We have to control and manage the inner world.

Parable of the weeds Matt 24.
‘All by itself’

Your heart keeps growing stuff while you’re asleep. That believing heart doesn’t sleep when your head/ brain does.
‘I slept but my heart was awake.’

The soil does its work automatically.
If you go to sleep fearful/angry/restless, you’ll grow that more. The heart keeps growing whatever is in there. It’s made that way – to grow whatever you put in, ‘awake or asleep.’

Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. That’s true for everyone. That’s why some unbelievers build a better life with common sense than we do with supposed revealed wisdom.

GOOD IN- GOOD OUT.
Gods not choosing your input – you are.

The heart is NOT a leader but a follower. It follows whatever you put in.
EG it follows your treasure. It grows what you treasure. It’s not going to tell you what to sow. It’s not your heart’s job to question, ‘Are you sure we want to grow weeds?’

Above all else guard the HEART (not head) for from it flow the issues of life.

cf Stockdale Paradox. (Good to Great, Jim Collins). The optimists died first. Those who pinned their hopes on a particular moment battled so much disappointment. He said he realised he had to confront the most brutal facts of his reality, yet still have hope.

Cf Psalm 105:18 – Speaks of iron entering Joseph’s soul while in shackles.
He was innocent – but retained a great attitude in jail. Because of this he ran the jail! He cared for the prisoners around him, interpreted their dreams. he knew..

THIS WILL END WELL – I JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN.

So when he ends up in front of Pharaoh, ‘I believe you can…’ He says, ‘No, it’s not me – GOD can…’ He hasn’t got bitter inside. He became Prime Minister not because of his gifts, because of the dream interpretation – but because he had the character of a PM.

Then he presented a 14 year economic plan (learned in prison?). He never claimed greatness, he let it go when offered him – but ended up getting it anyway. He refused the promotion so God gave it him anyway.

cf David.
He was put down all his childhood. When he takes the cheese to them they put him down again so he turns his back to them and asks another… Saul tries to bring him down. The only way to retain positive attitude in a negative environment is to listen to the non-audible inner speaking of your own belief system.

We speak to a person at 300 words a minute
We self talk 1300 words a minute.
Don’t believe that? Try to listen to yourself talking to you while someone else is talking to you!

Self talk is RAPID on the inside. You are talking to you now 4 times faster than a preacher is preaching at them.

So, what you are saying to you about what’s being said to you will govern the outcome. your voice to you is the strongest voice to you. As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.

Prov 1:32 – the prosperity of fools will destroy him.
(Prosperous externally but foolish internally).

You can confess God’s favour on your life 300 words a minute but it doesn’t land because 1300 words a minute its saying negativity – and winning. Internal and external realities.

You can only change you, you can’t change or believe for others. Don’t waste your life trying to get others on board who don’t want it, Jesus never tried that.

Finally…
all babies do is TAKE. They cry, scream, eat.
Never say thank you or give you a card.
Yet you would lay down your life for that kid.
Your value is NOT in what you do!

Miracles are not for the deserving but the BELIEVING.
If anyone deserved miracles it was the Pharisees – lived good lives etc. But it’s not a gospel of works and striving.