Victoria Osteen’s message, “Count It All Joy,” is an uplifting reminder about finding strength and joy in trials and trusting God through life’s challenges.
Key Themes
1. Trials Are Meant to Build Us
- James 1:4 encourages believers to “Consider it all joy when you face trials of many kinds.”
- Trials are not designed to decrease us but to increase our perseverance and faith.
- The goal is to become stronger, lacking nothing, and better equipped for God’s plans.
2. Joy Is Found in God, Not the Circumstances
- Joy is not derived from the pain or the difficulty itself but from the assurance that God is in control.
- True joy comes from focusing on the source of our strength—God—rather than the challenges.
Practical Lessons
1. Choose to Count It All Joy
- Consider trials as opportunities for growth rather than burdens.
- You have a choice: focus on the struggle or focus on God’s purpose in the trial.
2. Rest in God’s Peace
- Striving, worrying, and frustration won’t bring you to God’s destination faster.
- Rest in God’s peace and trust His timing and plans.
3. Look for the Good in Trials
- Trials are refining processes designed to bring out the gold within us.
- Instead of chasing problems or assigning blame, focus on God’s promise and the lessons He’s teaching.
4. Let Joy Abide
- Joy is a gift from God that resides within us. It’s not fleeting like happiness.
- Hold onto joy as your strength and source of calm delight in God’s faithfulness.
Key Takeaways
- Trials Are Steps Toward Growth
- Challenges are necessary for moving higher in life. They develop perseverance, strength, and character.
- If you’re going through it, grow through it.
- Willpower Alone Isn’t Enough
- God’s power is essential to overcoming life’s difficulties.
- Tap into His joy, which strengthens and sustains you.
- What You Believe Shapes Your Outcome
- If you believe you’re defeated, you’ll struggle more.
- If you believe God is working for your good, you’ll find strength and come out stronger.
- Pass the Test
- Trials are opportunities for growth and preparation for what’s next.
- God is rooting for you to pass the test and step into greater blessings.
Encouragement for Facing Trials
- Don’t let the enemy steal your joy. Trials aren’t meant to beat you up but to build you up.
- Trust in God’s promise that “the God of all hope will fill you with joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13).
- Keep your faith strong, and remember that perseverance leads to victory.
Declarations of Faith
- “I will count it all joy because I know God is working for my good.”
- “I will rest in God’s peace, trusting His plan for my life.”
- “The joy of the Lord is my strength, and I will grow through every trial.”
Closing Thought
Trials are not obstacles but stepping stones to God’s greater plans for your life. By choosing joy, trusting God, and resting in His peace, you’ll find the strength to persevere and see His promises fulfilled. Your best days are still ahead. Keep the faith, and count it all joy. Amen.
