Joel Osteen

God has not forgotten about you. He has seen every unfair situation, every lonely night, every heartache. That is not how your story ends. There are prepared blessings that you’re going to walk into. In the meantime, let Him work.

Proverbs says, “Reckless words cut like a sword.” All of a sudden, you’ve put sword marks on people that you love. This can be avoided. Guard your mouth. Your peace is more important than getting your way. Your peace is more valuable than proving you were right. Don't miss this powerful message, "The Strength of Silence". bit.ly/3LwFSDa

The hope of Jesus goes far beyond the walls of the Church. We’re grateful for all God has done through Lakewood, but we believe the best is still ahead. Together, we can continue going over and above to share the life-changing message of Jesus and make a greater impact than we ever imagined possible. LakewoodChurch.com/overandab…

You can’t change what’s behind you, but you can do something about what’s in front of you. God’s mercy is bigger than any mistake you’ve made. You have to do something important: forgive yourself. You have enough people in life against you; don’t be against yourself.

Don’t let people label you. They don’t determine your destiny. They can’t stop what God has ordained for your life. The only person that can stop you is you. If you let your mistakes define you, if you wear the labels people stick on you, if you believe the lies from the accuser, then that will keep you from your destiny.

James said in the Scripture, “The tongue is like a fire, a tiny spark can set a whole forest ablaze.” When you feel yourself getting hot on the inside, that’s not the time to have a conversation. That’s the time to step out of the room. Walk around the block; get some fresh air. Don’t try to solve the issue right there. Be inspired by this message from Joel, "The Strength of Silence". bit.ly/JOAPodcast

Your time is valuable. Your peace is valuable. Don’t spend it on every offense, every argument, every opinion. Sometimes the wisest thing you can do is let it go and let God work it out.

Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added unto you.” Keep God first place and He’ll add everything you need. Honor Him and He’ll catch what you can’t catch. The Psalmist said, “No good thing will He withhold when you walk uprightly.” The key is: don’t seek the blessing; seek the Blessor. Keep Him first place and the blessings will seek you.

You have the power to stay silent. You don’t have to respond to the insult. You don’t have to react when your someone pushes your buttons. You don’t have to comment on every post that offends you. There is strength in silence. Check out this message from Joel! "The Strength of Silence": bit.ly/3LwFSDa

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, “There’s a time to speak, and there’s a time to be silent.” That doesn't mean never speak up or never deal with conflict; maturity is knowing what time you’re in. Is this a time to speak, to be bold, to let my voice be heard, or is this a time to be silent, to walk away?

Being silent doesn’t mean you’re weak. It’s strength under control. When you know who you are, when you’re confident and secure, you don’t engage in battles that don’t matter. You don’t spend your time defending, arguing, proving. You protect your peace. You walk away when you could argue.

The Scripture says, “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor.” It doesn’t say winning a fight is a mark of honor. It’s easy to get into conflict, stir things up. But it’s hard to bite your tongue. It’s hard not to express everything you’re thinking. If you keep giving pieces away, you will lose your peace of mind. Listen to this message from Joel! "The Strength of Silence": bit.ly/JOAPodcast

When you’re upset, when your emotions are out of check and you feel that anger and want to pay someone back, that’s when you have to put a guard on what you say. David said in Psalm 141, “God, set a guard over my mouth. Keep watch over what I say.” When you’re angry, that’s a good time to say, “God, I need Your help.”

Some battles you’re not supposed to fight. They are distractions. That’s the enemy trying to get you off course, offended, trying to prove your point. The problem with those battles is that there are no spoils. Even if you do win, what has that gained you? If it’s not between you and your destiny, it’s a distraction.

We’re not called to straighten everyone out. You’re not called to fix your spouse, to make your friends like you, to change your coworker. That’s going to lead to frustration and tension. A mark of maturity is when you can see things in others that you don’t like and stay silent. Your peace is more important than getting your way. Tune into Joel’s message today! "The Strength of Silence": bit.ly/3LwFSDa

Join us LIVE this morning for our online service! 8:30 or 11:00 am CT youtube.com/joelosteen

Honor doesn’t come from winning the fight; it comes from avoiding the fight. Honor isn’t proving your point; honor is protecting the peace. It is keeping the relationship strong, not letting petty things steal your joy. Honor is staying silent, walking away when you feel like telling them off. That’s a person of honor.

We may give up on ourselves, but God doesn’t give up on us. His calling on our lives is irrevocable. He doesn’t change his mind. We may delay some things because of poor choices, but God, in His mercy, will get us back on course. He has fresh anointings so we can finish what He started.

One way we honor God is by living happy. He didn’t create you to drag through the day overcome by problems, discouraged by disappointments. No, this day is a gift from God. We should feel a responsibility to live it in faith, happy, joyful.

Here’s a key: you have to give yourself permission to be happy. Sometimes we’ve bought into the lie that we’re not supposed to be happy. We’ve been through too much; we’ve made too many mistakes. If we’re happy, people may not understand. Can I tell you? You’re supposed to be happy. It's okay to enjoy your life, to laugh, to smile. Happiness starts on the inside.