[0:00]You have a choice today to stop and say, no, I'm not receiving that as my norm. That is not what I'm going to receive. So they can prophesy all day long about how cracked and broken I'm always going to be, and I'm not going to accept it. Welcome to Life Foundations. My name is Carrie Pickett. And you're joining me on this series surviving people. Where we're talking about how to bring the Word of God to conflict resolution, interactions, responses, to all of the relationships within your life. I believe that you are called to reflect Christ in a supernatural way. And I also know that there are many of you that have all kinds of stories going on. Whether it's marital issues and struggles that are happening, whether it's things with your loved ones, family, children, good friends that have been friends forever, people you're interacting with in church, and just working, the people that you work with, the people that you're around. And I know there are a lot of situations that have a lot of drama to them. And for others, not only it's the drama, even trauma. And the world's going to tell you, you have a right to be traumatized, you have a right to be offended, you have a right to be angry and to to respond to the rest of the world in your life because of what has or is happening to you. But can I tell you today that the reason for this series is to bring you to the Word of God. And in this series, I want to teach you that truly, God wants to set you free in all relationships. And when I say set you free, meaning, it doesn't mean they're going to die or go away or you can dispose of them. That's not what I'm saying. What I mean is that the level of authority, the level of influence in your thoughts, emotions, responses does not have to come from the people. But instead, you can have the authority that comes from the Word of God. So that you and I can start to respond in a whole other way. To the point that, no matter what has happened to you, even dramatic traumatic things. They don't have to define you. That doesn't have to be your future. What's currently the difficulties that are currently happening in your life right now? It does not have to be the rest of your life. Because you can turn to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is wanting to lead you and guide you into something that doesn't seem possible, but because of him and because of the cross, all things are possible. Can I tell you today that there is hope for you? There is this hope of the things that God is wanting to revive and restore and release you into and release you from. That's that's powerful. I've worked with so many people in ministry, as I've, you know, been a missionary, as I've, you know, a traveled around the world, multiple cultures, multiple ages, multiple languages. Guys, I'll tell you the enemy has the same tactics all over the world. Therefore, this truth works all over the world. You may say, well, you know, it's different here in my nation versus America, or oh, well, it's different for for me because I didn't grow up like you, Carrie. This is not about me or my story or my culture. It's not about you, your story or your culture. This is about the Word of God. And that's where we find hope. That's where we find how to get out of the things of the flesh and truly walk in the things of the spirit. This is what I began to share with you in the last episode, where I was talking about how do you walk by the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Not be dictated or controlled by the works of the flesh. And the works of the flesh, let me tell you right now, when you're going through difficulties or conflict or tension or or even violence, I'll tell you it's real. It feels so like it's your whole world. It's all you know, it's all that you are. It's all you can think about and it's what you're happy to prepare for, respond to all the time. I'm not saying there's not real worry or real fear that feels like it's dictating your life. But can I tell you that in the middle of what seems like real fear and real worry and trauma and and anxiousness, the Word of God is more powerful than any fear. Is more powerful than any worry. Is more powerful than any tension that is just ah eating away at your heart because of conflict right now. The word can show you how to get out of the things of the flesh, out of the things the world says is normal that you just got to deal with and got to live with. No, you can be set free today. In this episode, I want to talk more about what I shared in the last episode. What is the difference of walking after the flesh versus walking after the spirit? And this is key because you cannot make anyone else choose to walk after the spirit. Can you imagine if we could? Oh, the world would be magnificent, right? Because we're we we could force people to walk after the spirit. But that's not how it works, is it? You and I have a choice every day, just like the people around us, of how they're going to respond, how they're going to interact, and how they're going to dialogue with you and I. In our last episode, we were talking about what were the works of the flesh. So this was enmity, strife, jealousy, fit's finger, rivalry, dissensions, divisions, envy. Even talks about sorcery, idolatry. It talks about drunkenness and orgies and the like. So there's a lot that's the flesh, right? And there's things that we just start to understand, oh, a fit of anger is just the same as far as being the power of that in the flesh to destroy my life, just as much a sorcery does, and idolatry does, right? Goes on in second Corinthians chapter 12 in review. We talked about quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. These are the works of the flesh. But in Galatians chapter 5 it says not to walk. He said, if we live by the spirit, let us therefore also walk by the spirit. That means if God's calling us to a spirit, he died to equip us with he himself living inside of us, the spirit of Almighty God lives inside of you, right? This word declaring the heartbeat of God. If that's inside of us, Amen, which if you were a believer today, you have the spirit of God. That means listen. That means you have the ability to walk after the spirit. You can choose that. Some people say, well, no, it's just not possible. I mean, I mean, I know that God is good and I know that God is real, but as far as my abilities, I'm so lucky. I can't walk after the spirit, Carrie. I mean, you don't know the level of what I'm going through. It's not about you trying to do it out of your strength. It's surrendering to the number one relationship within your life, and that is your relationship with God. In James, I want us to read this today. In James chapter 3: 14 and 17 it says, But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is the thing. And he's talking to believers here. He's saying, listen, you can't walk in bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, walking in this boastful thing at the same time by being a believer. See, you and I as believers have this ability to submit to the truth of God's Word, and you and I don't have to walk in bitter jealousy and selfish ambition and I got to be right and this pride and this I am everybody listen to me controlling spirit. No, you don't have to walk in that. You can actually walk in the things of the spirit. In verse 15 of James 3 says this. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. See, you and I have this whole other realm that you and I are able to live in. It's not the wisdom that comes from this world. See, you can get all kinds of wisdom and all kinds of counseling about your situations that are based off worldly principles and worldly standards and worldly possibilities. But because of the Word of God, the things that are broken or the things that are dysfunctional or things that are hurtful within your life, have a wisdom that can come from the Word of God and God's principles. So when the world says, you will never be normal. You will always be dysfunctional. You'll always have a level of fear or worriness or or even saying because you were traumatized as a child, because you had rough relationships growing up, then you're never truly going to enter anything that's healthy in the future. If you ever get married, if you ever have children, if you ever in relationships, it'll never be normal because you were so damaged. This is our professional opinion. Guys, professional opinions do not matter in light of the Word of God. I'm telling you anything you're willing to let the love of God touch, he can heal it today. And there's a lot of people that would disagree with me. There's a lot of people say, ah, no, no, no, no. You don't know. I went through this and I went through this, which led to this, which led to this, which led to this. So therefore, when they say it's going to lead to this and lead to this and lead to this, that's the way it is. Listen, I'm not saying that destruction or trauma or drama or difficulties don't lead to more difficulties. But the reason they lead to more difficulties, and more difficulties, and more difficulties, is because you didn't know the truth, and you accept them as reality. So you have a choice today to stop and say, no, I'm not receiving that as my norm. That is not what I'm going to receive. So they can prophesy all day long about how cracked and broken I'm always going to be, and I'm not going to accept it. I'm not going to receive what conflict has done within my life. I'm I'm bringing resolution to it because of the Word of God. I'm preaching now. But I want to show you something. Before I continue sharing this life giving word with you. Please watch this testimony. This testimony is of this individual that truly, yes, things happen to them that were not good. And they listened for years, people telling them they were always going to be broken until they got the truth and look how it set them free.
[11:48]I was 19 and I was serving as a Marine in Japan. And I went on about a 40-day fast because I I felt like that was necessary. I was trying to please God and earn his love. And I ended up having some hallucinations. I lost weight and my supervisor recognized something was wrong. He ended up sending me to a mental hospital in Texas and I was very isolated. I was put on some very heavy medicines and I really felt like a zombie. All of this together just continued to spiral down. I thought I had done too much wrong that God was angry at me that he had actually turned me over to the devil. And I do remember calling out to God. I I asked him, I said, Lord, if you would just help me. And uh, the next day, something did shift. For the first time, I actually, um, opened up to a doctor and talked to them a little bit about what was going on and that healing journey to mental wellness began. I got out of the hospital and I began going to a spirit-filled church. And as I learned the Word of God, it was like layers of deception and shame and just wrong thinking began to peel off. So when I came here to Charis, I learned so much more about the Word of God. The the courses build one upon another and they just give us that foundation to share the truths of God's Word that will help people become free as well. So I actually teach at a place called Gospel Homes for Women, and I'm able to share with these ladies, uh, who are dealing with depression, mental issues, um, drug addiction. And I I love to share also about Ephesians 3:19, which tells us to know the love of Christ that passes knowledge and that there's actual dimensions to his love, height, width, length.
[13:48]And he wants us to go deeper into his love. If not for God's compassion, I know where I would be. But God came after me. He sought me, and the Lord is seeking to reach every single person with his love.
[14:12]It's so powerful about that testimony is because it's the word, the truth of the word, that overrode and transformed and healed what that person or what even you today may consider fact. Well, the fact is, I was abused. The fact is, I was rejected. The fact is that I'm right, they're wrong. The fact is we truly have this gulf between us. That may be fact. But the Word of God can come in and can heal and restore and set us free from anything that seems like fact, right? And so when the world tells you and declares over you these life long diagnosis of bad relationships are always destined for bad relationships.
[15:03]Let me tell you right now, you can see God come in and do amazing things. I've seen stories. And simply because people were letting God come into their life, what happened? I had a beautiful friend in Russia and her story, you know, she and her husband had gotten a divorce. You know, he was in drugs, you know, she was, you know, in doing her thing. They got a divorce. And he started going to the drug rehab center. He started going to the very drug rehab center that, you know, we had been sharing at and teaching with and things like that. And he went through that drug rehab center and he started to learn of the Lord. And as they, as he continued to call her and he apologized and he asked for forgiveness, you know, the things that he'd put her through, started sharing what God was doing within her heart. Her own relationship with God was increasing and growing. She came to Bible school and it was amazing. They got remarried. And she's doing business. He was out of the drug rehab center. He was restored. You know, they built a new drug rehab center for the other guys. They just built a new building. I remember walking through the old building and my foot literally crashed through the floor. Like, oh, and we pulled up and they're like, oh, that's normal. I mean, that building was falling apart. But because his life was changed by the word, God had restored their marriage. God restored their life. They had this successful business. They were able to sow in building the kingdom and seeing other people restored. And that's just one of many, many miracle stories I've seen. Where God brought daughters and sons and husbands and wives back together. He he restored friendships, or he healed what was broken and and maybe there's some things that are yet still in the process. Maybe there's things you're still believing for, but what's amazing is God can touch your heart in the process, that you're not in fear, and anxiousness, and worry, and offense, and bitterness for decades beyond what originally happened. No, you can be set free today. And so it's so powerful about these verses is that you and I can operate and from a wisdom that's from above. Because this is what in verse 17, James chapter 3, verse 17 says, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. This is powerful. He says wisdom from above starts to have this reflection of God. You can walk in this purity and this peaceable attitude of of gentleness. You're open to reason. You're not constantly defending my story, my right, my what, you're open to reason, mean, you're you're receiving and pulling from God.
[18:23]How do I respond? What do I see? How do I react? What kind of question should I say? Not just what you want or what you think in that situation. This is awesome because you're allowing God to be a voice in every single relationship in your life. Guys, this is a whole dynamic. We're talking about surviving people. We're talking about conflict resolution. We're talking about restoration. We're talking about everyday, just living, breathing, responding, and living alongside people that what happens? You're able to pull from your relationship with God. It says, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. That's amazing.
[20:50]Because the other dynamics of not only wisdom from above, it talks about what the fruit of the spirit is. So he talked about we can either walk after the flesh or we can walk after the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Meaning that you have the ability to choose God over your own emotions. That's that's powerful. What's this fruit and this wisdom? That's what you and I get to apply. So the world doesn't tell us any longer that we have to be broken and angry the rest of our life. No, we tap into a wisdom from above, and we tap into the fruit of the spirit, the results of the spirit of God within our life. Not only is it the result of who he is as a spirit within our life, the fruit of who he is, but also the fruit of the spirit is coming out of our lives. So that means every relationship you and I can have can start to mimic these, this gentleness, this this mercy, this peaceableness, right? This kindness, this faithfulness, this self-control. So when you look at these attributes of the fruit of the spirit, when you look at these attributes of wisdom from above, this is what you and I have been called to today. This is the power of the spirit of Almighty God living inside of you. Guys, I'll tell you why these revelations are so important, especially in this topic as we're talking about people and relationships, surviving people, conflict resolution, forgiveness, offense, anger. When we're talking about this, these truths of knowing what you've been delivered from. You've been delivered from the ways and works of this world, the dictates, mandates, and rules of this world. You've been called into a whole other level of anointing and covenant relationship and position in Christ, and because of that relationship, it is destined, it is designed to touch every other relationship in your life. You're going to hear me say that over and over because it's the truth that I believe you need to hear today. There's so many more scriptures, so many powerful verses that honestly, I have seen change my life and the way I interact, the way I deal, the way I speak to my own heart, the way I have self-control. These scriptures have absolutely transformed me, my husband, as we do ministry. So not only are we able to do it healthy ourselves, now we're able to say, hey, follow me as I follow Christ. Meaning as I have relationship and healthy relationships, I can call other people to it. That's what God wants for you today. So you can turn around in relationships in your life and say, hey, follow me. Here at Andrew Wommack Ministries and Charis Bible College, we want to pray with you. We want to see you have freedom so you can call others to it as well. In this area, we'd love to pray with you or any other thing that's going on within your life. And as you reach out, ask them about these two resources. Ask them about this product series. This is absolutely powerful to lead you into knowing how to survive people, thrive with people, exemplify the Word of God, and keep your own heart at peace. Guys, this is such a blessing to be able to walk in, and you no longer have to be who everybody else says you're going to forever be. You can be everything God's called you to be in relationship. You'll want to get this. And because relationships are daily, I have a free gift, a daily devotional that you can read so that you can continue to bring the word into your everyday life and relationships. I'm so excited to be able to share so much more with you. So please join me on our next episode. And as you go about today, ask the Lord to show you how much he loves you.
