM so you have all these options you have 50s on 560s on 670s on 780 is on 890s on ninth and and as I scroll through those like my life is passing before me because I lived through all of these decades in all these choices don't matter which channel you listen to unserious for the most part or what choice you make at the drive-through restaurant but then there are the big choices in life you have a choice each and every day to obey God, or to disobey God to do the right thing or to do the wrong thing to pick up the Bible and read it or neglect. The Bible to pray or to worry, these are your choices.

Make the right choices wife because you make your choices and then your choices make you in the end of your life is determined by the beginning of your life the evening of your life is determined by the morning of your life. So if you're young develop good habit patterns now start doing the right things now that will pay great dividends later in life such practical counsel, Pastor Greg Laurie today. It's a unique message called what I would tell my younger self, good insight not only for young people but for all of us and there's more to come as this study continues to run a new beginning and a new DVD called the Jesus and see how Jesus music grew out of the Jesus movement editor of CCM magazine. John still in Southern California there's a church called Calvary Chapel the left dissolution young people come in and it seems silly now, the fact bends that go to church in jeans for barefoot was counterrevolutionary that they would normally let you when encourage you not funny at you hippies started accepting Jesus and I gave birth to this whole new kind of music Michael W Smith this thing called Jesus somehow found its way in my hometown change my life. You know we tickled those things for granted now seen a preacher wearing blue jeans. Today is no big deal seen the drum kit on the stager amplifiers were used to it that we would have fog machines now and all kinds of lighting systems and all the screens and all the things that we use, but it wasn't always this way, folks.

So in 1970 the church was still overall, very traditional in many churches you'd find in Oregon on one side of the stage of piano at the other and the songs were hymns, and occasionally maybe there would be a full conversion on an acoustic guitar of a song. But Jesus music was different. It was born out of a revival in the hearts of young musicians who would been radically transformed by Christ and wanted to speak to their culture with their tools that they knew best, which was music so all these bands started forming in the created what is probably the first actual Jesus music record which was the everlasting living waters Jesus music festivals that would was called David have a lot of words in it. Then most people notice Marinol, that one had a white cover big red design of the dove in and that was kind of the beginning there were other artists out there like Larry Norman that were breaking ground and even hundred crowds and the disciples and others. But this one single album in many ways was the first of many waves that were to follow out today we call it contemporary Christian music. We have great stations across the country that play this music for us all day and night long and I'm so thankful for it but it started out in revival and we want to tell you the story. It's all found in this brand-new documentary film produced by the Irwin brothers who also directed.

I can only imagine. I still believe also, Steve McQueen of the salvation of an American icon and the new feature film that will come out next year called Jesus revolution but the Jesus music tells a powerful story that will move your heart and will also educate you as well. So we want to send this to you for your gift of any size is going to be a DVD and Blu-ray and downloadable so you can watch it on your phone or your tablet or your computer and you can show it to your friends and enjoy it for years to come. So let us send you a copy of the Jesus music for your gift of any size and thank you in advance for what you can send because will put it to good use to continue to teach the word of God and preach the gospel. That's what we do here at a new beginning, and harvest ministries yet. It's right in your investments are so much appreciated and so helpful right now.

Would you let us enter this new film the Jesus music will send it to say thank you for your investment and will only be able to mention this resource. A short time longer, so just give us a call at 1-800-821-3300. You can reach us any time at 1-800-821-3300 or write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 four. Go online to harvest for the next time Pastor Greg presents the conclusion of this message, called what I would tell my younger self.

Some of the best counsel is yet to come join us run a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie and will buy harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God learn how to become harvest partners sign up for daily devotions and find resources to help you grow in your faith harvest.org