What does an abundant life look like to you? Is it success, a great job, or a beautiful house? Or maybe you define abundance by the relationships you have around you or the milestones you’ve achieved.
However you define it, there is this gap between the life you want and the life you have. So why do some people come through adversity and arrive at abundance while others get lost and stuck?
My guest today has a simple answer to that question: faith.
Pastor Joel Osteen is a positive and uplifting voice in America reaching millions of people with messages of faith, hope, and love every week. I have been trying to sit down with Joel in person for a while, and this conversation is sure to inspire you and give you the tools you need to create confidence and abundance in all areas of your life!
Who Is Joel Osteen?
Joel Osteen is the pastor of Lakewood Church, which is now the largest church in America. Since becoming the senior pastor in 1999 following his father’s passing, Joel has grown the weekly attendance from 5,000 to over 50,000 with his sermons reaching millions of people every week across television, radio, and streaming platforms.
He is the best-selling author of over 12 books all focused on helping you live a greater and more purposeful life. He’s published a new book called, You Are Stronger Than You Think: Unleash the Power to Go Bigger, Go Bold, and Go Beyond What Limits You. This book helps you believe and declare that you are strong, victorious, and able. Joel speaks on how to accomplish dreams bigger than you can imagine, overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable, and reach the fullness of your destiny.
In this episode, we discuss how to have confidence in yourself, the biggest lessons Joel learned from his childhood, how to deal with negative criticism, how to overcome the feeling of imposter syndrome, how to think abundantly in all areas of your life, and so much more.
When Faith, Passion, and Purpose Collide
Joel grew up as a pastor’s kid but never planned on being a pastor himself. He was shy and soft-spoken and was much more interested in media and production. But when his father passed away after pastoring Lakewood church for 40 years, something shifted inside Joel to step into his shoes.
“I felt the desire to step up and pastor the church. It didn’t make sense because for 17 years you could not have talked me into getting out there. But I knew it wasn’t in my mind, it was down in here [in my spirit]. I thought, ‘You know what Joel, you’re supposed to do this,’ and I felt it so strongly that I started speaking on the weekends.” – Joel Osteen
Joel explains that when he first started, he faced an inner critic telling him that he couldn’t be a pastor, that he wasn’t qualified, and that he hadn’t been to seminary so no one would listen to him.
“I had to fight through that, and I believe to reach your dreams, you can talk yourself out of it, or you can talk yourself into it. I’d have to look at myself in the mirror and just quote scripture: ‘Joel you’re strong in the Lord, you’re equipped, you’re empowered, you can do all things through Christ.’ I had to talk myself into it.” – Joel Osteen
Leading a growing church since 1999 has had its ups and downs and definitely plenty of critics have tried to pull him down. The more notable Joel became for his sermons, the more opposition he faced, but he didn’t let it get to him. Joel made a decision not to pay any attention to the negativity, and he hasn’t spent his energy reading and listening to it. He is confident in his calling and wants to fill his mind and spirit with positive and encouraging things.
“You can’t reach your destiny without people being against you.” – Joel Osteen
That’s an important lesson we can all learn. Some people are simply not going to understand you and that’s okay. You don’t need to waste your time and energy trying to convince people to like you. Instead, you need to focus on what you’re good at, tune out negativity and run your race. There is no one else out there who can be you. You’re one of a kind, and according to Joel, God will get you through if you just have a little faith.
