Joel Osteen - You Are a No Lack Person (06/22/2018)
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Joel Osteen teaches that believers are «no-lack people» because God has placed in them everything needed to fulfill their destiny, using examples from Israel’s exodus, David’s victory over Goliath, and personal stories to urge changing self-image from lack to abundance, seeing adversities as temporary and light, and living in victory.
God Equipped You Fully
I want to talk to you today about how you are a no-lack person. When God created you He put in you everything you need to fulfill your destiny. You have the talent, the creativity, the ideas. You are full of discipline, focus, self-control. You have strength, determination, resolve. The Creator of the universe has crowned you with His favor.
If you are going to live a victorious life you have to see yourself as a no-lack person. How you see yourself will determine what kind of life you live. If you go around thinking, «I will never get out of debt. I will never have enough,» what you are really saying is, «I am lacking talent. I am lacking ability.» Or, «I will never lose this weight. I will never break this bad habit.» You are saying, «I am lacking discipline. I am lacking self-control. I do not have enough.» If you see yourself lacking it will set the limits for your life.
Psalm 34:10 says, «Those who trust in the Lord will never lack any good thing.» Deep down you have to know that you know because you trust in the Lord you are a no-lack person. Almighty God breathed His life into you. He has already equipped and empowered you. You may have difficulties but it is not a surprise to God. That dream is not too big. You have the talent, the strength, the determination, the focus. You are well able to fulfill your destiny.
Change Your Self-Image
It is so important how you see yourself. You may be dealing with a sickness but understand you are not a sick person trying to get well. You are a well person fighting off sickness. Health is your normal state. You may be struggling in your finances but you are not a poor person trying to get ahead. You are a successful person fighting off poverty. Abundance is your normal state. You may be struggling with an addiction. You have had it many years. Do not see yourself as an addict. Do not let that image become ingrained on the inside. You are not an addicted person trying to get free. You are a free person fighting off an addiction. Freedom is your normal state.
Let me tell you, God did not make anyone addicted, insecure, depressed, mediocre. That is not who you are. God made you as a masterpiece. Get a new image. Start seeing yourself strong, healthy, accomplishing your dreams, living His abundant life.
Leaving Slavery Loaded
This is what the people of Israel had to do. They had spent years in slavery being mistreated. All they had known was struggle, lack, oppression, defeat. But when God brought them out, as they were leaving, God caused their captors to give them their gold, their silver, their jewels. They did not leave empty-handed. They left loaded down.
What was God doing? Why did He want them to leave with all this treasure? They were going out into the wilderness. There was no place to spend it out there, no grocery stores, no malls. God was wanting to develop a new image on the inside. God had these parents to put the gold and the silver on their little children.
These children, all they had ever seen was defeat. It was ingrained in their thinking, «We are poor. We are second class. We will never have enough.» One by one the parents would call their little daughter over and put a beautiful gold necklace around her neck. The little girl would brighten up. A new sparkle would come into her eye. She would see herself valuable, important, like a queen. The parents would call their little boy over and put a gold ring on his finger. The little boy would stare at that ring in amazement.
A New Mindset for the Next Generation
I can imagine for the first time these children put their shoulders back. They stood up tall, carried themselves with a new confidence, a new sense of value. They had been pushed down for years and years, told they would never amount to anything. But now that image was beginning to change. They got rid of a slave mentality, a barely get by mindset and they started seeing themselves as the head and not the tail, as above and not beneath.
What is interesting is these parents, they never did make it into their Promised Land. They thought their giants were too big. They did not think they could overcome their obstacles. But these children, the ones that had a different mindset, the ones that knew they were no-lack people destined to do great things, they were the ones that went into the Promised Land.
Some of you today, if you would just change the way you see yourself you would rise to a new level. Maybe like them you come from a family of struggle, lack, addictions, depression. All you have seen modeled growing up was mediocrity. But if you could just change that image and start seeing yourself as a no-lack person, strong, valuable, confident, talented, successful, then like these children, because you have an image of victory, an image of abundance, God will take you places that you have never dreamed of. I have learned you will never rise any higher than the image you have of yourself. Start seeing yourself as a no-lack person.
You Have What It Takes
When I was a little boy my father went out and bought a brand new car. We were so excited. We could not wait for him to get home so we could see it. We were all standing at the end of the driveway looking down the road, waiting for my father. We finally saw him driving up in this new car. As little kids we all jumped in the car. We «oohed» and «aahed.» My dad drove us around the neighborhood. Daddy was so proud of this new car. He was just beaming with joy.
Later that night my father was watching television and a commercial for a car came on the screen but the camera only showed very tight shots so you did not know what kind of car it was advertising. It showed a close-up of the engine, talked about how it had the most powerful, efficient engine made. Showed a close-up of the shocks, the suspension, talked about how it had the latest, greatest shocks, a smoother ride than any other car. The more my father watched the more depressed he got. He thought, «I bought the wrong stinking car. This car can run circles around my car.»
Just when he was about to get sick to his stomach the camera pulled out wide and the car they were advertising was the exact car my father had just bought. It was sitting in our driveway.
What is my point? Sometimes we do not realize what we have. You are not average. You are not ordinary. Your Maker is the Creator of the universe. He did not give you a weak engine, a cheap transmission, a rough suspension, a second-class paint job. He put in you everything you need to perform at your highest level. You have the talent, the looks, the determination, the favor to overcome any obstacle, to accomplish every God-given dream. Now do not be like my father and not realize what you have.
Run Toward Your Giants
You are not lacking. You are not limited. You have everything you need to live an overcoming life, a blessed, prosperous, faith-filled, abundant life. And yes, you may have some obstacles in your path but the good news is the power that is for you is greater than any power that is trying to stop you. Now we have got to rise up and say, «I am not settling here. I know who I am—a child of the Most High God. I am going to become everything that God has created me to be.»
This is what David did. When he saw Goliath taunting the people of Israel something rose up on the inside and said, «David, this is your time. You were born to defeat Goliath.» He heard his destiny calling out. But David could have thought of a thousand reasons why he could not fight Goliath. «God, I am lacking the experience. I do not have the military training that Goliath does. God, I am lacking the size. He is four feet taller than me. God, I am lacking the equipment. He has got a full set of armor, a big shield, a big sword.»
David could have talked himself out of it and missed his destiny. No, David understood this principle. He had the right image on the inside. He is the one that said, «The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.» He was saying in effect, «I know I am a no-lack person.» Even though Goliath was much bigger, in the natural he did not have a chance, yet the scripture says, «David ran toward Goliath.» Most of us would have said, «Alright, God. I will do it. But give me a couple weeks to think about it.» «God, let me come up with a strategy at least to sneak up on him and surprise him.»
No, when you really understand you are a no-lack person and the greatest power in the universe is backing you up you will not run from your enemies—you will run to your enemies. In other words, you will not run away from college thinking it is too hard. You will run to it knowing that you are well able. You will not run away from that management position thinking you are not qualified. You will run to it knowing that you are equipped.
David’s Victory Promotes Him
This is what David did. He ran toward Goliath. I can imagine the other soldiers were thinking, «Where is David going in such a hurry? What is the big rush?» They see David running straight toward Goliath. They think, «Boy, David has lost his mind. He has been watching too much Hawaii 5-0. He is going to get crushed.» No, when you dare take steps of faith and you do what you know God is asking you to do you do not go in your own strength. You do not go by yourself. The Creator of the universe is right there beside you.
When Goliath saw how small David was he began to laugh. He said, «Am I a dog that you would come at me with a stick?» David said, «That is fine, Goliath. You can laugh now but you are not going to be laughing in a moment. I am going to feed your head to the birds of the air.» This young teenager boy, David, with no experience defeated this huge giant named Goliath.
Maybe today, like David, you are up against some big obstacles: a legal battle, financial difficulty, an addiction, a sickness. It looks so much bigger, so much more powerful. In the natural you do not have a chance. But you have got to do like David and remind yourself that you are a no-lack person. You have the talent, the wisdom, the favor, the determination to take down any enemy.
Adversities Are Light and Temporary
When you make a move and say, «No, this battle is not going to defeat me. This sickness is not going to steal my joy.» When you run toward the enemy Almighty God will be right there to make a way where it looks like there is no way. He will help you accomplish what you could not accomplish on your own.
Now in the tough times do not have a weak, defeated mentality. Be a warrior. You have been armed with strength for every battle. The size of your battle is an indication of the size of your future. If you have a big problem do not get all upset. That just means you have a big future. You know what made David king? Goliath. Goliath was strategically placed in David’s path not to defeat him but to promote him.
Quit saying, «I cannot take this anymore. It is just too hard. I do not know how I am going to make it.» No, instead of falling apart, do like Clint Eastwood—when you face difficulties, «Go ahead. Make my day.» «I know what is on the other side of this is promotion, increase, new levels of God’s favor.»
Listen to how Paul put it, «I am ready for and equal to anything through Christ who infuses strength into me.» That should be our attitude. Anything that comes our way, «I am ready for it. I am up to it.» Any dream God puts in your heart, it may look impossible but you are equal to it. There is no obstacle too big for you, no dream too great.
A Warrior’s Attitude
Get this down in your spirit. You are a no-lack person. Victory is in your DNA. You have the genes of a winner. Almighty God has infused strength, talent, value, confidence into each one of you.
I have a friend that is taking chemotherapy for the third time. He has lost most of his hair and he is a little bit thinner but he is not a complainer. He is a warrior. His attitude is, «This sickness is not going to get the best of me. I am ready for and equal to anything that comes my way.» I love his attitude. It says in Corinthians, «These light afflictions are but for a moment.» Every adversity we face we should see it as only being light.
Now it may not feel light. It may have been a big disappointment, a major setback, but when you look that trouble in the eye and by faith say, «Hey, it is no big deal. That person leaving me, that person that did me wrong, is not going to ruin the rest of my life. It is only a light affliction.» When you do that all of heaven comes to attention.
Nothing Is Permanent
Because most people get down, discouraged, they live with a chip on their shoulder. But when you shake it off and say, «No big deal. It is just a bump in the road. I know God still has something awesome in my future,» then like David you will not only come out but you will come out promoted. You will come out better off than you were before.
See every adversity as being light. And then number two, see it as being temporary. The scripture says, «It is but for a moment.» You may have had that same addiction for the last 20 years. But do not make the mistake of accepting it as the way it is always going to be. When you get used to it you quit stretching. You quit trying to change and that is what keeps us from God’s best.
I know this couple. They were believing to buy a new house. They found one that they really liked but for some reason the financing did not go through and they got turned down. This happened three different times. Each time it was something very odd but it stopped the whole deal. They had been in their apartment year after year. They have three children. They were tempted to think, «It is never going to change. What is the use of even trying? This is just our lot in life.» No, deep down they knew that it was only temporary. They stayed in faith.
Last week they brought me a picture of their brand new beautiful home that they just moved into. They said, «Joel, this is God doing more than we could ever ask or think.» Along the way you may hit some setbacks but do not believe the lies that are telling you, «It is never going to change. You are never going to get the house you want. You are never going to get well. Never going to see that breakthrough.» No, every day remind yourself, «It is only temporary. It is not going to last forever.»
From Welfare to Principal
In fact, there is a scripture that says, «The things that we see are subject to change.» You may have been turned down a dozen times but the good news is it is subject to change. God is still on the throne. The next time you apply could be the time it all works out. The next time you resist and do not give in to that addiction could be the time you break totally free. The next person you meet could be the person of your dreams. Keep believing. It is not permanent.
It is interesting. In the scripture many times when Jesus prayed for people He asked how long they had been that way. He said to the man, he was crippled, laying at the pool of Bethesda, «How long have you been here?» The man replied, «Thirty-eight years.» Jesus asked a woman that was all bent over how long she had been sick. She replied, «Eighteen years.» These parents brought their grown son to Jesus. He was blind. Jesus said, «How long has your son not been able to see?» They said, «Since his birth.»
Why was Jesus so interested in the length of time? Why did He not just heal them and move on? It is because Jesus wanted us to see how nothing is permanent. He wanted it to be forever recorded for generations to come so that we would know it is never too late.
Breaking the Cycle
You may be facing situations right now that have been the same way year after year. It looks like it is never going to change. No, God is saying, «I can still turn it around. I can still bring that dream to pass. I can still bring the right people across your path. I can still heal your body, restore the relationship.»
I know a young lady that got off to a rough start in life. She came from a very dysfunctional family. All she had ever seen was poverty, addictions, and depression. At sixteen years old she had a baby and had to drop out of high school. It looked like that same negative cycle in her family was permanent; it would continue on for another generation. She found a little place to live and try to raise her son. But she did not have any money, any family supporting her.
She ended up on welfare. Barely making it. Living in poverty. She would attend our services here at Lakewood each week and she would hear again and again how you have seeds of greatness on the inside, how you have the DNA of a winner and where you are is not where you have to stay. She began to change the way she saw herself. She created an image of success, an image of victory and those seeds of greatness began to take root.
She did not just sit back and accept the status quo. She went out and got a job at a local high school cafeteria punching lunch tickets, making minimum wage. She was not satisfied. She went back to school and got her G.E.D. She still was not satisfied. She decided to go to college. She would work during the day and go to college at night and in four years she graduated from college with honors. She still was not satisfied. She went back to college and got her master’s degree. Today she is not on welfare anymore. She is the principal at the same school where she started off working in the cafeteria punching those lunch tickets.
Speak Abundance, Not Lack
What happened? She saw that poverty, lack, mediocrity, not as permanent but only temporary. Like David, she ran toward the enemy. She rose up in faith and Almighty God breathed in her direction. I love what she says, «I used to be on welfare but now I am fair and well.» Have a big vision for your life. Do not get stuck in a rut and accept that where you are is the way it is always going to be. Do like her: break out of your box. Believe that you can rise higher. God wants you to set a new standard for your family. But too many people have a narrow, limited vision.
I was at the mall years ago with a friend of mine and every other word he would say, «I cannot afford it.» We were looking at some sporting good equipment and he said, «I cannot afford it.» Looked at tennis shoes, «I cannot afford it.» Looked at this shirt, «I cannot afford it.» I finally said, «If you keep saying that you are never going to be able to afford anything.» He was setting the limits for his life with his own thinking.
The truth is I could not afford half the stuff we were looking at either, but I have learned you do not have to announce it to the world. If you are going to use that phrase at least follow it up with two simple words, «I cannot afford it right now.» In other words, «It is just a matter of time. I know I am a no-lack person.» «At some point I will come into my abundance.»
Be careful what comes out of your mouth. Do not go around talking about how high prices are and how you are never going to make it. If you talk lack you are going to have lack. The right attitude is, «Prices may be high but God always supplies my needs.» «Business may be a little off but I am not going under. I am going over. God always causes me to triumph.» Have that report of victory.
A Bigger Vision
I had this young couple one time. They asked me if I would pray that this furniture that they liked would go on sale. They had been watching it a long time and they knew if it went on sale they would be able to buy it. After I thought about it a moment I said, «Instead of praying that it will go on sale I would rather pray that God will bless you in such a way that even if it does not go on sale you will still be able to buy it.»
See, God owns it all. It is not about us trying to make things come down so we can afford it. It is about us believing to come up higher to where we are supposed to be. The same God that can cause it to go on sale can bless you in such a way that you do not have to sit around and wait for some kind of discount. I am all for getting good deals and getting things on sale but do not have a cheap, narrow vision. That will limit what God can do in your life.
When I was eight years old I went to a department store with my father where he was buying a suit. The man waiting on us found out that my dad was a minister. And he said in a very demeaning way, like we were second-class, «Well, you know. If you cannot afford it we can give you a minister’s discount.» Well, my father was raised in extreme poverty. He came out of the Great Depression. They did not have enough food to eat growing up. Daddy had to put cardboard in his shoes as a little boy because they had holes in them.
When this man said, sarcastically, «We can give you this discount,» it rubbed my father the wrong way. I could see it in his eyes. Daddy thought to himself, «I am not a beggar. I do not need a handout. I am a child of the Most High God.» It was not out of arrogance. It was not out of pride but more out of a confidence of who he was and who he represented. He looked at that salesman in the eyes and he said, «No, sir. I do not take a minister’s discount. Do you know who my Father is?»
The God of More Than Enough
That man stepped back like daddy came from some kind of influential, well-to-do family. He did not know daddy was not talking about his earthly father. He was talking about his Heavenly Father. He was saying in effect, «This is a new day. I have stepped out of poverty and lack. The God I serve does not need a discount. He is well able to take care of me. He is El Shaddai: the God who is more than enough.»
Friends, God does not want you to be dependent on a handout, a discount, a blue light special, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, leftover bread—hoping that things will come down so you will be able to afford it. That is not who you are. Have a bigger vision. God has an abundance in front of each one of you. He is the God of more than enough. You may not be there just yet but what I am asking you to do is to not settle where you are.
It says in Deuteronomy that God gives you the power to get wealth. There are seeds in you right now that can bring an abundance: gifts, talents, skills, ideas, creativity, favor. God did not leave anybody out. You have got to remind yourself you are a no-lack person. You are blessed. You are prosperous. You are well able. And yes, you may be having to have some kind of assistance right now but if you will have this attitude before long instead of taking a handout you will be giving a handout. Instead of borrowing you will be the lender.
Now I know today I am looking at no-lack people. You are full of talent, creativity, courage, strength, ability. You have been anointed, accepted and approved by the Creator of the universe. Now get up every morning and remind yourself, «I am a no-lack person.» See yourself strong, healthy, accomplishing your dreams, living the abundant life.
Keep the right image in front of you. When you face difficulties, remember, you are ready for and equal to anything that comes your way. It is temporary. It is light. Almighty God has infused strength into each one of you. If you will see yourself as this no-lack person, then like David, you will defeat every giant. You will overcome every obstacle, you will accomplish every God-given dream. I believe and declare you are going to live that life of abundance that God has in store. Amen?