Are you thriving in your relationship or marriage?
Relationships and marriages are often seen as the source of great happiness. However, they can also be the cause of so much unhappiness, sadness, and frustration. So, how do you know if you are thriving or simply surviving in your relationship or marriage? In order to have a healthy and thriving relationship, both partners need to be putting in the effort. It takes compromise, communication, and lots of patience.
Friends, our guest today is Joel Osteen, he’s the pastor of the largest church in America, the Lakewood Church. This is the second time we have had Joel on the show, so if you haven’t heard the first episode about having a strong mindset, make sure to check it out.
In this episode, we discuss the biggest reason why it’s so hard to find meaningful relationships these days, the three things you and your partner have to be aligned with, the key to having a thriving marriage, and so much more!
I felt so inspired by our conversation and by Joel’s outlook on relationships, and I’m sure you’ll find valuable wisdom from him in this episode. So, buckle up, relax, and let the class begin.
Who Is Joel Osteen?
Aside from being the pastor of America’s largest church, Joel Osteen is one of the most popular inspirational figures in the U.S. He’s a New York Times best-selling author. One of his books, Your Best Life Now, was on the New York Times bestseller’s list for more than 100 weeks and has sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S. to date.
Joel’s father, John Osteen, is the founder of Lakewood Church, and following the passing of his father in October 1999, Joel took over and became the senior pastor. Under his leadership, the weekly attendance of Lakewood Church grew from an average of 5,000 to more than 50,000 until it became the largest church in the U.S. according to Outreach Magazine, Church Growth Today, and Forbes.
In 2003, the church acquired the home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, the Compaq Center, and Joel spent the next 18 months renovating the auditorium to the tune of $105 million. In July 2005, the first of seven weekly worship services of Lakewood Church was held in the 16,000-seat auditorium, and within the year, the place became the most popular tourist destination in Houston, according to the Visitors Bureau and the Houston Convention.
Despite his busy and hectic schedule with the ministry, Joel has written over 12 books, and he’s published a new book called, You Are Stronger Than You Think, where he talks about how to unleash the power to go bigger and bolder and beyond your limits. But in this episode, we focused more on love, marriage, and finding meaningful relationships these days.
The Biggest Reason It’s Hard to Find Meaningful Relationships
We all want to find someone special to share our lives with — someone we can trust, depend on, and who will be there for us through thick and thin. But finding meaningful relationships is harder than it seems. Why is that? What makes relationships so difficult? And how can we make them work?
“I think what happens sometimes is you get the stress of life … — you’re raising kids, and you’ve got bills to pay, and all of a sudden you don’t have any time to just breathe and have fun and laugh. … I think we can bring the stress from the outside into our relationships, … and I think you have to leave that stuff, the best you can, at the door and keep your home a place of peace and love.” – Joel Osteen
We can all agree that life is pretty stressful. Between work, family, and social obligations, it’s hard to find time for ourselves, and sometimes that stress bleeds over into our relationships. We start taking out our frustrations on the people closest to us instead of dealing with them head-on.
But I don’t think that has to be the case. We can bring the stress from the outside into our relationships, but only if we want it to be there. We have a choice in how we let external factors affect our personal lives. So let’s make some good choices, and keep the stress where it belongs — out there.
While keeping our home a place of joy and love can help you maintain meaningful relationships, there are things that you and your partner need to agree on.
