Joel Osteen - Remembering the Good
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Joel Osteen encourages us to intentionally remember the good things God has done in our lives rather than dwelling on negative memories, hurts, and failures. Drawing from personal stories and biblical examples like David facing Goliath and the Israelites' memorial stones, he concludes that switching to our «victory channel» builds faith, heals emotional wounds, and positions us for the amazing future God has prepared.
I want to talk to you today about «Remembering the Good.» Our memory is very powerful. You can be driving in your car, and all of a sudden, you remember a tender moment with your child—a hug, a kiss. It could have been five years ago, something funny that they did. But when you remember it, it will bring a smile to your face. You will start to feel those same emotions—joy and warmth—just like it was happening again.
On the other hand, you can be enjoying the day, everything is going great, but then you start to remember a sad event where you were not treated right, somebody did you wrong, you went through a loss, and before long, you will be down and discouraged. What made you sad? Dwelling on wrong memories. What made you happy?
The Brain’s Bias Toward the Negative
It is interesting—our mind will naturally gravitate toward the negative. A study showed how positive and negative memories are handled by different parts of the brain. A negative memory takes up more space. There is more to process. Because of this, we will remember the negative more.
The example they used is that a person will remember losing $50 more than they will remember gaining $50. The negative carries more weight. It has a greater impact. I can walk off this platform and 100 people tell me, «Joel, that was good today, I really enjoyed it.» But then one person can say, «I did not get anything out of it, it did not make sense to me.»
In the old days, that is all I would think about. That one negative comment would play over and over. That is how it is stored in our brain—it takes up more space. Knowing this, we have to be proactive.
Don’t Watch the Negative Movie Again
When the negative memories come back to the movie screen of your mind, many people pull up a chair, get some popcorn, and watch them all over again. «I cannot believe they hurt me. That was so unfair. Why do I have all these bad breaks?»
Well, here is my message: that is not the only channel. There is another movie playing. It is not your defeats, your failures, your disappointments. It is a channel filled with your accomplishments, your victories, the things you have done right, the times you were promoted, you met the right person, you bought the new house, your child was born healthy.
Instead of staying on that negative channel, you have got to switch over to your victory channel. You are not going to move forward into the new things God has in store if you are always replaying the negative things that have happened to you. We have all been through disappointments, setbacks, and bad breaks. Those memories will play the most often. The good news is, you have the remote control. Just because the memory comes up does not mean you have to watch it.
A Personal Example of Changing the Channel
A couple of years after my father went to be with the Lord, I was over at my mother’s house to pick something up, and nobody else was home. As I was walking through the den, I began to immediately see the night that my father died. He had had a heart attack in that room. I could see him lying on the floor. When I arrived, the paramedics were trying to get his heart restarted, and that whole night started to replay in my mind. I started to feel those same emotions.
I did just what I am asking you to do. I said, «No thanks, I am not going there. I am not going to relive that night and get all down and discouraged.» I simply changed the channel. I started remembering all the great times I had had with my father. I remembered the times that we laughed and had fun, the times we had traveled the world. I remembered the times where he used to come over to our house and play with our little son, Jonathan. There was another channel—I just had to switch over to it.
Some of you need to start changing the channel. You are reliving all your hurts, disappointments, bad breaks. As long as you are replaying that, you are never going to really heal. It is like a scab that is starting to get better, but if you keep picking at it, it has to start all over again. Emotional wounds are the same way. If you are always reliving your hurts, watching them on the movie screen of your mind, talking about it, telling your friends, that is just reopening the wound.
Focus on God’s Goodness
You have to change the channel. It may be difficult—you may have had a lot of unfair things happen—but when you look back over your life, can you find at least one time where God has done something good for you? Can you remember at least one time where it was the hand of God promoting you, protecting you, healing you? Then switch over to that channel. Get your mind going in a new direction.
A reporter asked me not long ago what my biggest regret was, my biggest failure. Now, I do not mean to sound arrogant, but I do not remember my biggest regret. I am not dwelling on that channel. I do not go there. Sure, we all make mistakes. We all do things we wish we had done differently, but that is not supposed to be on the forefront of our minds.
You are supposed to remember what you have done right, the times you have succeeded, your victories, the times you overcame the temptation, the times you went out of your way to be kind to a stranger. The reason some people are not happy is they remember every mistake. They have got a running record. The enemy does not have to accuse them—they do it for him.
Do yourself a big favor: change the channel. Quit dwelling on how you do not measure up, how you should have spent more time with your children growing up, how you should have been stronger, more disciplined, resisted that temptation. No—you may have fallen, but dwell on the fact that you got back up again. You are here today. You may have made a poor choice, but dwell on the fact that you have made a lot of great choices. You may have some weaknesses, but dwell on the fact that you have a whole lot of strengths.
Quit focusing on what is wrong with you and start focusing on what is right with you. You are not going to become everything God has created you to be if you are against yourself. You have to retrain your mind. Be disciplined about what you allow yourself to dwell on. Those negative memories take up the most space. Those movies are going to come, but recognize what is happening and learn to change that channel.
Remembering the Good in Everyday Moments
Several years ago, I was playing basketball with our son, Jonathan. We had done this for many years—one on one, him versus me. This day, for the first time, he beat me fair and square, 15 to 14. I gave him a high-five and then told him he was grounded. But during the game, at one point, he went around me and was about to go up for a shot. I timed it just right—I came out of nowhere and blocked his shot. I mean, I swatted the ball away over into the bushes. I felt like a professional.
A couple of days later, we were playing up at the gym with some friends. Jonathan said, «Dad, tell everybody about what happened the other night.» I said, «Oh yeah, Jonathan went up for a shot, I timed it just perfect, I went…» He said, «No, Dad, I meant tell them about how I beat you for the first time.» The funny thing is, I did not remember my defeat. The first thing that came to my mind was not how I had lost the game, but something that I had done right. It is because I had trained my mind to remember the good.
You know, some people won the game, but they remember every mistake they made. They never feel good about themselves. They never did it good enough. It is all in how we have trained our mind. It depends on what channel we are watching.
What Scripture Says About Remembering
I cannot find one place in the Scripture where it tells us to remember our defeats, remember our failures, remember our hurts. No—it says again and again to remember the great things God has done. In other words, stay on your victory channel.
Remember how God gave you that promotion even though you were not the most qualified. Remember how God brought your child back on the right course when it looked pretty bad. Remember when you went through that loss—you should have had a nervous breakdown, but you felt a supernatural strength, and here you are.
The psalmist put it this way: «I recall the many miracles God has done for me. I cannot stop thinking about them. They are constantly in my mind.» Notice—they are supposed to be constantly in our mind. The mistake we make too often is we remember what we should be forgetting—our hurts, our failures, our disappointments—and we forget what we should be remembering: our victories, our accomplishments, the times God has shown up.
In the Old Testament, God commanded them to have certain festivals. One of the main reasons is so they would remember what God had done. Several times a year, they would all stop what they were doing, come together, and celebrate how God brought them out of slavery, how God defeated this enemy, how God protected them over here. They were required to remember.
Another place talks about how they would put out memorial stones. These were big boulders—we might call them historical markers today—that reminded them of specific victories. Every time they walked by, they would say, «Oh yeah, that stone is for when God brought us out of slavery. That stone is for when God healed my child. That stone is for when God provided for our needs.» These memorial stones helped it to stay fresh in their memory.
Building Your Own Memorial Stones
In the same way, every one of us should have our own memorial stones. When you look back over your life, you should remember not the times you failed, you went through a breakup, your boss did you wrong, the business went down—that is remembering what you should be forgetting. Switch over to the other channel.
Remember when you were lonely and God brought somebody great into your life. Remember when the medical report said it was impossible, but God supernaturally healed you. Remember when it was dark—you did not think you would have another happy day—but God not only turned it around, He gave you beauty for ashes, joy for mourning. All of us should have our memorial stones out.
Last Tuesday was the 31-year anniversary that my mother was healed from terminal cancer. Thirty-one years ago, the doctors told her she had a few weeks to live, but another year just went by—she is still healthy and whole. That is a memorial stone. I remember December 1, 2003, when Mayor Lee Brown handed us the key to this beautiful facility. This building is a memorial stone. I still thank God for it.
I remember when I walked into a jewelry store and saw Victoria for the first time. God answered my prayer. I still thank God for that. I remember when my dad died—I did not think I could minister, never done this before—but God gave me the grace to step up and pastor the church. I put out a memorial stone.
My question: Do you have any memorial stones out in your own life? What you are remembering will determine what kind of life you are going to live. If you are remembering all your defeats, your failures, your hurts, it is going to cause you to be stuck in a rut. If you could just change what you are remembering—start remembering your victories—that can cause you to go to a new level.
David’s Victory Over Goliath
You may be in a tough time, facing an obstacle, but when you remember the right things, you will not be saying, «Oh man, it is going to be the end of me. I am never going to get out.» No—you will be saying, «God, You did it for me once. I know You will do it for me again. God, I have seen Your goodness in the past. I know I will see it again in the future.»
This is what David did when he was about to face Goliath, a giant nearly twice his size. He could have focused on how big Goliath was and how Goliath had more training, more equipment, more experience, but that would have just made him discouraged. The Scripture says David remembered how he had killed a lion and a bear with his own hands. What was he doing? Remembering his victories.
He could have remembered how his brothers mistreated him, tried to make him feel small, or how his father had disrespected him. There were a lot of negative things in David’s past, like in all of our lives, but David understood this principle. Dwelling on your defeats, your failures, your hurts causes you to stay stuck in a rut. He chose instead to dwell on his victories. He not only overcame that obstacle but many others, and he became everything that God created him to be.
You may be up against a giant today. The way you are going to overcome is just like David—not going around thinking, «This is impossible. It is never going to work out.» No—all through the day, start remembering your victories. Go over your memorial stones.
«Lord, I remember that time when all the odds were against me, but You made a way. God, I remember how You protected me, blessed me, promoted me, vindicated me, made my wrongs right.» Recall your victories. Remembering the good things God has done—that is what helps you to stay strong.
Celebrating God’s Faithfulness
It would do us all good on a regular basis, just like God required the Israelites, to go back over one by one the major victories in our life, the major successes. Now you say, «Joel, I do not have anything big like you. God did not heal my family member of cancer. I did not get a big facility.» Maybe not, but God has done something great for every one of us.
Remember the day your child was born healthy—that was the goodness of God, that was a miracle. Remember when God gave you that job—that was His hand of favor. Remember when God spared your life from that accident—another split second and you would have been harmed—that was His angels watching over you. Remember that person God brought into your life. You fell in love and got married—that was not a coincidence, that was the goodness of God.
Keep your memorial stones out. Go over them on a regular basis. I really believe some of you, if you would spend the same amount of time dwelling on your victories as you do your disappointments, you would see your life go to new levels. I love how in the Old Testament they celebrated their victories every year. They had a party—singing, dancing, a festival.
Imagine somebody comes over to your house, you are having a big party, the music is going, everybody is having fun, and they ask you, «What kind of party is this? Wedding party, birthday party, Super Bowl party?» You tell them, «No, we are celebrating what God has done. Five years ago, God spared my life from an accident. Or ten years ago, I got free from this addiction—we are celebrating me being sober for ten years. Or maybe 31 years ago, God healed my mother of cancer—we are taking time to thank God for the great things He has done.»
When you develop this habit of remembering the good, it not only affects your personality, how you carry yourself, your attitude, but it will affect the way you pray. It will not be, «God, please, I need healing. God, I am sick. I need a miracle. God, You have got to bless me.» No—you will say, «Lord, I want to thank You for how You have taken care of me through the years. And God, I know if You did it once, I just want to thank You in advance that You will do it again.»
The Danger of Forgetting
If you are just praying for your needs—"God, I need this, I need that"—you will probably end up discouraged. But when you thank God for what He has already done, when you remember your victories—how He has promoted you, protected you, healed you—by the time you are done praying, you will be all fired up. You will be strong. You will be confident. You will know that answer is on the way.
Think about the Israelites. God supernaturally brought them out of slavery. God sent plague after plague on their enemies. They were living next door, but none of those plagues ever affected them. They came to a dead end at the Red Sea—it looked like it was over. Pharaoh and the army changed their mind, coming after them—and you know the story: God supernaturally parted the sea, and they went through on dry ground. God gave them water out of a rock. He brought them food out in the desert.
They had seen again and again God’s incredible miracles. Yet in spite of all of this, they never made it into the Promised Land. Psalm 78 tells us one reason why: «They forgot about all the amazing miracles God had done for them and their ancestors.» When you forget what you should be remembering, it can keep you out of your Promised Land. They got discouraged, started complaining.
Here is the key: they had seen God do the impossible again and again, but because they forgot about it, they got worried, negative, afraid, and they missed out on God’s best. Are you forgetting what God has done in your life? Have you let something that was once a miracle become ordinary—it does not excite you anymore, you do not thank God for it?
No—when you look back over your life, remember what it took to get you to where you are: big things and even little things. The next time you are tempted to think, «My problem is too big, Joel. I will never accomplish my dreams,» no—go back and remember all the Red Seas God has parted for you. Remember all the enemies God has defeated for you. Remember the times God has shown you favor, shown you mercy, and restored you.
Every one of us can look back and see the hand of God in our life. Just like the Israelites, you can say, «God has opened doors for me that should have never opened on their own. God has helped me accomplish what I could have never accomplished on my own. God has brought me through difficulties that at one time seemed totally impossible.» If we are going to stay encouraged and step into the new doors and see God turn the negative around, one of the keys is you cannot forget what God has already done.
Passing Down Stories of God’s Goodness
In fact, the Scripture says we should tell our children and our grandchildren. We should pass down stories of God’s goodness. That is why I never get tired of telling how God gave us this beautiful facility, how God healed my mother of cancer, and how God gave me the courage and ability to step up and pastor the church. I am not bragging on me—I am bragging on what God has done.
I can say with David—so can you—"Where would we be without the goodness of God?» Do not keep it to yourself. Tell your children, your grandchildren. How many times did I hear my father tell his story? How he was coming home from a nightclub, two o’clock in the morning, 17 years of age, no purpose, no direction in life. He looked up at the stars and began to think about his life and his eternal destiny.
He walked in his house—on the table in the den was the family Bible, just there for decoration. His family knew nothing about God; they were not religious people. My father felt drawn to it, went over and opened it, and it just so happened it fell open to a picture of Jesus standing at a door and knocking. The caption read, «If you open the door, I will come in.» My father did not understand religion or theology, but he could understand opening a door. The next day, he went to church with a friend and gave his life to Christ.
Without that night, we would not be sitting here today. It was not a coincidence—it was the mercy of God. Do not forget what it took to get you to where you are. You did not get here just in your own strength, your own education, your own talent. There were a lot of miracles along the way—not only in your life but in the people that came before you, the people that raised you.
If you will look closely, you will see God’s goodness all through your family line. You should not only remember it but tell it to your children, your grandchildren—pass it down to the next generation. I have learned the more you brag on God’s goodness, the more of His goodness you will see.
The Staff as a Record of Victories
It is interesting—in the Old Testament, we hear a lot about the staff that people would carry around with them. It was not just a walking stick, not just something to keep wild animals away—it was more significant than that. Back in those days, they were a nomadic people. That meant they were always on the move, and of course, they did not have computers, files, paper like we have today.
One of the main ways they kept important records, important dates, was to etch it on their staff. That was their personal record: «On this date, we defeated the Amalekites. On this date, my son was born. On this date, God brought water out of a rock.» Their staff was literally their personal record of their history with God.
When Moses parted the Red Sea, what did he do? He held up his staff. He was saying in effect, «Lord, we thank You for all the things You have done in our past. Lord, we remember how You have delivered us time and time again.» They were remembering the great things God had done.
Even David, when he went out to face Goliath, he did not just take his slingshot—the Scripture says he took his staff. No doubt he had etched on it, «On this date, I killed a bear with my own hands. On this date, I killed a lion. On this date, the prophet Samuel anointed me the next king of Israel.» I can imagine just before he fought Goliath, he ran back over and looked at his staff one more time, read over it, just to give him that final boost. Then he went out knowing, «God, You did it for me back then. I know You will do it for me again.»
Some of you today need to get your staff out. You are up against a big challenge—your dreams look impossible. Instead of going around thinking, «It is never going to work out,» no—start dwelling on your victories. Start thinking about the times you have killed the lion and the bear in your own life, so to speak. Recall all the times God has promoted you, put you at the right place, healed a family member, made a way when you did not see a way.
Do not forget about what God has done. On a regular basis, go back over your memorial stones. That is the equivalent of holding your staff up. When those negative memories come back up—and they come to all of us: hurts, failures, disappointments—the trick of the enemy is to keep you so focused on that that you get stuck in a rut.
No—remember, that is not the only channel. Get your remote control out and switch over to your victory channel. Get your mind going in the right direction, and your life will go in the right direction. If you will develop this habit of remembering the good—your accomplishments, your victories, the times God has brought you through—then you will have the faith, the courage, and the confidence to step into the amazing future God has in store.
Now I believe and declare, just like David, you will defeat every enemy, you will overcome every obstacle, and you will become everything God has created you to be. Amen?