Joel Scott Osteen is an American pastor, televangelist, and author, based in Houston, Texas. Osteen’s father encouraged him to preach for many years, but he declined, preferring to work behind the scenes until January 17, 1999, when he accepted his father’s suggestion and he preached his first sermon. John Osteen died six days later of a heart attack.

Two weeks after his father’s death, Osteen began preaching regularly and later that year was installed as the new senior pastor of Lakewood Church on October 3, 1999. Osteen’s sermon preparation involves memorizing his remarks and listening to himself on tape. He is the author of ten books which have been ranked number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

“A disagreement or incident involving someone who’s not that important to you, like a guy who cut you off in traffic or a rude cashier, is something that should roll off your shoulders. Save the effort for resolving conflicts with the people you cherish.” – Joel Osteen
“A good thing to remember is somebody’s got it a lot worse than we do.” – Joel Osteen
“Accept that you can’t control everything. The only thing you can control one hundred percent of the time is yourself.” – Joel Osteen
“Anybody can be good to someone who’s good to them, but when you can be good to somebody who’s done you wrong, you’re exceptional.” – Joel Osteen
“Believe there are great breaks in your future. Believe for explosive blessings. You’ve got to pray for big things. You’ve got to believe for big things.” – Joel Osteen
“Bottom line: God will not allow any person to keep you from your destiny. They may be bigger, stronger, or more powerful, but God knows how to shift things around and get you to where you’re supposed to be.” – Joel Osteen
“Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t be frustrated because things aren’t happening as fast as you would like. Not every season is a growing season.” – Joel Osteen
“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.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t get upset when there’s a detour on the way to your destiny. Keep a good attitude and it will all work out.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t give up when it’s hard, when life’s not fair. Have faith in the middle. He will bring you through it.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t go into the new year holding a grudge from last year. Leave the hurts and disappointments behind.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t grow accustomed to living with less, doing less, and being less to the point that you eventually sit back and accept it.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t just accept whatever comes your way in life. You were born to win; you were born for greatness; you were created to be a champion in life.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t let a temporary period of being uncomfortable keep you from a permanent blessing. Yes, it takes discipline. Yes, it’s uncomfortable. But your destiny is at stake.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t let the fear of what other people are going to think keep you from your miracle.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t live worried, frustrated or upset because of what somebody did or what didn’t work out. Come back to a place of peace. It’s not going to work against you; it’s going to work for you.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t live worried. There is a force working for you right in the middle of the storm that is greater than any force that’s trying to stop you.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t make excuses, don’t blame the past. The rest of your life can be the best of your life!” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t settle in the land of barely enough. That is where you are, it is not who you are. That’s your location, it’s not your identity. No matter what it looks like, have an abundant mentality.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t spend another minute down on yourself, living in regrets. God has forgiven you; forgive yourself. He’s not condemning you. He’s not pushing you down. Don’t push yourself down.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t talk about the way you are, talk about the way you want to be.” – Joel Osteen
“Don’t waste your energy trying to convince people to understand you. Your time is too valuable to try to prove yourself to people.” – Joel Osteen
“Dreams and goals and are not just fleeting moments of inspiration. If acted upon, these moments can help us create a life that is exciting and fulfilling.” – Joel Osteen
“Encouragement to others is something everyone can give. Somebody needs what you have to give. It may not be your money; it may be your time. It may be your listening ear. It may be your arms to encourage. It may be your smile to uplift. Who knows?” – Joel Osteen
“Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.” – Joel Osteen
“Every setback means you’re one step closer to seeing the dream come to pass.” – Joel Osteen
“Everything that happens is a part of God’s plan. Don’t get bitter. Don’t hold a grudge. Leave it in God’s hands.” – Joel Osteen
“Fear and faith have something in common. Both ask us to believe something that we cannot see.” – Joel Osteen
“Friend, there’s no greater investment in life than in being a people builder. Relationships are more important than our accomplishments.” – Joel Osteen
“Get your mind going in the right direction and you’ll get your life going in the right direction.” – Joel Osteen
“God doesn’t require us to be perfect. All He asks is that we keep trying and taking steps to improve.” – Joel Osteen
“God has already done everything He’s going to do. The ball is now in your court. If you want success, if you want wisdom, if you want to be prosperous and healthy, you’re going to have to do more than meditate and believe; you must boldly declare words of faith and victory over yourself and your family.” – Joel Osteen
“God puts people in our lives on purpose so we can help them succeed and help them become all He created them to be. Most people will not reach their full potential without somebody else believing in them.” – Joel Osteen
“God would not have put a dream in your heart if He had not already given you everything you need to fulfill it.” – Joel Osteen
“Hard times may have held you down, but they will not last forever. When all is said and done, you will be better off than before.” – Joel Osteen
“Here is the key; you’ve got to send your words out in the direction you want your life to go. You cannot talk defeat and expect to have victory.” – Joel Osteen
“I always want to listen to people and receive good criticism, but I just don’t have to answer to them; I have to answer to God.” – Joel Osteen
“I don’t focus on the critics. Everyone who is making any difference in any field has critics. As long as I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, then I don’t worry about it.” – Joel Osteen
“I like to take every day just searching my own heart, making sure that I’m on course, and I’m doing what God wants me to do. I’m real good with not looking to the critics and looking straight ahead.” – Joel Osteen
“I think how you start the day many times determines what kind of day you’re going to have.” – Joel Osteen
“I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don’t know anything about.” – Joel Osteen
“If one dream dies, dream another dream. If you get knocked down, get back up and go again.” – Joel Osteen
“If somebody left you, you have to realize their part in your story is over. If they walked away, then you don’t need them. If God allowed it, then that means they’re not a part of your destiny.” – Joel Osteen
“If we say it long enough eventually we’re going to reap a harvest. We’re going to get exactly what we’re saying.” – Joel Osteen
“If we’re going to bring out the best in people, we, too, need to sow seeds of encouragement.” – Joel Osteen
“If you are against yourself, you will never reach your highest potential. And when you criticize yourself, you’re criticizing God.” – Joel Osteen
“If you give, you will be blessed.” – Joel Osteen
“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.” – Joel Osteen
“If you live in the past, you’ll get stuck where you are. What’s in your past is not nearly as important as what is in your future.” – Joel Osteen
“If you truly want to become a better you, it is imperative that you learn to feel good about yourself.” – Joel Osteen
“If you want to reap financial blessings, you have to sow financially.” – Joel Osteen
“In difficult times, it makes a difference what you’re thinking about. Switch over to an attitude of faith.” – Joel Osteen
“In difficult times, we’re not supposed to quit believing; we’re not supposed to quit growing.” – Joel Osteen
“In life you will realise that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you, and some will teach you. But most important are the ones that bring out the best in you. Those are the ones worth keeping around.” – Joel Osteen
“Indeed, it is as important to learn how to receive a blessing as it is to be willing to give one.” – Joel Osteen
“It doesn’t matter who likes you or doesn’t like you, all that matters is that God likes you. He accepts you, he approves of you.” – Joel Osteen
“It doesn’t take much effort to do what everyone else is doing. A dead fish can float downstream; it takes a live one to swim upstream. It’s easy to be common. The pressure comes when you decide to be uncommon.” – Joel Osteen
“It may look like the difficulty is going to defeat you. But you need to keep telling yourself, “This sickness can’t take my life.” “This cancer can’t defeat me.” “No bad break, no disappointment, no accident can shorten one second of my divine destiny.” – Joel Osteen
“It takes courage to be different. It takes courage to not compromise. People will try to make you feel weak because you don’t go with the majority. The truth is you’re not weak, you’re strong.” – Joel Osteen
“It takes determination to see a dream come to pass. The question is not will you start, but will you finish.” – Joel Osteen
“It’s easy to get negative because you get beat down. You go through a few disappointments and it’s easy to stay in that negative frame of mind. Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is a whole cliche, but your attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life.” – Joel Osteen
“It’s easy to go through life offended and carrying around baggage. One of the best things you can do is drop it. Let it go.” – Joel Osteen
“It’s flattering to people who stop you and say that you’ve helped them and all. But, again, you know, you’ve got to stay humble because as quick as you came up, you can come down.” – Joel Osteen
“Just because we’re in a stressful situation doesn’t mean that we have to get stressed out. You may be in the storm. The key is, don’t let the storm get in you.” – Joel Osteen
“Keep in mind that you’ll have true happiness, true fulfillment, not living to get but living to give.” – Joel Osteen
“Keep in mind, just because you don’t know the answer doesn’t mean that one does not exist. You simply haven’t discovered it yet.” – Joel Osteen
“Let go of offence. Let go of fear. Let go of revenge. Don’t live angry, let go now!” – Joel Osteen
“Life happens to all of us. Don’t use delays, interruptions or unfair situations as an excuse to get upset. Release control.” – Joel Osteen
“Life is flying by. We don’t have a guarantee that we’ll be here tomorrow. Make the most of this day.” – Joel Osteen
“Life is too short to waste your valuable time with the wrong people. To reach your highest potential, you have to surround yourself with eagles, with people that push you forward, people that make you better, people that help you to soar.” – Joel Osteen
“Life’s too short to spend it trying to keep others happy. You can’t please everyone. To fulfill your destiny, stay true to your heart.” – Joel Osteen
“Love is the most powerful force we have. Be good to somebody that hasn’t been good to you.” – Joel Osteen
“Make the decision and say, “I’m not letting that worry in. I’m done being upset when my plans don’t work out. I’m not letting that stress in.” Negative thoughts will still come to your mind, but you don’t have to let them into your spirit.” – Joel Osteen
“Making excuses will keep you from your destiny. You have to take the hand you’ve been dealt and make the most of it.” – Joel Osteen
“Next time you’re tempted to be upset, frustrated, offended, remind yourself, it’s a part of that ten percent of things in life that you can’t control – but you can control how you respond.” – Joel Osteen
“No matter how many times you get knocked down, keep getting back up. God sees your resolve. He sees your determination. And when you do everything you can do, that’s when God will step in and do what you can’t do.” – Joel Osteen
“No matter what’s happening, choose to be happy. Don’t focus on what’s wrong. Find something positive in your life. Thank God for the small things.” – Joel Osteen
“No matter who does you wrong, you don’t have to stay defeated. Disappointments are inevitable, but misery is optional.” – Joel Osteen
“No one can offend you without your permission. They can say whatever they want, but you have the right to ignore it.” – Joel Osteen
“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.” – Joel Osteen
“Once this day is over we can never get it back. Your time is too valuable to waste it being upset.” – Joel Osteen
“Our mind is like a computer. How we program it is the way it’s going to function.” – Joel Osteen
“Pass the test of being grateful for the small things and big things will be released in your life.” – Joel Osteen
“People can dislike you without a cause. These are tests you have to pass. Stay on the high road. They don’t control your destiny.” – Joel Osteen
“People of excellence go the extra mile to do what’s right.” – Joel Osteen
“Quit beating yourself up because you’re not where you thought you’d be. You’re not a finished product. God is still working on you.” – Joel Osteen
“Quit worrying about what everybody thinks. When you come to the end of life, you’re not going to stand before people and give an account of your life, you’re going to stand before God.” – Joel Osteen
“See every adversity, every disappointment in a new light: it’s not there to defeat you; it’s there to make you better.” – Joel Osteen
“See, people are watching you. Especially your children. They’re taking in every single thing you do. They are like video cameras with legs. And they are always in the record mode. They learn more from what you do than from what you say.” – Joel Osteen
“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.” – Joel Osteen
“So many people are looking at what’s wrong, and I try to encourage them to look at what’s right in their life. A lot of people have it a lot worse than you do.” – Joel Osteen
“Sometimes we look back and 10 years from now we think, ‘Boy, those were great old days.’ Well, you know, we’re living in the good old days.” – Joel Osteen
“Sometimes we say faith is spelled R I-S-K. Sometimes, you’ve got to risk if you feel a calling deep down. You’ve got to take that step of faith.” – Joel Osteen
“Start believing today that things are going to change for the better. Your best days are still out in front of you.” – Joel Osteen
“Stones of judgment, discouragement or doubt may be thrown at you. You can’t stop them, but you can make the choice to keep your walls up and not let them affect you.” – Joel Osteen
“Successful people don’t waste their time looking at what others are doing, they’re too busy focusing on their own goals.” – Joel Osteen
“The best is yet to come. Keep dreaming, hoping and planning.” – Joel Osteen
“The greatest difficulty always comes right before the birth of a dream.” – Joel Osteen
“The key to future success is to not be discouraged about your past or present while you are in the process of being “completed.”” – Joel Osteen
“The life in front of you is far more important than the life behind you.” – Joel Osteen
“The more you talk about negative things in your life, the more you call them in. Speak victory not defeat.” – Joel Osteen
“The older I get, the better I understand that every day is a gift.” – Joel Osteen
“The question is not, ‘Do you have a problem?’ The question is, ‘Does the problem have you?’” – Joel Osteen
“The real battle is taking place in your mind. If you’re defeated in your thoughts, then you’ve already lost.” – Joel Osteen
“The reason it’s called the past is because it’s done; it’s over; it’s history. Now do your part and let it go.” – Joel Osteen
“There is a winner in you. You were created to be successful, to accomplish your goals, to leave your mark on this generation. You have greatness in you. The key is to get it out.” – Joel Osteen
“There may be times when you just have to love people from a distance.” – Joel Osteen
“There’s no greater feeling than being able to help people rise higher and overcome something and feel better about themselves. I think that we’re all made to help others, to lift people up.” – Joel Osteen
“Time is more valuable than money. We can make more money but we can’t make more time. Use your time wisely.” – Joel Osteen
“Time spent worrying drains your energy – it makes you weaker. You were created to live a peace-filled life.” – Joel Osteen
“Too often we get frustrated by difficulties. But you have to realize, you can’t have a harvest without a few weeds.” – Joel Osteen
“We fight too many battles that don’t matter. If that battle is not between you and your destiny, then it’s a distraction. You have to learn to let things go.” – Joel Osteen
“We live in a day that nobody’s lived in before: where you can touch more people. The message I’ll speak tonight and the message that I speak at home, people in India will hear. It’s just an amazing day.” – Joel Osteen
“We may get knocked down on the outside, but the key to living in victory is to learn how to get up on the inside.” – Joel Osteen
“We need to, you know, restore people. We need to show mercy. I mean, because as much mercy as you show people, that’s the mercy you’re going to be receiving.” – Joel Osteen
“We will never be able to recognize opportunities if we first don’t recognize all that we have and all that we’ve been given.” – Joel Osteen
“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.” – Joel Osteen
“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.” – Joel Osteen
“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.” – Joel Osteen
“While waiting for things to change, don’t be discontent with where you are. Learn to enjoy the season that you’re in.” – Joel Osteen
“Why don’t you start believing that no matter what you have or haven’t done, that your best days are still out in front of you.” – Joel Osteen
“Words have creative power. They can be very helpful, like electricity. Used the right way, electricity powers lights, air-conditioning, and all kinds of good things. But electricity used the wrong way can be very dangerous. It can harm you, even kill you.” – Joel Osteen
“You are victors, not victims!” – Joel Osteen
“You can change your world by changing your words… Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue.” – Joel Osteen
“You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people.” – Joel Osteen
“You cannot let where you are today cause you to get stuck. I’m going to be my best right now. That’s what faith is all about.” – Joel Osteen
“You cannot soar with the eagles as long as you hang out with the turkeys.” – Joel Osteen
“You control the doorway to what you allow in. You can dwell on every negative thought and every derogatory comment, or you can choose to delete it and dwell on what God says about you.” – Joel Osteen
“You don’t have to live upset and try to pay people back. You don’t have to straighten people out. Just run your race with purpose, focus, and joy. Learn to let things bounce off of you.” – Joel Osteen
“You have enough people against you… be for yourself.” – Joel Osteen
“You have to come to your closed doors before you get to your open doors… What if you knew you had to go through 32 closed doors before you got to your open door? Well, then you’d come to closed door number eight and you’d think, ‘Great, I got another one out of the way’… Keep moving forward.” – Joel Osteen
“You have to protect your peace. You weren’t created to live worried, upset or on edge.” – Joel Osteen
“You may think there is a lot wrong with you, but there is also a lot right with you.” – Joel Osteen
“You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.” – Joel Osteen
“You must quit looking at what you don’t have and start believing that all things are possible.” – Joel Osteen
“You were not created to just get by with an average, unrewarding, or unfulfilling life. God created you to leave your mark on this generation.” – Joel Osteen
“You weren’t created to be average. You were created to excel. You have a destiny to fulfil, an assignment to accomplish.” – Joel Osteen
“You will never change what you tolerate.” – Joel Osteen
“You’ll never rise any higher than the way you see yourself.” – Joel Osteen
“You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.” – Joel Osteen
“You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.” – Joel Osteen
“You’re not defined by your past; you’re prepared by it. You’re stronger, more experienced, and you have greater confidence.” – Joel Osteen
“You’re not really free until you’re free from trying to please everybody.” – Joel Osteen
“You’ve been armed with strength for every battle. The forces that are for you are greater than forces against you.” – Joel Osteen
“Your destiny is too important to spend it with people that are not making you better. Who are you allowing to influence you?” – Joel Osteen
“Your job is to not try to make people like you, to change people’s minds about you. Your job is to run your race, to be who God has called you to be, and not worry about the critics and the naysayers.” – Joel Osteen

Tags: Quotes