Joel Osteen Quotes

Any of us can be happy and have a good attitude when everything is going our way. But I believe it's the real test of your character and of your faith to say, 'Things are not going our way, but I'm still being good to people; I'm still attending church; I still have a good attitude.'

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.

To me, it's always been a challenge to look for the light: to look for those spaces in your heart where there is hope and faith and try to embrace that rather than crush it. I've spent so many years trying to crush those feelings of hope, and I certainly succeeded for quite a while.

I faced quite a few challenging times, and in front of those, I was more positive than some people not facing those conditions. I'm actually of the belief now that it is that struggle that offers you that open-hearted hope.

I've had to learn to fight all my life - got to learn to keep smiling. If you smile things will work out.

My favorite phrase is, 'God only gives struggles to people who can overcome it.' I saw it in a book, and it helped me out so much.

Within all of us there is a storm. Some believe it will never end: but he who has faith in the heavens above will weather any storm.

We can choose to gather to our hearts the thorns of disappointment, failure, loneliness, and dismay in our present situation. Or we can gather the flowers of God's grace, boundless love, abiding presence, and unmatched joy. I choose to gather the flowers.

Through my handicaps, I have found my self, my work, my God.

It is silly not to hope, besides I believe it is a sin." The Old Man and the Sea

I always try to see the good in everything, and that gives me strength. Even when I lost in the London Olympics quarterfinals, I said to myself, 'Don't lose heart, God has his own plans.' Actually, life just goes on; you have to accept whatever challenge you face and become stronger.

Sometimes life has a way of putting us on our backs to force us to look up.

I know that in life there will be sickness, devastation, disappointments, heartache - it's a given. What's not a given is the way you choose to get through it all. If you look hard enough, you can always find the bright side.

You're going to go through tough times - that's life. But I say, 'Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.' See the positive in negative events.

Whatever you're going through in your life, don't ever give up.

Because of my faith and my imagination, I was able to enjoy my childhood, even though it was tough.

Never be discouraged. If I were sunk in the lowest pits of Nova Scotia, with the Rocky Mountains piled on me, I would hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I would come out on top.

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength. Thanks to the teachings of Buddha, I have been able to take this second way.

How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say you're a dead man? You go to work.

Failure sometimes enlarges the spirit. You have to fall back upon humanity and God.

There are so many beautiful things that are a part of the world, and I've always looked at life that way; I've always tried to put on a smile and a brave front, not just for my kids but in my own life and all the difficulties that I've gone through.

The secret is not to give up hope. It's very hard not to because if you're really doing something worthwhile I think you will be pushed to the brink of hopelessness before you come through the other side.

I was always spiritual, even as a child. I was taught to pray, show gratitude. We had an attitude of gratitude. Even if life was ugly, bad or sad - we prayed.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith.

I'm a damaged person, but I have hope and a will to not give up.