Overview of Letting Go Of Control by Joel Osteen
In this message, Joel Osteen teaches that faith requires surrendering control over how and when God answers prayer. He emphasizes that while people should hold tightly to their dreams and promises, they must hold loosely to their preferred timeline and method. Using examples from Scripture, his family story, and personal illustrations, he argues that delays, setbacks, and even opposition can be part of God’s plan to position believers for something better than they imagined.
Key Message
The central theme is simple: pray, believe, and then rest.
Osteen says many people lose peace because they try to manage outcomes that belong to God. Instead of worrying, forcing, or resisting every setback, believers should trust that God is working behind the scenes and that His timing is perfect.
Main Takeaways
1. Don’t control the outcome
- God often gives the promise, but not the details.
- Trying to dictate the method or timetable leads to frustration and anxiety.
- Faith means releasing the “how” and the “when” to God.
2. Rest is a sign of faith
- Osteen repeatedly connects peace with trust.
- If you are constantly worried, upset, or unable to sleep, it may be a sign you are carrying what God asked you to release.
- “Entering into rest” means trusting that God is in control, even when nothing seems to be changing yet.
3. Delays and detours can be part of destiny
- What looks like a setback may actually be a setup.
- Closed doors, rejection, and trouble can redirect a person toward a better path.
- God may use unexpected routes, unusual solutions, and unconventional timing.
4. Not everything should be resisted
- Osteen distinguishes between resisting evil/sickness and resisting every difficulty.
- Some hardships are not signs that God has abandoned you; they may be part of the journey.
- Instead of fighting everything, believers should discern when to rest and trust.
Biblical and Personal Examples
Joseph
- Joseph’s dream seemed to be delayed by betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and prison.
- Yet those hardships became the path to his promotion in Egypt.
- Osteen uses Joseph to show that hardship can be “transportation” to destiny.
Jesus
- On the road to the cross, Jesus did not resist betrayal and arrest because it was part of the plan of salvation.
- Osteen uses this to illustrate that not every painful event is evidence of defeat.
Paul
- In Acts 27, Paul’s ship was caught in a storm, and the crew eventually had to stop trying to control the ship and let the winds carry them.
- This becomes a picture of surrendering when human effort is no longer enough.
Osteen’s father and Lakewood Church
- He shares how his father lost his church position after embracing a message of faith and healing.
- What seemed like rejection became the beginning of Lakewood Church.
- The story reinforces the idea that God can use closed doors to open a greater future.
Lisa’s adoption story
- Osteen describes his sister Lisa, who struggled with infertility for years.
- After she released control, God answered in an unexpected way through adoption of twin girls.
- The point: God’s answer may not look like what you expected, but it can be better.
Practical Applications
What to do
- Keep believing for your dream.
- Pray and then stop trying to force the outcome.
- Thank God in advance.
- Enjoy your life while waiting.
- Stay in peace instead of panic.
- Trust that God is ordering your steps.
What to avoid
- Don’t put your happiness on hold.
- Don’t obsess over timelines.
- Don’t let worry dominate your mind.
- Don’t assume delay means denial.
- Don’t try to play God by fixing everything yourself.
Closing Encouragement
Osteen ends with a strong message of hope: God is not late, and He has not forgotten you. The storms, setbacks, and delays are not bigger than His purpose. If believers will stop resisting and start resting, he says, they will see God turn burdens into blessings and bring them into the fullness of their destiny.
Call to Action
- Release control to God.
- Choose peace over worry.
- Keep trusting God’s timing and methods.
- Stay faithful while you wait.
- Focus on the promise, not the process.
Salvation Invitation
The message closes with an invitation to pray for salvation:
- Repent of sins
- Ask Jesus into your heart
- Make Him Lord and Savior
Osteen encourages new believers to connect with a Bible-based church and keep God first.