Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church is one guy full of optimism and who does not like to dwell on past hurts and mistakes. Instead, the bestselling author of "The Power of I Am" prefers to look towards the future with an open heart and boundless hope.
However, Osteen recently revealed on his blog that there is one aspect of his life that he would actually like to change, if given the chance.
"Somebody asked me if I could do anything over again, what would I do differently? I told them I would trust God more. I wouldn't lose sleep worried about the budgets, or worried if I was able to minister, or worried if people are going to like me," he says. "None of that worrying helped me to move one inch forward. When I look back over my life, most of the things I worried about never came to pass. I wasted a lot of time and energy being uptight."
Osteen says there are a lot of "professional worriers" in this world who like to multi-task. They worry while taking a shower, brushing their teeth, or driving towards work. It's so easy for these people to wake up in the middle of the night thinking of their worries.
But worrying is a useless exercise, that's why people need to learn how to conquer their worries.
"Remember this: worry is a thief. It will rob you of your sleep at night. It will rob you of your joy and your creativity," Osteen says. "It's hard to make good decisions when you're worried. If you allow it, worry can keep you from your destiny."
Osteen says the biggest thing in people's lives should always be God. But if they constantly worry, then they are making their problems their God.
"Do yourself a favor...put God back up on the throne. Use that same energy to thank God that He's still in control. Every time you're tempted to worry, turn it around and thank Him that He's taking care of that situation. Let the worry be a reminder to switch over into praise," says Osteen. "Don't let worry rob you anymore of the blessings God has in store for your future!"
