Your Performance may not be perfect, but He sees your heart is right.

Gospel Corner

10/06 /25

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”
Matthew 22:37, NKJV

What Really Matters.
All of us have areas that we struggle in. We make mistakes and do things we know are wrong. We determine to not give in to a temptation again, but we do. We lose our temper, don’t keep our word, let our guard down and compromise. It’s easy to go around feeling guilty, condemned, and beating ourselves up. Voices will whisper, “God’s never going to bless you. You don’t deserve it. You failed again. Just sit on the sidelines.” We think that we have to have a perfect performance for God to bless us. “Once I overcome all these weaknesses that I’m struggling with, then I’ll have God’s favor. Then I’ll feel good about myself.”

But God looks at your heart. He is not looking for people who have perfect behavior, who never make a mistake. He’s looking for people whose hearts are turned to loving Him. That means you may make mistakes, but deep down you have a desire to please and honor Him with your life. Your performance may not be perfect, but He sees your heart is right. It’s your heart that matters.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that I can come to You with an open and willing heart. Search me and know me. I struggle and make mistakes, and there is so much I need to improve on in my character, but my heart is committed to loving You. Show Yourself strong in my life today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

SECTION TWO

Some time ago, we received a precious testimony from Kate, who shared that she had been supernaturally delivered from four years of alcohol addiction. You may be asking, “How can this be? How does four years of alcohol addiction just disappear like that? How could such a powerful craving just lose its hold in such a short time?”

The answer is simple but powerful.

In her testimony, Kate wrote how she allowed God’s love to invade her mind as she listened to grace-based messages on her iPod that were full of Jesus and His love. My friend, when you allow His love to saturate your mind, it doesn’t matter what wrong beliefs, fears, or addictions are keeping you bound. God’s grace will begin to break them down.

This is what happens when you have an encounter with your loving Savior. Everyone who encounters Jesus never leaves the same. He came to set the captives free.

Whatever your condition, however long it has kept you bound—two years, ten years, thirty years—I want you to know and believe that God can set you free in a supernatural instant.

Believe that the One who is both willing and able to set you free is the same One who created time, and He who created time isn’t time-bound. He who turned water into the finest aged wine in a matter of seconds can bypass natural processes and accelerate your deliverance from any bondage!

I know of many people who struggled with addictions for decades. But once they had a supernatural encounter with Jesus, they just woke up one morning and found themselves free, with none of that familiar urge or desire to engage in their negative behavior anymore. Frank, who lives in the state of Maryland, wrote to me and shared how he was set free from drug addiction. He had been told “once an addict, always an addict,” and he had believed it.

But when he came to know the truth about the life-transforming love and grace of Jesus through one of my teaching resources, it just destroyed the chains that bound him. He shared, “Man, I could have jumped through the roof when I discovered that all I had to do was accept the finished work of Jesus and His grace!

“After thirty years of drug addiction, I thought there was no hope for me. But praise Jesus, I am now drug-free, and I’m in a good grace-preaching church with my wife, who has also been set free of her drug addiction.”

My friend, that is the power of right believing!

Today, believe God loves you and that His grace is available for you. Whatever bad prognosis you may have heard about your situation, no matter how dark and dire your circumstances may be right now, believe and accept God’s grace. You don’t have to accept defeat for the rest of your life!