August 8, 2016
In what reads like a very long version of one of his feel-good sermons, bestselling author and Texas megachurch pastor Osteen (The Power of I Am) preaches a message of positive thinking. He says that thoughts about a recent cancer diagnosis, a financial setback, or harsh words from a parent or bully can attack one’s mind like a virus in a computer and take control of what one has been programmed by God to do. The solution? Just delete them. The art of dealing successfully with hard times or disappointments is in not letting them define you. God doesn’t look at labels, so neither should you. You have a prosperous, victorious person inside, just waiting to be released, Osteen says. The message is repeated often with the use of stories from the Bible, the pastor’s personal life, and the experiences of others. His advice boils down to being conscientious about your thoughts so you can live a happy, productive life in God’s grace; don’t wake up wondering what kind of day it is going to be, decide! Osteen writes in this uplifting call to action that, one way or another, you are going to become what you think.