On radio this morning, Joel Osteen joined Glenn in studio to talk about his new book, Break Out!: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life. In the midst of the chaotic times we live in, Glenn and Joel discussed how small, positive changes will ultimately change people’s lives for the better.
“Joel Osteen is a highly controversial Christian because he tries to, I think, boil things down to really, really simple things to get people to understand that your life can be a lot better than it is today,” Glenn said. “But I appreciate his message. And I think he is a rock star for the Lord.”
Glenn explained that he was at a dinner the other night with a group of powerful people, who turned out to be some of the most depressing dinner company because they are so discouraged. Glenn described that they feel like “they have had the stuffing kicked out of them” because they do not believe they have the ability to make a difference any longer.
“And I said to them, ‘That's good. This is good news.’ And they said, ‘What? Are you crazy? And I said, ‘No. Because now you have surrendered. Now you know there is nothing that you can do.’ As a recovering alcoholic, once you surrender, your life is about to change.”
“That's so good,” Joel said. “Sometimes when you do it on your own, you don't need God's help. And then you come to the point and you say, ‘You know what, I can't do it without his help.”
“There are a lot of things in life pushing people down. That's probably an understatement. I really believe that you got to get up each day and fight that discouragement. It's easy to get bitter and lose your drive like you said, but I believe when you get up in the morning, you got to find something to be grateful for,” Joel explained. “I believe how you start the day, many times will determine what kind of day it's going to be... And you get up and you say, ‘God, I want to thank you for this day. It's a gift that you have given me. I believe I'm a person of purpose and destiny.’ Find something you are thankful for: healthy kids, roof over your head, I think that helps to start the day off on the right way.”
The message of Joel’s new book follows a similar theme – encouraging people to no loner settle for “good enough” and instead seek a more fulfilled life.
“I think the premise, again, there's so many things pushing us down in life. That book is filled with faith and encouragement. And the real message of the book: It's easy to get stuck and think ‘this is good enough,’” Joel said. “So, the book is about, take the limits off yourself, take the limits off of God. Believe there are good days ahead. It's simple things that we all know, but it just inspires people to rise up and not settle where we are. The Bible even talks about stepping into the fullness of your destiny, and I've been blessed but I think God wants us to continue to go further.”
“People, you know, I think people are just getting beaten down. All over the country, people are getting beaten down and think we're on the verge of something really good if we choose it,” Glenn concluded. “The name of the book is Break Out!: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life. If you have never read any of Joel's books, i'm sure you have seen them, but if you haven't, start here. Break Out!, available in book stores everywhere.”
Watch the entire interview below: