Joel Osteen Quotes

I see God as my heavenly father, like my earthly father, as loving and kind. Yes, he disciplined me, he helped me make good decisions, but I knew my dad was always there for me. If I made a mistake, I wouldn't run from my dad, I'd go to him.

I guess no matter how hard you try, you can't escape your past.

You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.

We're not always going to understand why something happens.True faith is trusting even when it doesn't make sense

When things gets difficult, and it seems like the intensity has been turned up, that’s a sign you are close to your victory.

The people God put in your life are not there by accident. Don’t get so busy that you just give them your leftover time.

Just because something didn't work out your way, or somebody disappointed you, that does not change who you are.

The truth is we all get tired, we all get weary. In fact, if you never feel like giving up, then your dreams are too small. If you never feel like quitting, then you need to set some larger goals. When that pressure comes to get discouraged and to think about how you can’t take it anymore, that is completely normal. Every person feels that way at times.

Don't ever criticize yourself. Don't go around all day long thinking, 'I'm unattractive, I'm slow, I'm not as smart as my brother.' God wasn't having a bad day when he made you... If you don't love yourself in the right way, you can't love your neighbour. You can't be as good as you are supposed to be.

See, when you drive home today, you've got a big windshield on the front of your car. And you've got a little bitty rearview mirror. And the reason the windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small is because what's happened in your past is not near as important as what's in your future.

When my dad founded our church, he used either a globe or a map of the world behind him. It was symbolic of what Christ said: to go forth and preach hope to the world. We believe in the cross, but we just continued with the globe.

I'm not trying to follow a set of rules and stuff. I'm just living my life.

The Bible indicates that for three days, Jesus went into the very depths of hell. Right into the enemy's own territory. And He did battle with Satan face to face. Can you imagine what a show down that was? It was good vs. evil. Right vs. wrong. Holiness vs. filth. Here are the two most powerful forces in the universe have come together to do battle for the first time in history. But thank God. The Bible says, "Satan was no match for our Champion". This was no contest.

I don't really know what the prosperity gospel is. The way I define it is that I believe God wants you to prosper in your health, in your family, in your relationships, in your business, and in your career. So I do ... if that is the prosperity gospel, then I do believe that.

I know what's in my future is greater than what's in my past so I am pressing forward in life.

Your destiny is too great, your assignment too important, your time too valuable. Don't let fear intimidate you.

If you have your health, if you have people in your life to love, you are blessed. Slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.

Certainly, none of us enjoy going through struggles, but you have to understand that your struggle may be an opportunity for advancement and promotion. The very thing you are fighting against so tenaciously may be the springboard that catapults you to a new level of excellence. Your challenges may become your greatest assets.

I believe the scripture says that being gay is a sin.

I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you're grateful, you'll see God open up new doors.

Sometimes, God uses difficult people, like sandpaper, to rub the rough edges off us.

Replace those thoughts of worry with thoughts of hope, faith, and victory.

Every setback is a setup for a comeback!

I don't like to beat people down. They need to be lifted up.

If you want your life to get better, sometimes the best thing you can do is to help improve somebody else's life.

Don't grow accustomed to living with less, doing less, and being less to the point that you eventually sit back and accept it.

Change the way you speak about yourself and you can change your life.

When people are around us, they should leave better off than they were previously. Rather than feeling discouraged or defeated, people should feel challenged and inspired after spending any time with you and me.

The bible says no man can take your joy. That means no person can make you live with a negative attitude. No circumstance, no adversity can force you to live in despair. As Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of wheelchair-bound President Franklin D. Roosevelt, often said, ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Learn to trust His timing. Don't get in a hurry; don't grow impatient; don't try to force doors open. Don't try to make things happen in your own strength. Let God do it His way.

Nothing in life has happened to you. It's happened for you. Every disappointment. Every wrong. Even every closed door has helped make you into who you are.

Don’t just look for your miracle. Become someone else's miracle.

God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you're able to pay off your house. That's God shifting things in your favor.

God is preparing you for greater things. He's going to take you further than you thought possible, so don't be surprised when He asks you to think better of yourself and to act accordingly.

Life is flying by. You don't have time to waste another minute being negative, offended or bitter. If someone did you wrong, get over it and move forward.

You will become what you believe. The truth is, I am what I am today because of what I believed about myself yesterday. And I will be tomorrow what I believe about myself right now

God wants to bless us where we are.

Stay focused, ignore the distractions, and you will accomplish your goals much faster.

Do not speak defeat, speak victory.

No matter what comes your way, don't lose your joy.

When the negative thoughts come - and they will; they come to all of us - it's not enough to just not dwell on it... You've got to replace it with a positive thought.

Today, decide not to speak negatively about yourself. When you criticize yourself, you are criticizing God’s very own creation.

Don't get stuck where you are, keep growing. It's a decision you have to make because it is easy to get stuck. Make a decision to develop better habits, to have better relationships and just to keep the enthusiasm for life.

Only God can look at somebody's heart.

I'm not the judge. You know, God didn't tell me to go around judging everybody.

When I took over from my father, he came from the Southern Baptist background, and back 40-50 years ago, there was a lot more of that.I don't believe - maybe it was for a time. But I don't have it in my heart to condemn people. I'm there to encourage them.

I'm trying to throw a big broad net to try to get people interested in God and believe that He's for them and has a purpose.

God will give you strength when you think you can’t go on. He will give you joy when you should be discouraged. He can make a way when it looks impossible.