Joel Osteen - The New You
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I want to talk to you today about The New You. We all have times where it looks like we’ve reached our limits, we’ve gone as far as we can in our career, facing an obstacle that seems too big to overcome. Or maybe we’re struggling with bad habits and low self-esteem, regrets for mistakes we’ve made. And thoughts tell us, «You’ll always be this way, that’s just who you are», but God didn’t create you to live with things that are holding you back, limiting your growth and taking your peace. He didn’t create us to reach one level and stay there. He’s put potential in you that you haven’t tapped into. You haven’t seen the best version of you. There’s a new you coming: a stronger you, a wiser you, a happier you, a more confident, more powerful, more successful you.
The scripture says, «God has taken you from glory to glory». You’re in one level of glory now, the good news is: there’s another level on the way. Don’t judge yourself by where you are today, you don’t know what God is up to. But some of these things we can’t change on our own. We’ve done our best and tried to resist, worked hard, but we’re not able to move forward. It’s easy to get discouraged and settle where we are, but this is when God will step in and do what we can’t do. God knows what’s too much for us, he knows the limitations, the weaknesses that we can’t overcome. And he doesn’t say, «Too bad, you’re stuck». He has these moments already planned where he will show up and free you, and open doors, and change you into something that you’ve never imagined: the new you.
But it’s easy to accept, «Oh, Joel, I’ll always be insecure. That’s just who I am. I’ll always struggle with being indiscipline. I’ll never be in management, never get into leadership». You’re basing things on who you are right now. What you can’t see is the new you that’s coming. There’s another version of you, that’ll break out of the box, that’ll have the boldness and confidence to step into your purpose, that will see God open new doors, bring new opportunities, that cause you to bloom and blossom. And sure thoughts will whisper now, «You’ll always be lonely. You’ll always deal with this anxiety. You’ll always struggle with this addiction». Don’t believe those lies, there’s a free you coming, there’s a married you coming, there’s an abundant you, a greater you, a more fulfilled you coming.
1 Samuel chapter 9, there was a young man named Saul. And some of his father’s animals got loose, and he took a couple friends and they went through the hills and valleys looking for him, but couldn’t find them. They had heard of a prophet named Samuel that lived nearby, they decided to go see him and ask about the animals. Well, God had already spoken to Samuel about Saul the day before. Verse 16 says, «About this time tomorrow, you will meet a young man from the tribe of Benjamin. Anoint him as the leader of Israel. He will rescue my people from the Philistines». Saul came walking up Samuel, said, «Don’t worry about the animals you lost, they’ve already been found». Saul nearly passed out. Samuel answered him before he asked the question. Samuel went on to say, «Saul, all of Israel’s future is in your hands». Saul was so taken back, said, «What do you mean? I come from the smallest tribe in all of Israel. My family is the least important in that tribe».
Saul could have never planned this. This was not something he had trained for, he was qualified. Was just the opposite: he was quiet, reserved, he liked being in the background. He thought, «Samuel, you may have gotten it right about the animals, but you got it wrong with me. I’m not a leader, I don’t have the talent, the personality, the courage. I could never rescue our people». But Saul was judging himself based on who he was right then: intimidated, insecure, unqualified. He didn’t realize: a new person was coming, a stronger Saul, a bolder Saul, a more courageous Saul.
See, God will never ask you to do something and not give you the ability to do it. When you’re in situations over your head, the obstacle is too big, the dream is too great, that’s a sign that you’re about to see the new you. Samuel anointed Saul as Israel’s first king. He told him that as he traveled back home, when he passed the Philistine camp, he would see a group of prophets that were singing and prophesying. Verse six says, «At that time the Spirit of God will come on you with power, and you will prophesy with them, and you will be changed into a new person». Samuel was saying, «Saul, I know you feel unqualified. I know this is over your head, but don’t worry, the Spirit of God is going to come and change you into who you need to be». When he arrived at the Philistine camp, it was just like Samuel said. Something rose up in Saul that he had never felt: a boldness, a confidence, an anointing to do what he never dreamed. He was turned into a different person.
You may feel like you’ll always be where you are right now: always at the same level, always feel not enough, always struggle with your temper. No, like with Saul, God is already lined up these moments where his spirit will come on you with great power, and you’ll will be changed into a different person, into the new you, the bolder you, the more confident you, the more talented, the more loving, the abundant you. Don’t get discouraged by where you are right now, you haven’t seen the best version of you. There are levels coming that you can’t imagine.
See, Saul never dreamed that he’d lead a nation, he never dreamed that he could prophesy like those other people. It’s significant that he didn’t come from a family of prophets, there were no rabbis or religious leaders in his background. When Samuel told him he was going to prophesy, I’m sure he thought, «Yeah, right, there’s not a chance in the world», but when the Spirit of God comes on you, the new you will come out, the prophesying you, the anointed you, the disciplined you. This new you will go where no one in your family has gone, where there’s no history of it, no background, but God is going to use you to set a new standard, to impact your family line for generations to come.
There will be things that God whispers in your spirit that you don’t see how they can happen, how you can accomplish your dream, how you can overcome the illness, how you can raise the children. Right now you don’t feel like you have the strength to deal with it, you don’t have the courage to pursue your dream, you don’t have the talent to lead that department. That’s okay, at the right time the Spirit of God will come on you, and you’ll be changed into a different you. You will discover strength, ability, favor that you’ve never had before.
When Saul’s relatives and friends heard about him prophesying, it was so far out, they couldn’t believe it. Verse 11 says, «They were totally surprised, saying, 'how on earth has Saul become a prophet? '» God has some of these moments where people are going to say about you, «How on earth did you accomplish that dream? How on earth did he marry that girl? How on earth did you become the CEO? How on earth did you break that addiction? How on earth are they having church in a former basketball arena»? People will judge you by who you are right now, your background, your education, your personality. They’re seeing the present version of you, what they can’t see is the new you that’s coming, when God changes you into a different person.
Now here’s the beauty of this: you don’t have to make this happen, work harder, perform better, put in all this effort. It’s not up to you, it’s up to God. And yes, it’s good to grow and be disciplined, but the new you is not performance-based, it’s not dependent on how much you can change, and how much willpower you have. If you’ll strain and strive you can see it. No, it’s not by your might, not by your power, it’s by the spirit of the living God. His power will come on you and do what you can’t do. Our part is simply to keep God first place, live with excellence, integrity, kindness, making decisions that honor God.
Paul said in Philippians 2:13, «It is God who works in you to do his will and act on behalf of his good purpose». God has a good purpose for your life. He’s already planned before you were born to take your places you’ve never dreamed, to bring out ability you didn’t know you had, to overcome obstacles that look impossible. The good news is: he’s working in you, he’s opening the doors, he’s bringing the right people, he’s given you the talent, the wisdom, the courage to do what he purposed. When you understand this, it takes the pressure off. This is not something you have to earn and work for, this is God working in you, acting on behalf of his good purpose. Not acting on behalf of how you were raised or how much education, how many people are for you, how many mistakes you’ve made. This is not based on our efforts, it’s the Most High God bringing about what he purposed for your life.
My father was raised during the great depression, and his family was very poor, they were farmers. And he went to school with holes in his pants, holes in his shoes, and that was before it was fashionable. But eventually he had to drop out of school to work on the farm. And his parents were good people, they were hardworking, but they didn’t know anything about God, didn’t have any kind of faith. It looked like my father was stuck in that limited environment: no education, no money, no opportunity. All the circumstances said, «This is who you’ll always be: disadvantaged, poor, not significant». That was all true at the time, that’s who he was, but God has these times where his spirit will come on you and change you into a different person.
My father should have been stuck, but God was working in him to bring about his good purposes. All the circumstances may say, «This is who you are: addicted, angry, limited, lonely». That may be true, but can I encourage you? The Most High God is at work on your behalf. You are not at the mercy of how you were raised, what the medical report says, bad breaks that have set you back. There is a power working in you greater than anything trying to stop you.
What God has purposed for your life will come to pass. No person can stop it, no bad break, no sickness, no addiction. God controls the universe. He has the power to change you into a different person. From a broke you to a blessed you, from a sick you to a healthy you, from a depressed you to a happy you, from an addicted you to a free you, from a stuck you to a propelled you. Don’t believe those lies that this is who you’ll always be. There’s a new you coming. God is working in you right now. You’re about to step into a prosperous you, a happier you, a more fulfilled you where like Saul God surprises you, brings out gifts you didn’t know you had, opportunity that you didn’t see coming, influence that catapult you ahead.
My father had a friend in high school named Sam Martin, and he’d get to school early and write scripture verses on the chalkboard. He always talking to my father about God, and how he needed to give his life to Christ, but my father didn’t want to hear that, he thought son sam was far out. But at 17 years old, walking home from a nightclub at 2:00 in the morning, for some reason my father begin to think about God. He looked up at the stars and wondering what he was going to do with his life. The next morning he called sam and said he wanted to go to church. They walked in and sat on the back row, first time in church. At the end the pastor invited people to the front to receive Christ. Daddy wouldn’t go, he was too afraid. Sam said, «John, if you’ll go, I’ll go with you». They walked down together, my father gave his life to Christ.
He felt this calling to become a minister, but his parents didn’t understand. They told him that if he left the farm, he would fail, that he didn’t know how to minister. They still saw him as limited, mediocre, not talented. But people don’t determine who you are. They can’t see what God is making you into. My father had to hitchhike, he didn’t have any money, but he left home and he went out and started ministering in prisons, and in the senior citizens homes, and God began to open doors. He pastored great churches, he and my mother started Lakewood, and he pastored here for 40 years. He broke a spirit of poverty and limited vision off of our family, and brought us into new levels of God’s goodness.
But what caused my father to think about God walking home from that nightclub? That wasn’t random, that was God working in him, bringing about his good plan, drawing my father into his destiny. Why was Sam Martin so outspoken about his faith? Why wouldn’t he leave my father alone? That was God lining up the right people. Why did my father want to pastor a church, leave the farm? He didn’t me training, that was way over his head. That was God putting the desires in him to step in to what he had planned.
You may have areas where you feel stuck, you’re limited, there’s dysfunction. That may be who you are now, but like my father, there’s a different person coming. There’s a new you: a victorious you, a blessed you, a confident you, a powerful you. God is working in you right now to bring about his purpose. He’s already lined up the right people. Like sam and my father, people that will push you into your destiny.
This is what happened with Peter. Jesus was on the shore of Galilee, teaching the people. And was so crowded, he saw Peter folding his nets, and Jesus asked if he could borrow his boat to teach out of it. Peter had never met Jesus, but he agreed. When Jesus finished, he told Peter to throw his nets back out. When he did, he caught so many fish that his nets began to break. Peter came to the shore, fell on his knees and said, «Lord, please leave me. I’m too much of a sinner to be around you». Peter was rough, fishermen were known for cussing, he was hot-tempered, he had flaws and weaknesses. Jesus said, «No, Peter, from now on you’re going to be fishing for men». He chose Peter as his first disciple.
You would think Jesus would find someone from the synagogue, a rabbi, a religious leader, but God doesn’t choose the way we choose. Peter could have said, «No, thanks Jesus, not going to follow you. I don’t know anything about faith or religion, I don’t fit into that mold», but the scripture (Luke 5:11) says, «He left everything to follow Jesus». One minute he’s fishing, the next minute he’s a disciple. Nobody saw this coming. Jesus even changed his name from Simon to Peter. He said, «You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church». Peter thought he would always be a fisherman, but God was working in him to bring about the good purpose for his life. This was the new Peter. Not the unworthy Peter, but the Peter that believed he was chosen. Not the Peter that would fish for a living, but the Peter who would tell a crippled man to rise and walk, and they were healed. The Peter whose shadow caused people to get well. This was the powerful Peter, the anointed Peter, the influential Peter. He never saw this coming, but God changed him into a different person.
There are versions of you that you haven’t seen. Like with Peter, there’s a more influential you coming, there’s a more powerful you, a more gifted you, a stronger, happier, healthier you. This is not something that you have to make happen, it wasn’t Peter’s faith, wasn’t Peter’s determination, Jesus called him. Wasn’t Saul’s effort or even Saul’s dream to become a king, Samuel came to him. God has these times where his spirit is going to come on you in a powerful way, and change you into to a different person.
I worked behind the scenes here at Lakewood for 17 years doing the television production, and I never wanted to be in front of people. I’m naturally more quiet and reserved, and I thought that’s what I would do the rest of my life. But when my father suddenly passed, I knew I was supposed to step up and pastor the church. I never wanted to before, my father tried to get me up here, but I always told him «No». All of the sudden I had the desire, I wanted to do it, but in my mind these thoughts told me that I wasn’t talented enough, I was going to get up there and fail. But God will always give you the grace to do what he’s called you to do. He’ll never let the opposition be so strong or the voice is so loud, that you can’t move forward. I was afraid, I was intimidated, but down in my spirit I could feel a supernatural power, a courage, a strength that I had never felt. It wasn’t just willpower or determination, it was God working in me, acting on my behalf. It wasn’t just up to me, the Most High God was doing what I couldn’t do, empowering me, enabling me.
Sometimes when I’m at home flipping through the channels and I see myself on television, I think, «How in the world did I get up there? Who is that person»? Friends of mine come out from high school, «Joel, I never thought you’d be minister». I think, «I can’t believe it either, I didn’t see this coming». When my father died, my mother told people that she thought it would be anyone except Joel to pastor the church. Maybe my sister Lisa, she’s a great minister. My brother Paul, had two brothers-in-law. But when I told my mother that I wanted to pastor, she looked at me and said, «Are you sure, Joel»?
God is going to put you in situations where you feel over your head, outnumbered, not qualified. Don’t worry, you’re not doing this on your own. His spirit will come on you in a powerful way. You will step into talent, ability, confidence you’ve never seen. Doors opening that you couldn’t open. Overcoming obstacles that should have held you back. It’s going to be uncommon, unusual, it’s the new you, the better you, the more talented you, it’s the next level you. You wouldn’t be hearing this if God wasn’t about to do something out of the ordinary in your life. You may feel like this is who you’ll always be. No, get ready, there’s about to be a supernatural breakthrough, supernatural healing, supernatural provision, where you look back and say like Saul, «God changed me into a different person. I never dreamed I would be here». That’s God working out his good purpose for your life.
Friend of mine has been healthy and his whole life, but 19 years old he started losing weight, had trouble with his digestive system, and caused terrible nausea and so much pain. And they went to the best doctors and found the different specialists, but they couldn’t find out what was wrong. Few months he had lost 80 lbs, he was skin and bones in a wheelchair. He was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an incurable chronic illness that affects the immune system. The doctor said he had the worst case he’d ever seen, and that he wouldn’t live much longer.
When this young man looked in the mirror, he saw a sick, weak, defeated man staring back at him. All the circumstances said he was done, but God is working in you to bring about his good purpose. Sometimes the odds are too much for us, the giants too strong, but you’re not in this by yourself, the Most High God is fighting for you. He knows how to change you into a different person: from sick to healthy, from weak to strong, from struggling to get by to thriving in life.
This young man could have given up, but he believed that God has the final say, and that things were changing in his favor. Medicines didn’t help him, but he changed his diet. God began to give him wisdom about what to eat, and understanding in nutrition. He began to get better and better, the doctors were baffled, but by his 21st birthday he' gained all the weight back, he weighed 180 lbs, and was completely free from that disease.
Now, you may be fighting an illness today, the medical report’s not good. Stay encouraged, there’s a new you coming: a healthy you, a strong you, a vibrant you. God is not finished with you. He said the number of your days he will fulfill. And sometimes medical science runs out of options, they do the best they can, but God can do what medicine cannot do. He never runs out of options. Like he did for my friend, there’s a turnaround coming in your health, where the Spirit of God comes on you in a powerful way, turns you into a different person. No more sick, defeated, weak, but healthy, whole, victorious, the new you.
When Samuel chose Saul as the king of Israel, and he was turned into a different person, the scripture (1 Samuel 10:9) says that «God put a new heart in Saul». He gave him new desires, new perspectives and new ways of seeing himself. Sometimes what’s limiting us are wrong mindsets, holding on to unforgiveness, reliving hurts, traumas from the past. There’s regrets, guilt from mistakes we’ve made, we’re beating ourselves up. These unhealthy thoughts and attitudes cause us to get stuck in a negative cycle, where often we’re self-sabotaging. And some people have tried to get free, but they weren’t able. Others don’t realize these toxins are poisoning their heart, affecting their attitude, relationships, their vision. But God in his mercy is going to do for you what he did for Saul: he’s going to give you a new heart, put the right desires in you, the power to forgive, to be positive toward yourself, to love the people in your life, to expect good things. It’s not going to leave you stuck in unhealthy mindsets. Part of this new you is a new heart, a new attitude, new self-image, new perspectives.
Now, stay in agreement with God. The enemy would love for you to live discouraged, thinking this is all you’ll ever be. The truth is: you haven’t seen the best version of you yet. God is at work right now to bring about his good purpose in your life. Remember, you don’t have to make it happen, just keep him first place, and his spirit is going to come on you in great power, and do what you couldn’t do. I believe and declare: the new you is coming, the more confident you, the more talented you, the more blessed, the more disciplined, the abundant you, the stronger you, the victorious you, the next level you, in Jesus name. And if you receive it, can you say amen?!