Joel Osteen - No More Bad Days (01/11/2026)
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In today’s message, Joel Osteen explores a powerful idea: while bad things are unavoidable, we don’t have to let them wreck our entire day. He leans on scriptures like John 16:22 and Habakkuk 3:17–18 to argue that our internal joy and peace are actually within our control, not dictated by outside circumstances. The core message is about actively taking charge of our perspective. Listeners are urged to deliberately reframe setbacks, allow themselves to process pain naturally, and consciously choose a mindset of faith, essentially treating each new day as a deliberate gift from God.
The Inevitability of Bad Moments
I want to talk to you today about having no more bad days. We all have opportunities to get upset, be offended, or live worried. It can be small things: traffic, people who are rude, a coworker who leaves us out. Sometimes it’s bigger things. A contract didn’t go through. The medical test wasn’t good. Our loved ones are in trouble. No matter how good of a person you are or how much faith you have, you’re going to have to deal with bad moments. It’s easy to let them take our joy and steal our peace.
We go through the day frustrated, our feelings are hurt, and we’re down because of disappointment. But life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond. You can’t stop a bad moment from coming, but you don’t have to let it turn into a bad day. Jesus said no man can take your joy. No circumstance can make you get sour; no delay or offense can force you to get discouraged. You’re in control of your joy. Nobody can take it from you.
You get to decide your attitude, what you’re going to dwell on, and your perspective. When a bad moment comes, you have to make a decision that you’re not going to let that ruin the rest of your day. It’s okay to acknowledge your feelings. «Man, this was hurtful. What they said was wrong. I’m disappointed. The medical report wasn’t better.» That’s valid. God made us with emotions. I’m not telling you to deny your feelings or push things down.
Processing Pain Without Letting It Linger
That’s fine for a moment, but don’t let it linger. Don’t keep dwelling on it or reliving it. The longer you do, the more it gets down in your spirit. You need to reframe it. «That was hurtful. It was wrong, but God, I know that you are still in control. He sees everything that’s happened. He’s my defender.» Now, don’t let that bad moment turn into a bad day. Maybe you have a bad morning; a setback was very disappointing. Or you had a bad afternoon. Your child didn’t get that position you were hoping for.
It’s okay to take a moment to process it, but don’t stay there to where you go to bed disappointed and mad at your neighbor, offended at your spouse, and discouraged about your finances. If you let that bad moment linger, it’ll turn into a bad day. Then a bad week, then a bad month, a bad year. You look up and years have gone by. You don’t have your passion, you’re not pursuing dreams, and you’re not enjoying your family. It all started with a bad moment that you didn’t deal with properly.
It may turn into a bad hour. You have to process it. It might even be a bad morning, but don’t let it turn into a bad day. You have to put your foot down and say, «No, I’m not going to give away my joy. I’m not going to lose my peace. This is the day the Lord has made, and I have made up my mind to enjoy it.» The scripture says don’t let the sun go down while you’re angry. It’s a principle. If you go to bed with negative things—anger, offense, discouragement, even being mad at yourself—that’s letting the negativity take deeper root.
The Power of Daily Reset
It’s getting more down in your spirit. You start off the next day a little more sour, a little more offended, a little more frustrated. The longer you go, the more difficult it is to deal with. That’s why it’s so important to not go to bed upset, frustrated, and worried. You may have a good reason to feel that way. You’ve had some bad moments; things weren’t fair; plans fell through. The good news is that bad moment didn’t stop your destiny. It didn’t override what God has for you.
Why are you giving away your joy? The scripture tells us to hold our peace. Why are you letting go of your peace? It was a bad moment. You can’t stop that, but you can keep it from turning into a bad day. That can lead to a bad year, and they can go into a bad life. You have the power to decide how long the bad moment is going to last. And I know things are hurtful. It’s like they knocked the wind out of us. You have to regroup and reframe it. Don’t let your emotions decide; you decide.
On July 30th of last year, my sister Lisa called and said my mother wasn’t answering the phone and she thinks something is wrong. I jumped in the car and headed toward her house. On the way there, a police officer called and said, «I hate to tell you this, but we found your mother deceased in her home.» I didn’t see that coming. A bad moment—losing a loved one. I was having a good day, then life happened. There’s a time for weeping, a time to grieve; you have to process what’s happened.
Choosing Your Perspective in Grief
But you can’t let the sorrow linger. You can’t let the disappointment continue day after day. You need to reframe it. Look at it from a perspective of faith. In a couple of hours after I got over the initial news, instead of continuing to be sad and overwhelmed, can you believe what happened? I started thinking about what a great mother I had. How she lived almost 92 years and how God had healed her from terminal cancer. She was at church two days before she passed, praying for people right here.
I talked to her the night before and told her how much I loved her. She was a bright light, inspiring so many people with her faith, her healing, and her compassion. I went to bed that night not thinking about what a bad day it was, but thinking about how good God is and how my mother now is in His hands. I felt strength and peace and, not in a weird way, but I had joy on the inside. I just knew that God was still in control, that she had fulfilled her purpose, and that we were stepping into new seasons.
But my point is, it was a choice that I made. «This is a bad moment. I’m disappointed, but I’m not going to let it turn into a bad week, to a bad month, to a bad year.» Every day is a gift from God. Once we live this day, we can’t get it back. When you lay your head on the pillow each night, you need to be able to say, «This was a good day.» Even if you had bad things happen, even if it didn’t work out the way you had planned, and there were unexpected challenges.
You have to turn the hurts over to God. He wouldn’t have allowed it if it wasn’t going to work to your advantage. You need to remember the good things in your life. «Lord, I’ve had some setbacks, but I want to thank you that I’m alive, that I have breath, that I have a place to stay, a family to love, and dreams to pursue. Yes, I’ve had trouble, but all is well. Yes, my boss did me wrong, but all is well. Yes, my mother went to be with the Lord. All is well.» Let’s make up our minds: no more bad days.
The Habit of Decisive Joy
No more going to bed sour. No more letting people steal our joy or getting frustrated over things we can’t control. No more letting the offense linger. Deal with it quickly and then move on. Trust God to be your vindicator. Trust Him with the closed doors, the things you don’t understand, delays, and people that walked away. Those are bad moments, but they don’t have to turn into a bad day. This is what Habakkuk did, a man in the scripture.
He said, «Though the fig tree does not blossom and there be no fruit on the vine, though the olive crops have failed and the fields have produced no food.» He was saying, «My business is not good. My crops didn’t make it. My storehouses are empty.» He could’ve stopped there and complained, «Man, it’s been a bad day. I’ve had all these setbacks.» But he went on to say, «Yet will I rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation.» He was saying, «These bad moments I can’t control, but I’m not going to let them take my joy.»
He was expecting God’s goodness. If we don’t learn this principle and we let the circumstances determine whether we have a good day or a bad day, the enemy will make sure there’s always some reason to sour your day. A grouchy coworker, can’t find your cellphone, it rains right after you wash your car, a friend is saying things about you that aren’t true. All these moments have the potential to ruin your day. If you dwell on them and get upset, you’ll be frustrated.
Taking Control of Your Emotional Energy
But you have the potential to just let it be a moment, to just let it go and move on. No big deal. The offense came, but I didn’t take the bait. I’m going to stay in peace. God delayed; my plans didn’t work out. I’m not frustrated; I know God is ordering my steps. I didn’t get that promotion. The scholarship didn’t go through. Yes, I’m disappointed. It’s a bad moment, but I know God has something better. I know that door closed because He has greater things in my future.
Life happens to us all. Bad moments are inevitable, but bad days are optional. You get to choose what it is going to be. When you wake up in the morning, you need to decide ahead of time that it’s going to be a good day. You need to set the tone at the start of the day. Don’t wait to see if it’s going to be a good day; decide it’s going to be a good day. Make up your mind that no matter what happens, you’re going to stay in peace. No matter what someone says, how bad the traffic is, or if your children don’t do what’s right.
You’re not going to get upset and let that ruin your day. When you decide ahead of time, you’re already prepared. Then if bad moments come, it’s no big deal. «I’m not giving away my joy.» If you have a disappointment at ten in the morning—something doesn’t work out—it’s okay to take a couple of hours to process it. That’s normal. That bad moment may turn into a bad morning, but by lunch you need to make the decision: «This is over. I’m done dwelling on it. That’s in my past. I’m going to enjoy the rest of this day.»
Breaking the Cycle of Resentment
Don’t let it linger to where it ruins your day and you go to bed upset. If someone offends you in the afternoon—a coworker says something harsh that hurts your feeling—the gloom will come with thoughts of resentment, payback, and bitterness. We’re human; those are natural feelings. But you have to take authority and rule over your emotions. That was a bad moment. It’s supposed to be temporary. You can’t keep thinking about it, dwelling on it, or reliving it.
If you do, it will turn into a bad evening. You go to bed offended and wake up discouraged. Now it’s another bad day, and before you know it, a bad week, a bad month. It’s changing who you are. It’s taking your peace and your joy. Deal with the bad moments quickly. Don’t let them linger. Don’t go to bed thinking about it. It’s not taking your joy; it doesn’t have that much power. You’re giving away your joy. You’re letting go of your peace. The good news is you can get it back. You determine your attitude, what you think about, and your perspective.
I have a friend taking chemotherapy, and it’s been going on for three years. She’s lost her hair and at one point lost her voice and had to take a leave from work. But every time I see her, she has a smile. I ask how she’s doing: «Joel, life is good. I’m blessed. I’m getting better.» «Are you back to work yet?» «Not yet, I don’t have the stamina, but it’s coming. I’m getting stronger every day.» She had a bad moment—something she wasn’t expecting—but she didn’t let it turn into a bad day.
Stewarding the Day You’ve Been Given
She had every right to think, «It’s not fair. Look what you’re going through.» She could’ve lived discouraged and complaining. But she’s saying like David, «This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.» This isn’t a day to live defeated or offended, thinking, «Look what they did.» This is the day the Lord has made. That means you’re not here by accident. God chose you to be here. He woke you up this morning and gave you breath to breathe.
He could have chosen anyone to be alive right now, but He handpicked you. Now, don’t let this day go by without enjoying it. Sure, things are going to come against us, but you have to make the decision: «I will rejoice. I will be glad.» The right attitude is, «Hey, my neighbor is talking about me and spreading rumors. I can’t control that. I’m going to enjoy this day. My loved ones are dealing with an illness. Things are difficult, but I know I can do all things through Christ. I’m not going to endure the day; I’m going to enjoy the day.»
«Well, Joel, I had a setback in my business. A relationship came to an end.» That was a bad moment. Don’t let it become a bad life. When David wrote this Psalm, «This is the day,» he had all kinds of things coming against him. Armies were attacking him. People were spreading rumors and slandering his reputation. King Saul had chased him through the desert. His father discounted him and didn’t think he was king material. All these bad moments he could’ve let turn into bad days, bad months, bad years.
But look at David’s attitude: «This is the day the Lord has made.» Amen. He was saying this is not an ordinary day. This is not something I take for granted and just live however I feel. God made this day. He created me to be here. I have a responsibility to live this day to the full. All these unfair circumstances didn’t make him sour. He said, «I will rejoice. I will be glad.» He was saying that when he went to bed at night, he would say, «It’s been a good day.»
Learning from David’s Example
«My father left me out in the fields and didn’t believe in me, but I let that offense go. It’s been a good day. King Saul is chasing me through the desert trying to kill me, throwing spears, and I’ve done nothing wrong. That was a bad moment, but I’m not dwelling on it. God is my defender. He’ll get me to where I’m supposed to be. It’s been a good day.» We can’t get away from the bad moments. My question is, are you letting them turn into bad days?
Are you holding on to them, letting them linger, and dwelling on what didn’t work out? Don’t go to bed in a negative frame of mind. Moments turn into momentum. What you dwell on gets stronger and becomes more powerful. David could have been giving energy to all the bad things, the hurts, and the injustice. But notice what he’s giving momentum to: «It’s the Lord’s day. It’s what He has made.» He was saying, «God is my provider. He’s my protector. He’s my defender. I will be glad and enjoy this day.»
When I first started pastoring, I was invited to be on a news program early one Monday morning at a station here in town. I had to be there at 6:30, and I was already a little tired from the Sunday before. It was cold and raining outside, and they told me to park right up front next to the building in a reserved lot. I drove up and got out of my car. This lady came over, a security guard, and you would think I just robbed a bank. She started screaming, «You cannot park here! What do you think you’re doing? Get back in your car!»
The Choice to Rise Above Offense
I looked at her in a fog; I’m still halfway awake. I said, «Ma’am, this is where they told me to park.» She said, «They did not tell you right. You need to move it right now.» I had to remind myself, «I’m a pastor. My church is across the street. I’m here to be on the news. I don’t want to be in the news.» I could see a headline: «Security guard beat up by smiling pastor.» I had to park in the neighborhood, blocks away, and run through the rain trying not to get wet in my suit.
I didn’t like the way I was treated, but I made up my mind: «I’m not going to give away my joy. I’m not going to let her have my peace.» Most people that are rude, offensive, and harsh have issues of their own. They’re angry, they’re bitter, and they don’t like themselves. Often, they’ll try to dump their poison on you. If you’re not disciplined and you take the bait, you’ll get upset, argue, and try to straighten them out. That’s a battle you’re not supposed to fight.
If you win, there are no benefits. What did you prove? This was 6:30 in the morning. That bad moment had the potential to sour the rest of my day, but I had the potential to not let that happen. Your emotions are either controlled by your circumstances or by your character. You get to choose. Nobody can take your joy. They can try to bait you into giving it to them. If you fall into that trap, the enemy will control your life. He will use people, delays, and unfair things to keep you upset, offended, and worried.
How many of us are taking the bait? Sure, there will be bad moments, but recognize what it is: just a moment. You have the power to let it stay a moment. You can dismiss it, let it go, forgive the wrong, and move on. Now it’s in your past. It has no more power over you. It’s taken up no more energy. But if you keep dwelling on it, reliving it, and thinking about how wrong it was, then you’re feeding it. You’re creating momentum. Now it becomes bigger and more hurtful.
Reclaiming Your Emotional Energy
The problem is it’s taking your emotional energy—energy that you need to enjoy your life, to love your family, and to pursue your dreams. I went in and did the program, and this security officer saw me on the screen. As I was leaving, she came running out. «Oh, Pastor Osteen, I didn’t know that was you! I watch you every Sunday.» I thought, «You don’t ever listen.» And she said, «Do you have time to pray for me?» I thought, «I would if I didn’t have to walk so far.»
Let me challenge you: don’t let bad moments turn into bad days. You can’t stop these things from coming. Sometimes it’s little things that are taking our joy, and we don’t realize that life is flying by. What does it matter that she was rude or that a car cut you off in traffic? You’re never going to see him again. Why would you give them your joy? They’re not that important to you. Or maybe it was something big. You lost a loved one. You went through a breakup.
I know that’s painful, but it didn’t stop your destiny. Take the right amount of time to grieve the loss and to get over it, then move on. It’s a moment. It’s not supposed to be a lifetime. If you keep dwelling on it, you’re feeding it and giving it momentum. The reason you can’t get past it is because you’re making it stronger. Let it go. Learn to reframe it. I didn’t like it when my father suddenly passed in 1999, but I thought about the blessed life that he had lived and all the time that we had together.
The Apostle Paul’s Secret to Joy
You can choose to see the positive or the negative, to focus on what you lost or on what you have left over, to complain about what went wrong or to thank God for what’s going right. Bad moments are inevitable, but bad days are optional. You get to choose how you respond. But sometimes we’ve learned wrong habits from what we saw modeled growing up. When things didn’t go right for the people around us, it was anger and offense and payback and getting discouraged.
Try a new approach. When negative things happen, remind yourself, «This is just a bad moment. It’s not the end of my story. It’s not going to determine my attitude, my joy, or my perspective.» You’re in control. Process it, then give it to God, and move on. You can’t control people or circumstances, but you can control you. The lady was rude; I chose to rise above it. I chose to stay in peace. When my brother Paul showed a picture of our dog with my face on it and called me Pastor Fifi, I chose to overlook the offense and return good for evil.
For the scripture says it’s like putting coals of fire on them. And if you didn’t see the picture, good. The apostle Paul said in Philippians four, «Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.» What’s significant is Paul wrote this from a prison cell where he was chained and awaiting trial. Paul had been through all kinds of hardships. If anyone knew about bad moments, if anyone had a right to be bitter and upset, it would have been Paul.
He’d been falsely accused and betrayed, misunderstood, shipwrecked, spent the night on the open sea, and bitten by a poisonous snake. He sat down in this prison, thought about all he’d been through, and what was the secret of him fulfilling his purpose? He wrote these words: «Rejoice in the Lord always.» In case we didn’t get it the first time, he said, «And again I say rejoice.» He was saying there will be times you don’t feel like it, when people do you wrong, and it’s not fair.
The Midnight Praise of Paul and Silas
That’s when you have to dig down and say, «I will rejoice. This is the day the Lord has made. I’m not going to let a bad moment turn into a bad day.» One time, Paul and Silas had been out ministering, and they were attacked and beaten by an angry mob. They arrested them and put them in the deepest dungeon. They never dreamed they would be there. All the circumstances said, «This is a bad day.» They were bruised and hurting, facing death.
Surely they would be complaining, «God, we were doing Your will. Why did this happen?» Surely they’d be saying, «I’m glad this day is over. It’s been a nightmare.» No. At midnight, the scripture says they were singing praises and thanking God. Despite being one of the worst days of their lives, before they laid their head down in that prison, they were saying in effect, «It’s been a good day. God, we know you’re still on the throne.» About that time, there was a great earthquake.
The prison doors flung open, the chains fell off their feet, and they walked out as free men. That never would have happened if they’d been focused on the hurt, angry at the enemies, and reliving the disappointments. Let’s be like Paul and Silas. Even on the hard days, when it’s not fair and life throws us a curve, we reframe it. We remind ourselves God is still in control. We don’t give away our joy. We don’t let go of our peace. We rejoice always.
Make this decision with me: no more bad days. Life is too short to let our circumstances control us or let other people determine our moods. You can’t control all that, but take control of you—your attitude and your thoughts. This is the day the Lord has made. Now make sure you’re a good steward of it. Next time something happens, just remind yourself, «It’s a bad moment. It doesn’t have to turn into a bad day or a bad month.» Don’t let it linger; let it go and move on.
When you lay down at night, you need to be able to say, «This was a good day. God, I am grateful that I am alive.» If you do this, you may have some bad moments, but I believe and declare: no more bad days. You’re going to rise higher, enjoy your life, and have peace in the midst of the storm. Like Paul, God’s going to fight your battles, open doors you couldn’t open, and take you to the fullness of your destiny. In Jesus' name, and if you receive it, can you say amen today? Amen.