Joel Osteen - Think Better, Live Better: A Victorious Life Begins in Your Mind

O ur mind is like a computer. How we program it is the way its going to function. You can have the most powerful computer ever made, the latest and fastest model, with the maximum amount of memory available, but if you put the wrong software in it, its not going to function as it was designed. Weve all had to deal with computer viruses. They can get into a perfectly good computer and start to contaminate the software. Before long the computer is slow, then you cant access your files. None of these problems occur because its defective or poorly made. The computers hardware is fine. Its because somebody reprogrammed the software. Somehow the insides got messed up. Now the software is contaminated.

In a similar way, when God created you, He stepped back and said, Another masterpiece. Your hardware is perfect. Youre the right size, the right nationality, and you have the right gifts. Not only that, God put the right software in you. From the very beginning, He programmed you to be victorious, healthy, strong, and creative. Your original software says, You can do all things through Christ. He programmed, Whatever you touch will prosper and succeed. He programmed, You are the head and not the tail. You will lend and not borrow. You are a victor and not a victim. You were programmed to live an abundant, victorious, faith-filled life. Thats how your Creator designed you.

You were programmed to live an abundant, victorious, faith-filled life.

The reason we dont always experience this abundant life is that weve allowed viruses to contaminate our software. We say to ourselves, Ill never be successful. Im not that talented. Ill never break this addiction. Ive had it too long. Im slow, clumsy, and unattractive. Nothing good is in my future. Because our software is infected, we go around with low self-esteem, were negative, we dont believe our dreams will come to pass, and we dont expect problems to turn around.

Heres the good news, though. There is nothing wrong with you. Like that computer, youre not a mistake. Youre not defective or faulty. The problem is in your software. You have to get rid of the viruses. All through the day, dwell on what your Creator says about you. Im blessed. Im strong. Im healthy. Im confident. Im attractive. Im valuable. Im victorious. You have to get back to your original software. If your thinking is limited, your life will be limited. When you think better, youll live better.

To restore our original software, one of the best things we can learn to do is hit the delete button. When negative, discouraging thoughts come trying to contaminate your software, just hit delete before they start affecting how you live. That thought says, Youve seen your best days . Its all downhill from here. Recognize thats a virus trying to keep you from your destiny. Its real simple. Delete. Say to yourself, Im not dwelling on that. My software says, The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter.

Youll never get well. You saw the medical report. Delete. Replace it by saying, God is restoring health back to me. The number of my days He will fulfill.

Youll never accomplish your dreams. Youre not that talented. You dont have what it takes. Delete. Delete. Delete. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I have the favor of God. Whatever I touch prospers and succeeds.

Youll never break that addiction. Your father was analcoholic, and youll be one, too. Delete. No weapon formed against me will prosper. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed, and I am free.

If youre going to reach your highest potential, you have to get good at hitting the delete button.

If youre going to reach your highest potential, you have to get good at hitting the delete button.

When I stepped up to pastor the church, every thought told me, You cant do this, Joel . Youdont know how to minister. Youre too young. You dont have the experience. Nobody is going to come. It would have been easy to let that virus take root and keep me from my destiny. I did what Im asking you to do. I kept hitting the delete button. You cant do it. Delete. Youre too young. Delete. Nobody is going to come. Delete. You dont have the experience. Delete. Its not going to work out. Delete. I wouldnt be where I am today if I hadnt become an expert at hitting the delete button.

The Scripture tells us to guard our mind. You control the doorway to what you allow in. You can dwell on every negative thought and every derogatory comment, or you can choose to delete it and dwell on what God says about you. If I had let those negative thoughts play over and over in my mind, they would have contaminated my confidence, contaminated my self-esteem, and contaminated my future.

Why dont you start hitting the delete button? Quit dwelling on every negative thought that comes to your mind. Thats the enemy trying to contaminate your software. If he can control your thinking, he can control your whole life. If the thought is negative, discouraging, pushing you down, dont dwell on it. Delete it. Pay attention to what youre thinking. If you go around thinking that youre not talented, youll never have the confidence to step into your destiny. If you think youre unattractive, youll never meet the people you were supposed to meet. If you think you cant break the addiction, you cant. If you think youve reached your limits, you have. Its not because you cant go further. Youve just convinced yourself that you cant.