The key to achieving success is quite simple. Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church believes that people must first talk themselves into victory before achieving it.
"Did you know that you can talk yourself into defeat or talk yourself into victory? You can also talk yourself into weakness or talk yourself into strength," he wrote on his blog. "When you speak to yourself the right way, courage comes, determination comes, vision comes."
Whenever people look at a task ahead of them and think, "This is too hard. Strength is leaving. I can't do this anymore," Osteen said people are only making themselves weaker. But when they talk positively and say, "I am well able," then they are inviting strength.
So whenever people feel tired, Osteen suggests that people keep it to themselves and don't verbalise it. "Don't give fuel to that negative feeling by speaking it out," he said.
Even scripture says, "Let the weak say 'I am strong." It did not say that the weak should talk about their weaknesses, or the sick discuss their sicknesses. Osteen said people should turn negative things around by stating out loud: "Yes, this is tough, but I am strong in the Lord. I know God is fighting my battles. He always causes me to triumph!"
When people do so, they are taking hold of God's strength, therefore ensuring their victories. However, Osteen quickly clarified that this does not mean people should sit back contentedly and remain idle. Waiting on the Lord requires people to actively pursue their dreams, all the while looking for God's goodness and His blessings.
"That means you have the attitude, 'Lord, thank You that You're turning this situation around. Thank You that You're bigger than this difficulty, stronger than these opponents. Lord, thank You for bringing my dreams to pass.' That's the attitude we should have every single day!" he said.
