I picked up Joel Osteen’s book, Every Day A Friday a couple of weeks ago from my public library (proud card carrier), and I didn’t even think to read it. It sat there for a week, and I decided to return it to the library. This past Friday, I was at Hashtings walking around the Christian section looking for I Declare by Joel Osteen. I was fixed on getting that book in my life. Well it turns out, God was fixed on me reading Every Day A Friday. It immediately caught my eyes on the shelf, so I picked up and started reading it.
My mentor in college was a member of Lakewood and knows the Osteen family personally. For a long time, I just didn’t get the “mega” church. How can a pastor be so successful and have all these beautiful things, but the congregation suffers? It finally hit me that Joel was the messenger given the tools to help others in their purpose. If people didn’t use the tools and listen to the message, it was their own faults for not prospering. He did his part but we must do ours as well.
Okay, back to the book and its phenomenal message. This is my first book I have read by Joel and it hit home to how I am feeling right now. There are seven sections in the book, so I read a section a day. The subtitle says, “how to be happier in 7 days a week,” and that meant a daily process of contemplation and change.
In section I of the book, he mentions that just because we are in a certain place in our lives that we didn’t think we would be in, that doesn’t mean we did something wrong. God is teaching us a lesson. I realized that what was going on in my life at that very moment was that I was learning a lesson. Luckily, God gives us tests/lessons daily, and it is up to us to decide whether we pass or fail.
Joel also talks about living in each moment. When you say you can’t live “your Super Bowl” daily or feel like you cant always reach the top of the mountain, that is just God saying that he has a different adventure/game to do now. It isn’t about always being successful or always being down on your luck, it takes each step in between to have a full and enriched life. If you have ever heard Joel Osteen preach, some of those messages are in this book. He is a great story teller so you can visualize what he is discussing on a variety of topics.
All in all, I’m glad God directed me to read this book. I needed that extra pep in my step. I happen to be worried about too many things right now that aren’t worth worrying about. I was also giving people too much power over my life, while at the same time asking God to control everything. If you get a chance pick up this book, don’t leave it on the shelf like I did.
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