Joel Osteen - Live To Give

Watch
Audio
Donate
Contact Us

TOPICS: Generosity, Your Best Life Now

Many people right now are praying for a miracle. They're saying, "God, please send me a friend, God, I need help with these kids, God, I need a good break". You can become the miracle they need. I'm Joel Osteen. I have good news. You're a miracle waiting to happen, no matter where you are or what challenges you're facing, you can start living Your Best Life Now.

It's easy to go through life focused on ourselves, our goals, our dreams, our problems, our challenges, but I've learned, if you will become a miracle, God will always take care of you. You can be the answer to someone else's prayer. God has no arms to hug except your arms, no voice to encourage except your voice, no legs to do good deeds except your legs. God will put people in our path so we can become the answer to their prayer. You may not realize it, but you're a miracle waiting to happen. Somebody you know is lonely. They're praying for a friend. You can be the miracle they're waiting for.

Somebody got a bad medical report. They're worried, praying, "God, please give me a sign, let me know you're still in control". You are that sign. A simple phone call, I'm thinking of you, it's going to work out, you just became the miracle. Somebody is discouraged, saying, "God, I need help understanding this subject, I'm not gonna pass this course. God, send me somebody". You are that somebody. Take time to become a miracle. Be aware of who's in your life. They're not there by accident. God put them there on purpose. He's counting on you to make a difference. You are full of miracles. There is healing in you, there is restoration, there's friendship, there's favor, there's new beginnings, and life is so much more exciting when you realize, I can become a miracle today. I can be the answer to someone else's prayer.

My brother, Paul, has done a lot of medical work in Africa. He spent months doing surgeries in a remote village, hundreds of miles from the nearest city. The clinic is a little building, barely has electricity, minimal medical supplies, only one doctor. One night, while he was there, a young man came in, in the middle of the night, that had been gored by an elephant tusk, gone right through his midsection. Paul took him back to the operating room, to try to save his life. The problem was, there was no blood in the blood supply to replenish him. Paul could've thought, too bad, I'd love to help, but you're gonna need several pints of blood, and it's not here, but before Paul did the surgery, he took 30 minutes and gave his own blood. He operated on the young man, then replenished the blood he'd lost with his own blood. What was Paul doing? Becoming a miracle.

He could've prayed, "God, he's in bad shape. He really needs a miracle". Paul realized, I am his miracle. And we all know that God can do great things. We know He can do miracles, but what I want us to understand is He's put miracles in you. You can be the answer to somebody's prayer. You can be the good break they need. You can be the help they've been longing for. It may not be something dynamic like saving their life like Paul did. It may just be teaching that co-worker the skills you know, helping a family struggling with their rent, taking that young man that doesn't have a father figure to baseball practice with your son each week. It's no big deal to you, but it's a miracle to them. It's what will push them into their destiny. What kind of world would this be if we all had the attitude, I'm a miracle waiting to happen? Look around at who's in your life. Listen to what they're saying. Be sensitive to their needs. Is there a way you can help? This is the mindset of someone who lives to give.

I have a friend that grew up in the projects, very poor. He was from a single parent family, not a lot of stability in his home. His dream was to become a television journalist. He loved to read and write. Against all odds, he received a scholarship to a major university. He's African-American. He went to an all-white school. His roommate came from a wealthy, prestigious family. Here, he'd come from a single parent low-income family, just the opposite. But these two young men hit it off and became the best of friends. He told his roommate his dream to become a journalist. His roommate said, "If you're going to be a journalist, you have to have a better vocabulary". Every day, his roommate would get the dictionary out, and pick out a word. All day, he'd have to use that word. This went on for four straight years. What was this roommate doing? Becoming a miracle. He took time to care. He realized his friend was in his life for a reason.

Today, that young man is one of the top television journalists in the country, working for a major network, on one of the most prestigious news programs, but I wonder where he would be if his roommate hadn't taken time to become a miracle. You may be thinking, "Joel, I don't wanna hear about being a miracle. I need a miracle". Here's the key. When you become a miracle, God will always make sure you have your miracle. I call it the boomerang effect. If you want your dreams to come to pass, help somebody else's dream come to pass. If you need a miracle, become someone's miracle. That's what the Scripture says. "He who refreshes others, himself will be refreshed". Like a boomerang, when you help others rise higher, it comes back to you, and you'll rise higher. There are people God has put in your life that are connected to your destiny. When you take time to invest in them, those seeds you're sowing will always come back to you. That's what happens when we live to give.

I saw a story on the news about a young lady named Megan. She was a junior in high school, and a star long-distance runner on the track team. At the state final, she'd already won first place in the 1600 meter race. Now, she was competing in the 3200 meter. As she came around the final curve, with about 50 meters to go, she saw the girl in front of her slow down, and start to wobble. Her knees began to buckle, finally, she fell to the ground right in front of Megan. What happened next made news around the world. Instead of blowing past her, Megan stopped running, went to this girl that she had never met, picked her up off the ground, and began to carry her, arm over shoulder, toward the finish line. The people in the stands began to cheer. There wasn't a dry eye in the place.

When Megan reached the finish line, she even turned so her opponent would cross the line in front of her. Technically, both girls should've been disqualified, because you're not allowed to touch another runner, but the state made an exception, and gave them both a finishing time. Megan said later, "Helping her across the finish line was more satisfying than me winning the state championship".
Like Megan, you can help someone across the finish line. You can be that one that breathes new life into their spirit.

Jesus told a parable about a man that was traveling down a dusty road when he was attacked and beaten by bandits. They left him on the ground, almost dead, and in a little while, a priest came by, he saw the man, looked at him from a distance, and thought, "Boy, he needs a miracle. He's in bad shape, I'll pray for him". He kept on going. Another man came by, a Levite. He did a little better. He went over to him, looked at him, checked the man out, he felt badly for him, and thought, "This is really unfair, I hope somebody helps him", went on down the road. A third man came by, a Samaritan. Like the first two, he thought, boy, he needs a miracle, but he took it one step further and said, "you know what? I am his miracle. I'm at the right place at the right time. God has put him in my path so I can be a healer, so I can be a restorer, so I can give him a new beginning".

He immediately went to the man, got down on his knees, and began to care for him. He gave him water from his canteen, and took his scarf off and wrapped it around his wounds. He gently lifted him and put him on his animal. He held him, as they walked miles and miles to the next city. He went to the inn, the hotel, and paid the owner for two nights' stay. He said, "You take care of him, give him anything he needs, let him stay as long as he wants. I'll be back in a few days, and I'll pay for any extra charges".

My question is, which man are you? It's easy to get too busy and think, "I've got enough problems of my own. I don't have time to help others". No, helping others could be the key to seeing your situation turn around. Those people you see that need encouragement, need a ride, need you to give blood, need help accomplishing their dreams, those are opportunities for you to go to a new level. It's interesting that the first example Jesus used was a priest. He didn't stop, he had to get to the temple. He had religious duties to fulfill, didn't have time to bother with this man. He had a lot of excuses. Can I tell you, true religion gets dirty? True religion doesn't hide behind stained glass and fancy clothes. It goes to where the needs are.

When you get down low to lift someone up, in God's eyes, you can never get any higher. Helping hurting people is the closest thing to the heart of God. When you take time to restore the broken, you pour healing oil onto the wounds, encouraging them, wiping away their tears, letting them know that there are new beginnings, that's the religion Jesus talked about. True religion doesn't judge people to see if they deserve help. "Well, she's hurting, but I don't think she's living right. Well, he's in need, but it's his own fault. He's got the addiction, they brought the trouble on themselves". Jesus said, "It's the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy". He didn't call us to judge people. He called us to heal people, to restore them, to become their miracle. Anybody can throw stones. Anybody can find fault, be critical, come up with excuses to walk away. That's easy. But where are the people that will overlook their shortcomings? Where are the people that will take time to care, people that will get down and dirty to help love them back into wholeness?

The Good Samaritan immediately went to the man, and started making a difference. He didn't think twice. He became a miracle. That's the kind of people we should be, not passerbyers, not too busy in our own career, too busy with our church work. No, let's become the miracle. God is counting on you. You can lift the fallen, you can heal the hurting, you can be a friend to the lonely. You can help that dream come to pass. You are full of miracle. And here's the thing. You never know what kind of miracle you're setting into motion. One act of generosity can change one life one day, and a thousand more a decades later. That's what happened in the case of my friend, Lex Edme. Here's his story.

Lex Edme: When I was a kid, I was grow up into a really poor family. We lived in very small mud house. My mom always got up at three o'clock in the morning. She go out to find food, and sometimes she never find anything. The missionary came to our town. She tool my picture and she went to America, looking for a sponsor for me. Only thing I knew - she was from Michigan. She sent money through this ministry to pay for my education. I became a teacher, and for five years I taught in Haiti, and I went to America to find a better life. I went to work one night, I heard a voice that said, "Lex, I want you to go back to Haiti to do exactly what my sponsor, from Michigan, did for me".

Joel Osteen: Lex heard the voice of God and obeyed. He returned to Haiti with his wife Renee, and began his mission, a Mission of Hope.

Renee Edme: We started out with a school and a church plant. The school, we signed up 365 kids for preschool through grade three, and each year that we were here, we added a grade to it, until we got all the way through high school.

Lex Edme: Today, we have pastors, doctors, engineers. 100% of our students past the national exam. It is spectacular for us. We support our students to go to college. Most of the people who work in our school right now are students, who graduated from high school, went to college, and came back to work for Mission of Hope.

Madona Edme: When I was in Mission of Hope school, I got a sponsor who helped me with my school scholarship, and after that my sponsor still helped me with the nursing school. Now I'm working like a nurse and missionary coordinator.

Renee Edme: We now have a medical clinic, a dental clinic, evangelical radio station. We have feeding programs in the schools. We do outreaches, we do mobile clinics, and we've done a lot of construction.

Jephte Edme: Mission of Hope is creating economic impact in the community. Mission of Hope have three organizations in Grand Goave and give out more than 400 jobs.

Lex Edme: We create job opportunity. We lay bricks for people build housing here. We work with people trained in agriculture. We make our own garden just to feed the children. We feed over 1000 children every single day, because one person changed my life.

Renee Edme: The sponsor that sent money for my husband to go to school, we don't know who she was, and to think of the impact that she made in his life, first of all, but now, in literally thousands of people's lives.

Lex Edme: And I just, I tell people, I'm just carrying on for her. I carry on for her and I will do it until the day my Jesus says, "It's time to go home".

Joel Osteen: Who would've imagined one lady's decision to sponsor a child in Haiti could result in an entire community being changed? Lex's obedience to do the same has generated over 400 jobs, created educational opportunities and a micro-economy in his own city? And because of their obedience, when Haiti was struck by an earthquake in 2010, Lex and Renee were prepared to help.

Madona Edme: After the earthquake, my house was destroyed. I spend three months living at Mission of Hope church. And they give us food, they give us clothes. Both me and my mom and my three sisters, we stayed there. And it was a lot of people stayed there.

Lex Edme: When the earthquake struck, the U.N. chose to have Mission of Hope as a partner to feed all of the Grand Goave area. We distributed over 600 thousand tons of food. We partnered with Samaritan's Purse. We build over 300 temporary housing for the community. We do mobile clinic. The U.S. Marines were stationed here, housing here at our mission base-here. I was so many people come to Christ after the earthquake.

Joel Osteen: One person's gift changed Lex's life. Now, he's changing the lives and destinies of an entire community. You may say, "Joel, I only have little bit to give, a little time, a little money. That little bit can't do much". Friend, it's not about how much. It's about choosing to live to give.

Lex Edme: It's hard to come back (knowing) the way the poverty is in this country. But when I remember what my sponsor did for me, I came back. you never know how far your gift will go. You never know how somebody's life can change, just like my life. when you give, you bless beyond as much as you ever imagine.

- Hi, Pastor Joel.
- I need some help.
- Dear Pastor Joel...
- I have a question for you.
- Pastor Joel...
- My anger sometimes gets the best of me.
- I don't know what to do.
- My stepson drives me nuts.
- I need some help.
- My marriage is falling apart and I wish we'd never married.
- How can I get my thoughts right?
- How do I know which direction God wants me to go?
- God isn't answering my prayers.
- Where's God when I'm struggling?
- Dear Pastor Joel...
- How do I choose...
- I don't understand what's going on.
- I can't get my life...
- Hey, Pastor Joel.
- My marriage is struggling.
- I don't know what to do.
- Do you even read these questions? All I know is, I want to start living my best life.
- Where do I start?
- But where do I start?

I get questions like this all the time. Week after week, people call in, write in, reach out to us on social media. So many people lived isolated lives, because they believe they have nothing to give. But every person young or old, has the power to make a profound difference in someone's life. In 1995, these baby twin girls were born prematurely. When they were several days old, the doctors discovered one of the babies had a severe heart problem and wasn't expected to live. The hospital's policy was to keep the babies in separate incubators. Several days passed, and this one baby continued to go downhill, and was very close to death. One of the nurses felt strongly that they should be in the incubator together, just like they were in their mother's womb. After much persuasion and hard work, she convinced the hospital to make an exception to the policy, and the little babies were placed in the same incubator, side by side.

Overnight, the healthy baby managed to put her arm around her little sick sister. Much to everyone's surprise, the sister started to improve. Her heart rate stabilized, her temperature came down to normal. Little by little, she got better and better. Today, they are both perfectly healthy young ladies. This miraculous moment caught the whole world's attention. It became known as The Rescuing Hug. You see her little arm around her sister. Here's my point. We don't see ourselves as powerful as we really are. God has put healing in you. Your hug can cause somebody else to get well. Your kind words can put someone else back on their feet. The Scripture says, "A gentle tongue brings healing". A phone call, taking them to dinner, giving them a ride, encouraging them in their dreams. There are miracles in you waiting to happen.

Some people just need to hear that you believe in them. When you tell them, "You're amazing, you're going to do great things, I'm praying for you", that seems simple to you, but to that other person, it's giving them life. That can help them blossom into who they were created to be. And it's great to receive a miracle, but there's no greater feeling than to become a miracle. Who can you be there for today? Who are you called to rescue? Your destiny is tied to helping others. Listen to this Scripture. "When you share your food with the hungry, when you clothe the naked, when you provide shelter to the needy, then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly come". If you will make it your business to become a miracle, then God will make it His business to give you miracles. When you live to give, you will never lack His blessing.

As I was thinking about living like this, I could only pray, "God, forgive me for the miracles that I've missed, the times I was too busy, too concerned about crossing the finish line, getting ahead. God, help us all to be sensitive to those around us". Friends, you are full of miracles. You can help a friend fulfill their dream. You can give a rescuing hug. You can teach a co-worker what you know. You can be that Good Samaritan. You are the answer to someone's prayer. You're the miracle they've been believing for. When you go out each day, have the attitude, I'm a miracle waiting to happen. And if you'll live not thinking about how you can get a miracle, but how you can become a miracle, I believe and declare your light will break forth, your healing will quickly come, you will rise higher, overcome obstacles and become everything you were created to be, in Jesus' name. Now go out and live Your Best Life Now.