Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church remembers a friend of his who had a rough start in life. He grew up in the projects with little money and even less guidance from his his parents.
Because of his poor home situation, he was deemed by the state as a "child at risk." Sadly, Osteen says that label would eventually shape up his life.
"That phrase, from the time he was a little boy, played over and over in his mind. It had become ingrained in his thinking. 'There's no future for me; I'm a child at risk.' He continued to go downhill, getting into trouble, doing what the rest of the crowd was doing. Everyone around him was defeated, depressed and addicted. He fit right in. He adapted to his environment," Osteen writes on his blog.
The pastor shared his friend's story because he wanted to set an example of how one's life is shaped by one's thoughts. Because his friend believed he was at risk, he became at risk.
"If you believe you've reached your limits, then you have. If you believe you'll never get well, then you won't. Because your mind has become conditioned with limitations, it will keep you from your highest potential," he warns.
Osteen hopes people will "get rid of any thoughts that are holding you back." People won't be able to achieve incredible feats in their own abilities, but he says they will always have God beside them, who is the most powerful force in the universe.
"God created you to rise higher, to break barriers of the past, to overcome bad habits, and to be free from generational curses. People may have labeled you at risk, average and less than, but God labels you well able, equipped, anointed, creative, a masterpiece," he says.
People don't get to determine other people's destinies because only God can do it, says Osteen. So no matter what others say, Christians should know deep in their hearts that they were raised by God to carry out a special purpose.
"He's factored that all into His plan. If you will stay in faith, instead of holding you back, it will propel you forward. Instead of defeating you, it'll make you stronger. God knows how to take what was meant for your harm and use it to your advantage!" he assures.
