Joel Osteen Podcast - Feeling Good About Who You Are | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: April 26, 2024

If you want to succeed in life, you have to learn to be at peace with who you are. You have everything you need to reach your destiny. Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visitJoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.Your words have the power to change your life. When youSpeak the Blessing,you wake up dreams and unleash divine favor. Our April offer will show you the keys to speaking faith-filled words that invite the transformation you are looking for. Request your copy today, https://bit.ly/3TSkDQU. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, it's so great to have you with us on the podcast today. We love you guys. We're praying for you and just believe you'll be blessed and encouraged. So all the best to you. Well, God bless you. Always a joy to come into your home. We always come with good news because I know this. When you seek after God, he rewards those that seek after him.

So thanks for tuning in today. And I believe that you're going to be encouraged and uplifted. And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and visit us at our new facility. I promise you will make you feel right at home and you'll feel a warm welcome here at Lakewood. But thanks for tuning in today. I like to start each week with something kind of funny. I heard about this lady.

She surprised a burglar in her kitchen one night. And she was alone and unarmed and all she could think to do was quote of scripture. And so she just screamed out, Acts 238. And all of a sudden the burglar froze in his tracks. And a few moments the police arrived. And they were amazed at how a woman with no weapon

could do this. And they asked the burglar, what was it about that scripture that had such an effect on you? He said, scripture, what scripture? I thought she said she had an axe in 238s. Hold up your Bible and say it with me today. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have.

I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess, my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I will. never be the same. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living seed of the Word of God. I'll never be the same. Never, never, never, never, I'll never be the same in Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about not being negative and critical toward yourself. We all have weaknesses, and we all have areas that we need to improve in. But as long as we're pressing forward. And as long as we're getting up each day and doing our very best, then we can be

assured that God is pleased with us. He may not be pleased with every decision we make, but he is pleased with us. And God wants us to feel good about ourselves. He wants us to be secure and to have healthy self-images. So many people today go around with a poor, defeated mentality, they focus on their faults and weaknesses. When they make them, they make mistakes, they're very hard and critical on themselves. They end up going around guilty and condemned with this old nag and feeling on the inside. You're not what you're supposed to be. You don't measure up. You've blown it too many times. No, God knew that we were not going to be perfect. He knew we were going to all have weaknesses. And one of the worst things that you could

ever do is to go through life being against yourself. And this is a major problem today. Many people have a war going on on the inside. They don't really like who they are. I'm slow. I'm undisciplined. I'm unattractive. I'm impatient. They focus on their weaknesses. This is the root cause of

much of their difficulties. They can't get along in relationships. They are insecure. They don't enjoy their life. It's simply because they are not at peace with who they are. And Jesus said here in Matthew 22 verse 39, to love

Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Notice the first prerequisite to loving others is to love yourself. And if you don't have a healthy respect for who you are, and if you don't learn to accept yourself false in all, then you'll never be able to properly love other people. And this is destroying many relationships today. I know people, they think their spouse is the reason they can't get along. or they're sure that it's their co-worker, but the fact is they've got a civil war on the inside.

They don't like their looks. They don't like where they are in life. They're upset because they haven't broken a bad habit. And now all this poison spills out into these other relationships. But understand, you can't give away what you don't have. If you don't love yourself, you're not going to be able to love others. If you're at strife on the inside, feeling wrong about yourself, feeling unattractive, if feeling condemned, then that's all you can give away.

But on the other hand, if you'll recognize that God is still working on you, and in spite of your flaws and weaknesses, you'll learn to accept yourself, then you can give that love away and have healthy relationships. And some of you today, this could save your marriage. It could change your relationship. You think everybody else is the problem, but you've got to come to peace with who you are. And please recognize if you're negative,

toward yourself. It's not only affecting you, it's going to affect your relationship with others, and it's going to affect your relationship with God. And that's why it's so important that you feel good about who you are. You may have some faults. You may have some things you wish you could change about yourself. Well, join the crowd. We all do. You've got to lighten up and quit being so hard on yourself. I've found a lot of times we would never criticize another person. We wouldn't say to our neighbor, you're slow, you're unattractive, you're undisciplined, I don't like you. We'd never say that to them, but we don't have any problem saying it to ourselves. But understand, when you criticize yourself, you are criticizing God's very own creation. When you say, Joel, man, I'm so impatient,

I can't control my temper, I get upset so easily. Well, the good news is, God is still working on you. You're not a finished product. And what I'm saying today is this okay to like yourself. while God is in the process of changing you. I don't know one person that's arrived just yet. I don't know one person that doesn't need to change in some area of their life. As long as we're negative and critical toward ourselves, we just slow down the process. We just make it worse.

And I'm not talking today about living a sloppy life. I'm not talking about having a flippant attitude towards sin and toward our mistakes. I'm talking about people that are striving for excellence, people that really have a heart to please God, like I know you do. And if that's you, then you don't have to go around condemned. You don't have to go around with this heaviness because you still struggle in some areas. When you make mistakes, you just simply go to God and say, God, I'm sorry. I repent, help me to do better next time, and then let it go.

Don't go around beating yourself up for two weeks or two months or two years. Shake it off and move on. We all have areas to improve in. It's like this lady I heard about, she said, God, so far, I've done great today. I haven't lied, cheated, or stolen. I haven't been negative, critical, or judgmental. But God, I'm going to really need your help today because I'm about to get out of bed. But I see too many people today.

They are so down on themselves. Well, I'm so overweight. I've blown my diet. I'm not as good a parent as I should be. I don't spend enough time with my children. I'm so undisciplined. Didn't even clean my house last week. No, quit dwelling on that junk.

The enemy is called the accuser of the brethren. There was nothing he would love any more than for you to go through life with that nagging feeling on the inside. Something's wrong with you. God's not pleased. You don't measure up. Don't fall into that trap. You've got to know you are the apple of God's eye. Before you were ever even born, God knew you.

The scripture says he has already approved and accepted you. You notice it doesn't say God approves you as long as you live a perfect life. Doesn't say God approves you as long as you don't have any weaknesses. No, it says God approves you unconditionally, just like you are. The fact is, it's not because of what you have or haven't done. It's because of who you are. You are a child of the most high God. My question to you today is if God approves you, why don't you start approving yourself?

Why don't you shake off that old guilt and condemnation? shake off what you're not. Shake off what you didn't measure up to and start feeling good about who you are. Well, Joel, I don't know if I believe that. We're just poor old sinners. No, we used to be poor old sinners, but when we came to Christ, he washed away our sins.

He made us new creatures. Now we are no longer poor old sinners. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. Instead of just crawling around the floor with that poor old me mentality, why don't you step up to the dinner table? God's got a beautiful banquet prepared for you. He's got an abundant life. No matter how many mistakes you've made in the past, no matter how many things you struggle with right now, please understand you are not a weak worm of the dust. You've got royal

blood flowing through your veins. You have been destined to live in victory. And you may not be all you want to be today, but at least you can look back and say, thank God I'm not what I used to be. And see, friends, the enemy doesn't like you hearing the fact that you have been made righteous. He wants you to have a sin consciousness, but God wants you to have a righteousness consciousness. In other words, you've got to quit thinking about your mistakes. Quit thinking about what you're not. Quit thinking about how you don't measure up. You need to start dwelling on the fact that you've been chosen.

You've been set apart. You've been approved. You've been accepted. You have been made righteous. The scripture says in Ephesians 614, to put on the breastplate of God's approval. That means every morning, no matter how we feel, we need to get out of bed and just boldly declare, Father, I thank you that you have approved me. Thank you that you are pleased with me.

Thank you that I am forgiven. I know that I am a friend of God. See, we need to do that every single morning. Doesn't happen automatically. Just like we put on our clothes, you know. need to put on the breastplate of God's approval. You're talking about getting rid of guilt, condemnation, inferiority, unworthiness, nothing will do it like that. And all through the day, everywhere you go, you need to just imagine right across your chest in big bold letters, it says

approved by Almighty God. Those old condemning voices come back, well, you're not this, you're not that, you blew it over here. No, you need to take a good look in the mirror approved by Almighty God. I think about even as a parent, I know my children aren't perfect. They have weaknesses, they make mistakes, but I also know that they're growing. They're learning. And if you were to ask me if I was pleased with my children, the first thing I would do is not make a list of all their faults. I wouldn't think about all they've done wrong last week. No, I'd tell you, without even thinking twice, yes, I'm pleased with them.

They are great children. I'd tell you everything I like about it. I'm going to tell you they're loving, caring. fun, good looking, attractive, talented. I mean, they're just like their father. And what's so funny about that? But that's exactly the way God sees you. He's not focused on your faults.

He's not keeping a list of your shortcomings. God is not looking at everything you've done wrong. He's looking at what you're doing right. He's looking at the fact that you chose to take time to come today. He's looking at the fact that you're kind and courteous to people. He's looking at the fact that you have a desire to know him. And I'm asking you to get in agreement with God and start feeling good about who you are.

You may have some areas you need to improve in, but you're growing, you're making progress. And I want you to be free from all this heaviness that tries to burden you down. I found the enemy will always tell you you're never doing enough. You're not working hard enough. You're not being a good enough parent.

You gave, but you didn't give enough. You came to church, but you were late. You ate pretty good yesterday, but you shouldn't eat in that last dessert. Now, quit believing his lies. You have a thousand good qualities about you to every one negative quality. Well, Joel, I'm just so impatient. Well, maybe that's true. But have you ever thought about the fact?

You're always on time. You're persistent. You're determined. Well, I don't think I'm as good a mom as I should be. Well, maybe not. But have you ever noticed your children are doing great in school? Your children never miss a meal? Well, I'm not a very good husband, Joel. Yeah, but you never miss a house payment. You provide a great living for your family. Well, I've made a lot of mistakes in the past. Yeah, but you chose to come today. You chose to watch today. That's a pretty great choice. Why don't you take off your old rags of condemnation? Why don't you take off those old rags of condemnation and start putting on your robe of righteousness. Put on the breastplate of God's approval. Friends, I want you to feel good.

about yourself. I know that when you are positive toward yourself, you are in agreement with God. Well, Joel, what about that mistake I made last week? What about that time I failed last year? Listen, the moment you repented, God not only forgave you, he forgot about it. He doesn't even remember it anymore. Now, why don't you quit bringing up what God has already forgotten? Why don't you let it go and start feeling good about who you are? See, so many times we think God is keeping that list of all of our mistakes. You can see them up there in heaven. Whoops, they fell there. Let me get that down. And uh-oh, I heard that comment. Gabriel make a special note of that one. Look, they came to church, but they were late. Let's just give them half credit. No, that's not

the way our God is. God is for you. God is on your side. He is the best friend that you could ever even have. The great news is, God is not looking at what you've done wrong. He's looking at what you're doing right. He's not focused on what you are. He's focused on what you can become. I love the story of the prodigal son. This young man left home and he spent all of his money, just wasted.

He was living a very wild life making terrible decisions. If God would want anybody to feel bad about himself, surely it would be him. He had just totally blown. If anybody should have a weak worm of the dust mentality and feel like a failure, you'd think it would be this young man.

But you know the story. When he decided to come back home, his father saw him a long way off. And this father, who represents God in the story, took off running to his sons. That's the only picture we have of God running in the Bible. What's God running to? One of the great saints of old. Is he running to the Apostle Paul? Is he running to one of his disciples?

No, God is running to a young man that has faults and weaknesses. He's running to a young man that's made mistakes. The father said, go get the best row. Go kill the fatted calf. We're going to have a party. My son has made it home. And a lot of times today, you know, it doesn't make a lot of sense. We think, you know what, he deserves judgment.

He's guilty. He's wrong. But God was not looking at what he was doing wrong. God looked at the fact that at least he was trying. That young man, no doubt, made a thousand poor choices, but God was focused on that one good choice. It's sad to say, but a lot of people today would have just written him off. He deserves to feel bad about himself.

He deserves to wall around in the pit, but thank God that's not the way our God is. I remember one time years ago, my father went to a high school football game with a friend of ours named Jesse. And Jesse was so proud of his son Jeff. Jeff played on the defensive side, and so he very rarely would get to touch the ball. But during this game, there was a short punt, and Jeff caught the ball, and he took a half a step this way, and a half a step this way, and then about ten guys clobbered him. I mean, he didn't move one inch forward. It was just here, here, and then he was done. And my father was feeling kind of bad for Jesse up there.

But about that time, Jesse punched Daddy, and he said, hey, pastor, did you see those two good moves? See, only a father can see the two good moves rather than the fact that his son just got tackled by everybody but the cheerleaders. That's exactly how God sees us. He's not looking at the fact that we got knocked down. He's not looking at all the mistakes we've made. God sees you two good moves. I'm asking you today to start feeling good about who you are. You may have some weaknesses. You may not control your

temper like you know you should, or maybe you slip and say some things that you wish you hadn't up. But you don't have to live guilty and condemned. Once you repent and once you get up every day and just do your very best, you can be assured God is pleased with you. He's in the process of changing you. And that's why I can get up every morning. And even though I'm not perfect, even though I make mistakes, I can just boldly say, God, I know you approve me and I feel good about who I am. Listen, when you do that, you give the enemy a nervous breakdown. He wants you to go around guilty, condemned, inferior, feeling wrong on the inside.

That's why he constantly bombards us with all these accusations. Well, you're too impatient. You're too rude. You're not a good enough parent. Now you need to put your shoulders back, hold your head up high. You've already been approved and accepted by Almighty God. You may have a lot wrong with you, but let me tell you, you have a lot right with you. You may have a long way to go, but you need to take a look back at how far you've already come.

For some of you, you've come a long way, baby. God is pleased with you. Well, you say, Joel, you're making it too easy. You're giving people a license to sin. No, you don't need a license. If you want to sin, you can sin. I sin all I want to. The good news is I don't want to.

I want to live a life that's pleasing to God. I want to live a life of excellence and integrity. And I'm asking you today to quit thinking about everything that's wrong with you. Quit taking an inventory of what you're not. The scripture says in Hebrews to look away from everything that distracts. Do you know if you overanalyze yourself and you're constantly picking yourself apart, then you're going to go around depressed and defeated. You've got to look away from that.

know that you're changing, know that you're making progress. And it's a process. It doesn't happen overnight. The Bible says God changes us little by little. Well, you say, Joel, I got all these weaknesses, man, if you only knew me. No, listen, if you didn't have any weaknesses, you wouldn't even need God. If we didn't have any weaknesses, we could do everything in our own strength. I think about the Apostle Paul.

He wrote over half the New Testament. Yet he said, the things I want to do, I don't do. And the things I know I shouldn't do, I end up doing. He was saying, I'm not perfect. Same things we struggle with, weaknesses, shortcomings. Here's the good news. God's power shows up the greatest in our weaknesses. When we are weak, he is strong.

You've got to just learn to lean on God. Instead of being negative and critical toward yourself, just say, God, I'm leaning on you. I'm asking you to help me to beat this bad habit. God, I know I'm weak in this area, but I'm asking you to help me have a a better opinion about myself. See, in your weaknesses, whatever they may be, instead of getting all down on yourself, just ask God to help you, and you'll see his power show up like never before. And I really believe God allows us all to have some weaknesses so that we'll always have to trust him. And so if you're sitting around today waiting to feel good about yourself until you

get rid of everything you struggle with and until you feel like you're perfect, you're going to be sitting around your whole lifetime. Well, Joel, I'd feel good at you. about myself if I could drop 20 pounds. Feel good about myself if I'd be a little more patient, if I'd be a little more understanding. No, I'm asking you to start feeling good about yourself right now. You're not perfect, but I know you're trying. And God looks at your heart. He sees the inside. He is changing us little by little. We're all at different stages. And our attitude should be, God, I know I have these areas I need to improve in, but I'm doing my best. And God, I also know that you have already accepted and approved me.

So I'm going to start accepting myself. And I'm making up my mind. I'm going to go through this day feeling good about me. And when those old condemning thoughts come back, telling you, yeah, but you're still struggling this area, you can answer back. Yes, that's true, but I know that I'm changing. Yeah, but you lost your temper yesterday.

You blew it. That's true, but I repented. Now I know I'm forgiven. Well, you didn't get as much done at work this week as you should have. Maybe not, but I did my best. I feel good about me. See, you cannot allow these condemning voices to take root and set the direction for your life. If you do, it's going to ruin your whole day. I know a lot of people, they just swallow that junk and they get in agreement with it. Yeah, man, I'm a failure. I can't do anything

right. Don't have what it takes. No, get rid of that junk and keep your life moving in a positive direction. I heard about this man. He and his small son were out taking a walk through the mountains one day, and all of a sudden this little boy slipped, and he slid about 20 or 30 yards down the mountainside, and finally he grabbed onto this bush, and he screamed out, somebody help me.

And this voice boomed back, somebody helped me. He looked kind of confused, kind of frustrated. He said, who are you? The voice shouted back, who are you? He got kind of aggravated. He said, you're a coward. The voice shouted back, you're a coward. He said, you're a fool.

The voice shouted back, you're a fool. about that time his dad got down there and he looked up he said dad who is that and his dad kind of laughed he said son that's called an echo but it's also called life said son let me show you something the dad shouted out you're a winner the voice shouted back you're a winner dad shouted out you've got what it takes the voice boomed back you've got what it takes dad shouted out you can make it the voice shouted out you can make it he said son that's exactly how it is in life whatever you send you out is always going to come back to you. Let me ask you this today. What are you sending out about yourself? Man, I'm a failure. I'm unattractive. I'm undisciplined. I got a terrible temper.

Nobody likes to be around me. No, you need to start sending out. I'm approved. I'm accepted. I'm the righteousness of God. I am creative. I am talented. I am more than a conqueror. Make sure that you're sending out good things about yourself. Just think of about when Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water, and a voice boomed out of the heavens. And God said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. I believe God is saying that to every one of you today. He is well pleased with you. Oh, you say, Joel, God couldn't say that to me. You don't know the life I've lived. You don't know the things I struggle with right now. No, listen to me clearly. Let this sink deep down onto the inside. God is pleased with you. He is all

accepted and approved you. And no, he may not be pleased with every decision you make, but God is pleased with you. What a tragedy to go through life being against yourself. Don't fall into that trap. You may have areas you need to improve in, but don't let that stop you from feeling good about who you are right now. I found a lot of times we condemn ourselves so much the enemy doesn't have to. We're always thinking about our mistakes and what we're not and how we haven't measured up, why don't you let all that go? You're growing, you're changing. God is pleased with you right now. It's okay to feel good about who you are. Some of you, this is the whole reason that you're not enjoying your life. You've got this war going on on the inside.

But if you can't get along with yourself, you'll not only not get along with others, but you won't be able to have a proper relationship with Almighty God. You know as well as I do, if you don't think that God is pleased with you, then you won't go to God boldly. You'll go around with a weak worm of the dust mentality. I made all these mistakes and I've got all these weaknesses and God, I know you could never bless me. Think about how that must make God feel. Here we are his sons and daughters. We've been chosen, we've been approved, we've been accepted. But so many times we believe these lies and we go around with this poor, defeated mentality. But please understand, God is pleased with you right now.

And I want to challenge you again today to get up every morning and put on that breastplate of God's approval. Put your shoulders back. Quit thinking about what you're not. Make the most of this day. Friends, you are a child of the most high God. Don't waste another minute going around

feeling bad about yourself. You may have some weaknesses, you may have some shortcomings, but the good news is God is still working on you. quit over analyzing yourself, quit picking yourself apart, and just get up every day and do your very, very best knowing that God is changing you. My prayer today is that every one of you is going to go out of here feeling good about who you are, that you're going to be free from these burdens of guilt and condemnation, low self-esteem. And I know this. If you will get in agreement with God

and be positive toward yourself, then God promises he will change you from glory to glory. you'll rise higher and higher, and you'll become all that God's created you to be. Amen. You receive it today. We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you, my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible based. church, keep God first place. He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed out. When God created the world, he did it specifically with you in mind. He used his words. He spoke everything into existence. Light, oceans and dry land, plants, sun and stars, animals,

man and woman. Your words have that same creative power. If you want to know what you're going to be like five years from now, listen to what you're saying about yourself. You are prophesying your future. Too often, we don't realize we're defeating ourselves with our words. I'll never get healthy. I'm not attractive. This dream's impossible.

Instead of limiting your future, why don't you start blessing your future? If you'll change your words, you can change your world. I have a new book called Speak the Blessing. It will help you to speak positive. faith-filled words. There are declarations in it that you can make over your family, your health, your finances, and your future. When you get your words aligned with what God says, you'll see his favor in greater ways. Asar, thank you for your gift of any amount to the ministry this month. We want to send you, speak the blessing. Send your words in the direction you want your life to go.

You can begin to enjoy a life filled with freedom, joy, health, success, and creativity as you discover the authority and power of speaking God's word. Yes, speak the blessing will unlock life-changing possibilities that are unlimited. When you declare what God says about you, I'm strong, I'm healthy, I'm favored, you are blessing your life. I hope you'll request your copy today. Remember, you can watch the services live online every Sunday, download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, listen on SiriusXM. Keep you encouraged and inspired.

Be sure to request your copy of Speak the Blessing today. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888-567 Joel.