Joel Osteen - A Restoration Mentality (01/05/2018)
Our God is a God of restoration who promises not just to return what was lost—whether due to others' wrongs, our own mistakes, or life’s unfairness—but to bring us out better, increased, and promoted, paying back double and making up for lost years. Drawing from Joel 2:25 where God restores the years stolen, Isaiah’s promise of double honor, and biblical principles of multiplied repayment, the preacher urges a restoration mentality of faith and expectancy to receive God’s greater abundance.
Facing Loss in Life
I want to talk to you today about having a restoration mentality. In life, we all experience times of loss, situations where it feels like something was taken from us. Sometimes it is because of other people’s choices. A friend does us wrong. A spouse walks out of a relationship. Other times it is because of our own choices. Maybe we get involved with the wrong crowd, develop bad habits. We end up with broken dreams.
We hear that voice telling us again and again, «It is your fault. You blew it. Too bad. This is as good as it is ever going to be.» Many people are living with regrets, thinking about what they should have done. «If I had just spent more time raising my children, if I had just been more disciplined and not hung around those people, or if I had just stayed in school, where would I be today?»
They do not realize that defeated mindset is keeping them from God’s best. Then there are times it is not somebody else’s fault. It is not our own fault. It is just life. You are a good person. You are honoring God, and all of a sudden, you are facing an illness. It caught you totally off guard. You lost your health.
Or maybe you are being your best each day. You are going to work, giving it your all, but business starts to slow down. You had more than enough at one time. Now you are struggling to get by. When we encounter loss, it is easy to get discouraged, to settle where we are, and to not expect anything better.
The good news is our God is a God of restoration. He never said we would not have unfair situations. He never promised we would not experience loss, but He did promise if we would stay in faith, He would restore everything that was stolen.
God’s Restoration Is Always Greater
When God restores, He does not bring you out the same. He makes the enemy pay for bringing the trouble into your life. God is so merciful—whether it was your fault, somebody else’s fault, or just life in general. He says He is not only going to bring you out, He is going to bring you out better off than you were before.
Get that down in your spirit. You may have made mistakes. You brought the trouble on yourself, but God’s mercy is bigger than any mistake that you have made. Do not settle there. Have a restoration mentality. God is not only going to bring you out, He is going to bring you out better.
In the Scripture, if someone stole an ox, they had to pay that person back with five oxen. If they stole a sheep, they had to pay them back with four sheep. Another place, they had to repay seven times. In Isaiah, God said He would pay us back double for the unfair situations.
Notice the principle. God never brings us out the same. If we say we are going to restore this old car, that means we are going to bring it back to the original condition. We are going to make it look like it did when it was brand new. But that is not how God defines restoration. His idea of restore is to increase, to improve, to promote, to make better.
Now, you may have gone through a loss. Somebody did you wrong, or maybe it was your fault. You made poor choices. The enemy would love for you to sit around your whole life and listen to his lies: «It is never going to change. It has been this way too long. It is your fault. Just settle where you are.»
Shake off that doubt. Shake off that self-pity. You may have suffered a loss, but your attitude should be, «I know my God is a God of restoration, and I am not only coming out. I am coming out stronger. I am coming out promoted. I am coming out increased, better off than I was before.»
If you are going to see God restore, you have to have this restoration mentality. That means you are not sitting around nursing your wounds, thinking about what you lost and how many bad breaks you have had. No, you have got a smile on your face, a spring in your step. You are expecting things to change in your favor.
Somebody may have done you wrong, walked out of a relationship, but you are expecting to meet somebody better. The loan may not have gone through, did not qualify for the new house, but you are expecting a new door. You are expecting a better deal.
The medical report does not look good, but you have got another report. You are expecting to get well. You are expecting your child to straighten up. You are expecting to have a blessed, prosperous year.
For everything that you have lost, every person that did you wrong, every unfair situation, every sickness you had to endure, God is saying, «That is not the end. It is not over. I still have something amazing in your future.»
If you will have the right attitude, God will take the loss and use it to promote you. God will use the person that did you wrong to take you to a new level. God can even use the mistake you made. You brought the trouble on yourself, but God is so merciful. He is going to make the enemy pay. He can use that mistake to take you higher than if you had not made it.
A Couple’s Story of Restoration
Now, do your part and get your hopes up. Quit reliving all your disappointments. Quit telling your friends how it is never going to work out and how you should just settle where you are. Now, shake that off and have this restoration mentality.
I know this couple. They were living a very blessed life, very successful. Everything was going great. Then the perfect storm hit. The business went down. The lady had some health issues. One of their in-laws suddenly died. It was one bad thing after another.
Long story short, they ended up losing their house. It was foreclosed on, and they were so discouraged. They were having to live with some friends, and the lady had been in the hospital for several weeks when I saw her. She said, «Joel, they say there is light at the end of the tunnel, but we cannot even see the tunnel. We do not see how this is ever going to work out.»
I told them what I am telling you. Our God is a God of restoration. Nothing you are facing is a surprise. He had the solution before you had the problem. He wants to bring you out better.
They would have been happy to come out like they were before—to have their health back, to have a place to live, to have money to pay their bills. I said, «That is great, but that is not how God works. He does not bring you out the same. He never restores you back to the original condition. He brings you out better.»
At first, they could not really receive this. The Scripture says the people had become too discouraged to believe. If you are not careful, you could let negative thoughts play in your mind so long that they become ingrained in your thinking, and you become too discouraged to believe.
When I tell you God wants to bring you out better, in your spirit, down in here, something comes alive. Something says, «Yes, this is for me. I have not seen my best days. God has greater things in my future.» Your spirit will receive it. That is where God lives.
But many times, our mind will try to talk us out of it. «This is not for you today. You never get any good breaks. You will never be healthy. You will never be successful.» No, do yourself a favor. At least temporarily, turn your mind off and receive what God is saying.
You may have gone through a loss, but God is going to bring you out better—promoted, increased, healthier, stronger, wiser than you were before. Receive it by faith.
I finally convinced this couple to get in agreement with God and start expecting things to turn around. It did not happen overnight, but about three years later, I saw them in the lobby. They brought a picture of the brand new house they had moved into. The lady was weeping and weeping, so grateful.
Her husband had started a new business. It was much more successful than the one they lost. They have three children. In their first home, two of the children had to share a bedroom. In this new home, each child had their own bedroom, plus there was a spare guest bedroom.
She said, «Joel, it is in a better location, closer to our business. It is on a bigger lot, plus our payments are less on this house than on the original house that we lost.» Friends, God knows how to restore.
Now, do not talk yourself out of what God wants to do. You may have gone through a loss. It was painful. You could be discouraged. No, put on a new attitude. It is not over until God says it is over, and God says, «I am bringing you out promoted, increased, improved, better than you were before.»
Faith in Tough Times
Can you get a vision for it? See, it is easy in the tough times to get discouraged and bitter and settle where we are, not expect anything good, but this is what faith is all about. You have got to believe it even when you cannot see it. You have got to thank God even when you feel like complaining. You have got to say, «I know it is on the way even when every voice is telling you it is never going to happen.»
I know many people that watch have been affected by Hurricane Sandy, and you could be sour, bitter, no joy, but if you will have the right attitude, God will take what was meant for your harm and use it to your advantage. That storm was meant to defeat you, but God will use it to promote you.
You are going to come out with a better house, with better furniture, with new carpet. God is in the restoration business. Do not talk yourself out of it. Get up every morning: «Father, I want to thank You that You are a God of restoration. I know I have been armed with strength for this battle. You said You would make the enemy pay. My declaration is I am coming out stronger. I am coming out promoted. I am coming out increased. I am coming out better off than I was before.»
That is what allows the most powerful force in the universe to go to work. It may not happen overnight. God does not say, «I will do this in 24 hours or two weeks or seven months.» God does not put a timetable on it. He simply says, «In due season, you will reap if you do not give up.»
When you go through a loss, when you suffer a setback, God immediately establishes a due season, a set time to pay you back. But along the way, God is watching. «What are they saying? Do they still believe it is going to happen? Are they still talking about how it is going to turn around? Or have they gotten discouraged and settled where they are?»
Now pass the test. All through the day: «Father, thank You that You are restoring back everything that belongs to me.»
Restoring Lost Years
A young man about 20 years old told me how when he was a child, he was passed from relative to relative. Nobody really wanted to raise him. He cannot ever remember laughing and playing as a child. He said, «Joel, I feel like somebody stole my childhood.»
It is easy to think, «Well, too bad. Just my luck. Nothing I can do about that.» But God said in the book of Joel, «I will restore the years that have been stolen.» Friends, God knows how to make up for years of your life.
No, you cannot relive your childhood, but God can make the rest of your life so rewarding, so fulfilling that you do not even miss the years that you lost. You may feel like you wasted years in a relationship that did not work out, but God can bring somebody into your life so great, so fun, so friendly, so attractive that you do not even remember the years that you have lost.
You may have spent years on a job that turned out to be a dead end. You were working your way to the top. Things did not turn out like you had hoped, and now it looks like there is a big waste of time. You do not see how you could ever get to where you want to be. No, do not believe those lies.
God knows how to make up for lost time. God can accelerate things. God can bring opportunities back across your path that you missed that will thrust you years ahead. It may not have happened the first time, but God will always give you another chance.
I know this man—for the first 40 years of his life, he was a cocaine addict. He came from a good family. He had a lot of opportunity, but he blew his marriage, blew his education. He thought it was all over, but today he is in his late 50s. He is very successful. He is happily married. He volunteers for us on the weekends.
He said, «Joel, I never dreamed God would give me another chance.» What is happening? God is restoring the years. His latter days are going to be greater than his former days. That is the way our God is. He knows how to make up for lost time.
Here is the amazing thing. Even when it is your fault, God is so merciful—He will still give you another chance. Why do you not quit worrying about what you lost and how you are not where you think you should be and say, «God, I believe You can restore the years that I lost even when it was my fault.»
That takes a lot of boldness. The enemy will bombard your mind saying, «Man, you are a hypocrite. You cannot expect anything good. You should have been out studying. You should have been working. You should have been more disciplined.»
No, this is what mercy is all about. You do not deserve it. You could live guilty and condemned. When you shake it off and say, «God, I am coming boldly to Your throne—not because I am perfect, but because Your Son made me worthy. And God, I am asking You to turn back time and give me every opportunity that I have missed.»
See, God is not moved when we have that weak, unworthy, poor old me mentality. «I do not deserve anything good. I have made too many mistakes.» No, God wants to restore. He is full of mercy, but you have got to have the right attitude.
And some of you have given up on your dreams, thinking about the years you wasted in the first marriage and how you did not spend enough time with your children, how somebody hurt you. No, quit blaming yourself. Quit blaming others. God can still get you to where you are supposed to be. He knows how to restore the years.
Personal Restoration with Alexandra
Our daughter, Alexandra, was two months old when my father went to be with the Lord. During that time, my dad was on dialysis and I was taking him up to the clinic and bringing him back home. It was a very busy season.
Then two months later, when Daddy died, our whole world changed. We were thrust into this new position and I was doing my best to just try to keep my head above water. I do not really remember the first few years of Alexandra’s life that well. We were in such a transition and I was learning how to minister, trying to figure everything out.
One day we were looking at her baby pictures and I realized that I do not have the same memories of her—the first few years of her life—as I do our son Jonathan. Just under my breath, almost in passing, I said, «God, I am asking You to restore the years that I lost being so busy and so preoccupied with other things.»
At that time, Alexandra was about six years old and it seemed like from that time forward, all she wanted to do was to be with me, her father. She would rather go out in the backyard and let me watch her turn cartwheels than to have her friends over to play.
In fact, sometimes I needed a break. I would say, «Alexandra, are you sure you do not want to go to your cousins? You can go swimming. You sure you do not want to invite your friends over?» She would say, «No, Daddy. I just want to stay here with you.»
Even now, she is 14 years old. We are still the best of friends. She will come up during the day at the house and put her arm around me. We will laugh, talk, have a good time. She is like Victoria. She cannot keep her hands off of me.
But you know what that is? That is God restoring the years. That is God turning back time. Why do you not ask God to restore any opportunities that you have missed? Why do you not ask Him to restore relationships that are not what they should be? God knows how to restore the years.
The Shunammite Woman’s Restoration
In 2 Kings chapter 8, there is the story about Elisha and this lady that was good friends with him. Her son died and Elisha came, prayed for the boy, and he came back to life.
Later, there was a great famine in the land. Elisha told this woman that she needed to move to another city because the food was going to be so scarce. So she left there and went to the land of the Philistines.
Seven years later, the famine was over. She was so excited about coming back home, but when she arrived, she found that somebody was living in her house, farming her land, making money off of her property.
She could not believe it. She said, «What are you doing here? This is my house. I built this place.» They would not budge. They were not about to leave. She did not know what to do, so she decided to go see the king.
Now, this king was not a godly man. She did not have any connection with him. She did not even know if the king would see her. But when she arrived, it just so happened that Gehazi—that was the assistant to Elisha—he happened to be there visiting with the king.
The king was very intrigued by the prophet Elisha. He asked Gehazi to tell him some stories about the miracles that Elisha had performed. It just so happened that Gehazi started off telling this story about this little boy that died and how Elisha prayed and he came back to life.
Right as he was telling it, perfectly on cue, this lady walked in the room. Gehazi was amazed. He said, «King, that is the lady I am talking about right there. It was her son that came back to life.»
The king said, «Is this true?» She said, «Exactly true.» The king was so moved—not only by the miracle, but by the fact that this lady had shown up unannounced, perfectly on cue.
He said to the lady, «Ma’am, what can I do for you?» She explained her situation—how she had gone for seven years and now she is back home and somebody was living in her house.
The king said, «No problem. I will take care of that.» He instructed his officials to make sure that she not only got her house back, but he said, «See to it that she gets all the money from any crops that were harvested during the seven years that she was gone.»
What she had lost by being away for seven years was returned to her in one day. That was God restoring the years, paying her back for what should have been hers.
Payback Time Is Coming
Now some of you are due payback. You have lost some things. The good news is they still have your name on them—your health, your dreams, your finances. If you will have this restoration mentality like this lady, God will pay you back for everything that should have been yours.
God can make up for seven years of loss with one good break. God can take 15 years of struggle and lack and cause one person to show you favor that will make up for those 15 years.
You may have struggled in your health, in a relationship, in your mind—no peace—but get this down in your spirit. It is payback time. God is going to start restoring everything that should have been yours.
Some of you are raising a child that is difficult. You never complain—you love your child—but it is taking your joy, your passion. God is going to pay you back. He knows exactly what you are owed. He is going to give you greater strength, greater joy.
You may have missed out temporarily, but you need to get ready. What you are owed is still in your account and God knows how to get it to you.
You may have put up with an illness for a long time, worked at a job where you are not being treated right, struggled with an addiction for many years—be encouraged today. Payday is on its way. God is not only going to turn it around. He is going to restore everything back to you that should have been yours.
The rest of your life is going to be more rewarding, more fulfilling than anything you have experienced before. That is what it says in Psalm 66:12: «We went through the fire, through the flood, but God brought us out to a place of great abundance.»
That is what God is going to do for you. You have been through the famine, through the tough time, but you passed the test. Now God is going to bring you—not to a place of abundance, but a place of great abundance: great joy, great friendships, great health, great income.
Our attitude should be: «God, I am ready. I know it is payback time. I am not sitting around focused on what I lost and who hurt me and where I missed it. I am focused on the fact that You are a God of restoration. You are full of mercy. You know exactly what I am owed and You promise You would pay me back and bring me to a place of great abundance.»
The Story of Abundance After Famine
That is the attitude that allows God to restore—to make up for lost time, lost health, lost wages, lost victories.
One time in the Old Testament, an enemy army had surrounded the Israelites and cut off their food supply. The Israelites were eating things that were unthinkable. A few more days and they certainly would have starved to death.
The prophet Elisha showed up and said, «By this time tomorrow there will be so much food you will be able to buy a loaf of bread for one penny.» The assistant to the king said, «Elisha, what are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? Even if God opened up the windows of heaven, that would not happen.»
Notice God said restoration is coming. It is going to happen sooner than you think. It is going to be greater than you imagined. You are coming to a place of great abundance.
But this assistant only looked at it in the natural. He checked the stock report. He looked at his bank statement. He watched the nightly news—said it is impossible. There is no way that could happen.
But there were four lepers sitting outside the city gates. They said, «We have nothing to lose. We are going to starve to death anyway. Let us march down toward the enemy’s camp and see what is going on.»
As they started walking, God multiplied the sound of their footsteps. They sounded like a huge army was approaching. The enemy army got afraid, took off running—left their food, left their treasures, left a whole camp filled with supplies.
Those four lepers went back to their family, the Israelites, and said, «Come with us. There is more than enough.» The people were so excited, so hungry. They took off running out of the city to go get the food.
This assistant that said it would never happen was in control of the gate. When the people came out running so fast, he got knocked down and was trampled to death. He said it would never happen—and for him, he was exactly right. It never happened.
God is saying today He is going to restore what was stolen. He is going to pay you back for what you lost. He is going to bring you to a place of great abundance.
Now, here is my challenge: Do not be like this man. «I do not see how it could happen. I never get any good breaks. I have been through too much.» No, that is going to keep you from God’s best.
You have got to have this restoration mentality: «God, I agree. I know it is payback time. I want to thank You, Lord, for restoring the health, the peace, the joy, the finances, the ideas—everything that belongs to me.»
That is what allows God to work. But some of you have let your thoughts and discouragement—what you have been through—talk you out of it. But today is a new day. Faith is rising. Strongholds are being broken. Favor is coming.
Because you have this restoration mentality, God is not only going to restore what has been stolen, but I believe and declare you are coming out stronger, promoted, increased, healthier, wiser. You are coming out to a place of abundance. In Jesus' name, if you receive it, can you say amen today?