Appreciating Every Area Of Our Life | Victoria Osteen

Summary

Joel Osteen Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Appreciating Every Area Of Our Life | Victoria Osteen
Host: Joel & Victoria Osteen
Release Date: June 7, 2025
Platform: SiriusXM

---

Introduction

In this heartfelt episode of the Joel Osteen Daily Podcast, Victoria Osteen delves into the profound impact of appreciation on every facet of our lives. Together with Joel Osteen, they aim to inspire listeners to recognize and cherish the blessings they possess, fostering a mindset that honors God and enriches personal well-being.

The Importance of Appreciation

Victoria opens the discussion by emphasizing that appreciation transforms our perception of daily experiences. By acknowledging and valuing what we have, we cultivate a deeper awareness and prevent ourselves from taking blessings for granted.

Victoria Osteen [01:43]: "When we appreciate God, when we appreciate the things that God has given us, we're honoring him."

Biblical Foundation: Deuteronomy 10:12

Drawing from Deuteronomy 10:12, Victoria illustrates how God’s gifts come with a responsibility to honor and not take them for granted. She recounts how God provided the Israelites with homes, vineyards, and treasures, stressing the importance of gratitude and recognition of God's generosity.

Victoria Osteen [02:10]: "God was taking the children of Israel to cities they had not built... He said, 'Don't take them for granted and don't forget who Gave them to you.'"

Modern-Day Application

Translating biblical principles to contemporary life, Victoria highlights the myriad of blessings we often overlook—such as living in a great country, having secure homes, supportive families, meaningful friendships, and fulfilling jobs. She urges listeners to remember and honor these gifts daily.

Victoria Osteen [02:45]: "God has given us things—a great country to live in. He's given us homes, he's given us family, friends, jobs. And he is saying, don't forget who gave it to you and honor me in it."

The Language of Appreciation

Victoria introduces the concept of the "language of appreciation," contrasting it with the habitual expressions that reflect entitlement. She explains how framing daily tasks with gratitude shifts our mindset from obligation to blessing.

Victoria Osteen [04:15]: "I have to go to work" becomes "I get to go to work because I have a job."

Personal Stories Highlighting Appreciation

To illustrate the transformative power of appreciation, Victoria shares poignant personal anecdotes:

1. The Man's Job Journey:

   • A man details his various jobs since his teenage years, initially seeing them as mere stepping stones. Upon reflection, he recognizes each position as a lesson that built his character—values like commitment, perseverance, and integrity.

   Victoria Osteen [05:10]: "He assigned a word to each one of those jobs... It showed me how grateful I could be for each and every one of these jobs and how it developed my character."

2. The Forgotten Statue:

   • Victoria recounts her experience with a beautiful statue she gifted herself but neglected to appreciate over time. When rediscovered, the statue’s true value was recognized by others, highlighting how appreciation often only surfaces when something is lost.

   Victoria Osteen [10:30]: "Sometimes we don't appreciate things until someone else sees the value in them."

The Consequences of Taking Things for Granted

Victoria warns of the dangers inherent in complacency and entitlement. She underscores that the happiest individuals are those who practice continuous gratitude, thereby enhancing the value of their lives and relationships.

Victoria Osteen [12:00]: "The happiest people are the people who can be appreciative of what they have right now on the way to where they're going."

Achieving Happiness through Appreciation

Linking appreciation to happiness, Victoria explains that recognizing and valuing our present blessings fosters contentment and reduces the incessant desire for more. This gratitude-oriented mindset aligns with divine favor and purposeful living.

Victoria Osteen [12:50]: "When you place value on something, it places value on you and your life."

Encouragement to Cultivate Appreciation

Victoria urges listeners to actively seek out and acknowledge the blessings in their lives, especially during challenging times. By asking God to reveal the value in difficult situations, individuals can uncover purpose and foster resilience.

Victoria Osteen [10:00]: "Ask God to show you where's the value in this. God, how can I appreciate this? Because it's something you've given me."

Conclusion

Wrapping up the episode, Victoria reinforces the central message that appreciation is both a gift to God and a pathway to a fulfilled, joyful life. She encourages listeners to adopt the language of appreciation, thereby transforming their outlook and enhancing their daily experiences.

Victoria Osteen [13:00]: "God's taken us to great places, but he never wants us to take for granted everything that he's given us right now. Amen. Amen."

---

Key Takeaways

• Appreciation Transforms Perception: Recognizing and valuing blessings enhances awareness and prevents complacency.

• Biblical Insights: Deuteronomy 10:12 serves as a foundational scripture emphasizing gratitude towards God for His gifts.

• Language Matters: Shifting from obligatory statements to gratitude-based expressions fosters a positive mindset.

• Personal Reflection: Reflecting on past experiences and challenges can unveil hidden blessings and lessons.

• Happiness Through Gratitude: Continuous appreciation leads to greater happiness and fulfillment.

Notable Quotes

• Victoria Osteen [02:10]: "God was taking the children of Israel to cities they had not built... He said, 'Don't take them for granted and don't forget who Gave them to you.'"

• Victoria Osteen [04:15]: "I have to go to work" becomes "I get to go to work because I have a job."

• Victoria Osteen [10:30]: "Sometimes we don't appreciate things until someone else sees the value in them."

• Victoria Osteen [12:50]: "When you place value on something, it places value on you and your life."

---

Final Thoughts

This episode of the Joel Osteen Podcast serves as a compelling reminder of the power of appreciation in enriching our lives and honoring God. Through relatable stories and scriptural insights, Victoria Osteen invites listeners to cultivate a grateful heart, thereby unlocking greater joy and fulfillment in every area of life.

Transcript

[PGA of America]

In golf, precision is everything on and off the course. PGA of America chose advanced 5G solutions from T Mobile for Business for smooth operations and seamless transactions. Together we enhance ticketing and concessions for better fan experiences from gate to green. This is pro level efficiency. This is PGA of America with T Mobile for Business. Take your business further@t mobile.com now.

[UPS Store Representative]

We'Re shipping Father's Day gifts with a rapid fire round of questions. Ready?

[Customer]

Yes. My gift. Can you pack it?

[UPS Store Representative]

Yep. Ship it? Yes.

[Customer]

Guarantee it?

[Joel Osteen]

Of course.

[Customer]

Oh, send a set of golf clubs.

[UPS Store Representative]

Oh, hole in one.

[Customer]

Protect electronics. Dog proof it. Return it if they hate it.

[UPS Store Representative]

Yes, no and yeah.

[Customer]

Are you the UPS store?

[UPS Store Representative]

Hey, we have a winner.

[Customer]

Visit the upsstore.com guaranty for full details. Most locations are independently owned.

[Allmodern Representative]

Products, services, prices and hours of operation may vary.

[Customer]

See center for details. The UPS Store Visit a store today.

[Lowe's Representative]

Now more than ever, Lowes knows you don't just want a low price, you want the lowest price. And with our lowest price guarantee, you can count on us for competitive prices on all your home improvement projects. If you find a qualifying lower price somewhere else on the same item, we'll match it. Lowe's we help you save price. Match applies to same item current price at qualifying retailers. Exclusions and terms apply. Learn how we'll match price@lowe's.com lowest price guarantee.

[Joel Osteen]

Hi, this is Joel in Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.

[Victoria Osteen]

If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend?

[Joel Osteen]

We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life.

[Victoria Osteen]

I just want to talk to us today about appreciating every area of our life. You know, when we appreciate something, we bring awareness to it, we bring value to it, and we are less likely to take it for granted. In Deuteronomy 10:12, God was taking the children of Israel to cities they had not built. He said, I'm giving you homes filled with great treasure. He said, I'm giving you vineyards you didn't plow, but I'm giving them to you so that you can work them. I'm giving you homes with great treasure in them so that you can live in them. And he went on and on to tell all the wonderful gifts that he was giving them. But then he warned them. He said, I have to warn you, I'm giving you all of these things, but don't take them for granted. He said, don't take them for granted. And don't forget who Gave them to you. Don't take them for granted and not honor me. See, the same thing is happening today. God has given us things. A great country to live in. He's given us homes, he's given us family, friends, jobs. And he is saying, don't forget who gave it to you and honor me in it. You see, I believe when we appreciate God, when we appreciate the things that God has given us, we're honoring him. You see, appreciation is a language, and it honors God. How many of us have seen videos or visited impoverished countries and realize how blessed we really are. We have running water. We have great grocery stores, restaurants, whatever we need, it's basically at our fingertips. And we see these. These impoverished countries and people, and our heart goes out to them. And we feel so compassionate and we feel so blessed. Right then we get to our jobs, we get to our homes. We face life challenges, decisions. Things go wrong, and we forget about those things. We forget how grateful we should be. We get comfortable, uninterested. We take things for granted. It's easy to do, and we all do it. But can I tell you that we've got to learn the language of appreciation. Have you ever heard yourself say, I have to go to work. I have to go pick up my kids. I have to make dinner.

[Customer]

Have to.

[Victoria Osteen]

Clean up after my husband. See, the language of appreciation says this. It says, I get to go to work because I have a job. I'm so blessed to have my children. I'm gonna go pick them up now. I have a house. I get to clean it. See, that's the language of appreciation. I was talking to a man the other day, and he was telling me. He actually showed me a list of jobs that he had had ever since he was a teenager. And he began at 13 years old. He was a paper boy. He went on to 15, and he started mowing lawns. Seventeen, he was shoveling snow. Then he went on to be a plumber. Then he went on to be a pipe fitter. Then he went on to be a contractor. Then he went on to. And he was going on and on. I thought, dear Lord, how many jobs has this man had? But the purpose of showing me this list was this. He said, I went back through my life, and I looked at every job that I've ever had. And he said. I thought about it, and he said, what did that job show me? What did that job give me? And he assigned a word to each one of those jobs. Words like commitment, perseverance, integrity, responsibility. He said, victoria, you know, some of those jobs at the time, I couldn't see how they even made sense. He said they were difficult, they were hard, he says. But when I made this list, he said, what it did is it showed me how grateful I could be for each and every one of these jobs and how it developed my character and my resolve for the next job. You know what he was doing? He was adding value to his life. He was mining the gold. See, sometimes we get stuck in those places and we make excuses why we didn't get to the next place. See, we had to do this. Our parents didn't bring us up right. Well, if I'd have had an opportunity to go to college, well, if I didn't have to work this job. You see, this man told me, I read this list often, he said, because it helps me be very aware and conscious of where I am right now and the blessings in my life. See, this man is a top executive now at a million dollar company, he said. I read it often. I never want to take this for granted. You see, we should all dig the gold out of our life. Yeah, we're going to face challenges. We're going to face challenges. Things aren't always going to be easy. But when we begin to look for the lessons, when we begin to look for what can build in us, you know, that's when we're going to find the value. That's when we're going to find the purpose. You see, when you're appreciative and you look for the value in something, what you're doing is you're adding to your life. Sometimes we run around thinking there's a missing link. If I could only find that thing. And when you have an attitude like that, you are lacking. And when you're lacking, it's hard to find purpose. That's why wherever you are today, no matter how difficult it is, ask God to show you where's the value in this. God, how can I appreciate this? Because it's something you've given me. You see, the happy people are the people that can be appreciative of what they have right now on the way to where they're going. Have you ever heard that song? You don't know what you got until it's coming gone. I think it's a country western song. It sounds like it. You know, it's unfortunate that some people have to lose something before they recognize the value in it. You see, we shouldn't have to lose something to begin to appreciate it. I was talking to a man the other Day. And he was telling me how he had struggled with this long battle of cancer and his recovery had been very difficult. He said, but let me tell you, Victoria, I see the world in a completely different way. How I viewed my life before cancer is totally different than how I view my life now. He said, the important things to me are my friends and my family. He said this that I thought it was so good. He said, you know, when you've had cancer, he said, you realize that a bucket list is overrated. He said, experiencing and appreciating what you have every day is what's important. You see, we don't want to have to almost lose something to appreciate what we have. We cannot get so comfortable and so accustomed to the blessings in our life. Someone gave me a sculpture, and I liked it. It was really pretty. I put it up in my home, and that sculpture was right where I wanted to put my Christmas tree. So I took the sculpture down, and I stored it in a back closet in my home. I put all my Christmas decorations up. Okay, don't judge me. But I put my Christmas decorations up a week before Thanksgiving, but I take them down right after Christmas. I was digging in a closet just not long ago, and I noticed a sheet in the back of that closet. And I thought, what is that? And I pulled off the sheet, and it was that statue. Now, that statue had been in there about two years, and I thought, oh, my gosh, I forgot all about this statue. You know, sometimes you get so much stuff, maybe some pretty things, you forget about what you have. So I kind of just forgot all about the statue. So I tossed the sheet back over it because I was in a hurry, and I left. Well, a few days later, I was with some friends of mine, and we were on a project, and we were staging a table. And so we had the table looking really good, and somebody said, you know, we need some. Something special on this table. We need something to set this table off. And so we were looking for all these things. What can we just top this table off with? And in my mind, I thought about that statue in my closet with a sheet on it. I thought, hmm, that might just look good. So I had someone bring it where I was. And so we put the statue on it. And all the girls were like, whoa, that is beautiful. That is the most perfect thing ever. That is so gorgeous. And I stood back and I thought, that is pretty, isn't it? It's amazing how I valued the beauty in that statue because everyone else did. So on my way home, I was thinking to myself, I gotta find something like that because I want my statue back. So I got home and I got on the Internet and I started looking, looking, what can I get that's like that? What can I get that's like that? And to my surprise, I realized that that statue was a limited edition. The artist only made a few, and you couldn't get it anymore. And then I found a gallery that was looking for that specific statue. They wanted to buy it. I was like, oh my gosh, this is something so valuable. I want my statue back. I want my statue back. That's all I could think about was getting my statue back. You see, sometimes we don't appreciate things until someone else sees the value in them. You see what you're taking for granted today, someone else may be praying for. Some things can't be replaced. They're one of a kind. Your mother, your father, children, your spouse. Don't neglect it. Don't get so used to it that you forget the precious gift that it really is. You see, I believe the happiest people are the people who appreciate what they have right now and place value on it. Because when you place value on it, it places value on you and your life. Listen, God's taken us to great places, but he never wants us to take for granted everything that he's given us right now. Amen. Amen.

[Announcer]

It's easy to let the day get away from us before the day even starts. The first few minutes of your morning are more powerful than you might think. Life moves really fast sometimes, and it can be easy to begin each day by zeroing in on your problems. But here's the truth.

[Joel Osteen]

How you start the day can determine what kind of day it's going to be. I'd love to send you my devotional three Minute Start your day the blessed way.

[Victoria Osteen]

Three minutes doesn't seem like a lot of time, but. But when you put God first place and get your mind going in the right direction, it's setting the tone for a blessed, productive day.

[Joel Osteen]

It's filled with inspiration and encouragement to help you begin each day with a fresh attitude. Grateful that you're alive. It's amazing what happens when you take three minutes and speak. Blessings over your life, declaring God's favor. Three Minute Mornings is our gift to you.

[Announcer]

As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount, we would like to send you a copy of Joel's new devotional, 3 Minute Start yout Day in Faith. This powerful book will open the pathways to experience God's presence and peace in your life and there you will find renewed energy, assurance and wisdom to face your day. The Bible promises that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. So as you pause for only 3 minutes minutes and take in his wonderful promises in this book, you will be positioning yourself to receive all the amazing things that God has in store for you. Please request your copy today and watch anxiety turn to divine answers, weakness to strength, problems to renewed possibilities, frustrations to God's favor. Yes, only three minutes will transform your entire day.

[Joel Osteen]

From the time I was a little boy, my parents taught me the value of starting the day off in faith. Three Minute Mornings will help you do just that. Victoria and I pray for you every day for God's very best. We want to thank you for your prayer and support. You're impacting people all over the world. A special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for your monthly support. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning, Download our daily podcast, listen on Sirius XM, watch our YouTube channel and the Joel Osteen network streaming on television 24 hours a day. And until we see you again, may the Lord bless you and keep you.

[Announcer]

Be sure to request your copy of 3 Minute. Start your day in faith. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888-567-Joel for an additional donation. This month we are also offering the Faith and Freedom Bundle. You'll receive an additional devotional filled with daily wisdom to guide you in living with favor, focus and freedom. Also available, our morning Power and Peace collection includes power, Provision and peace. Beautifully bound in timeless elegance, this dynamic New Testament, the Passion Translation helps you walk in God's best. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567-JOEL or logging on to jolostein.com today. Call or click anytime 24 hours a day. Be inspired every morning. Request your copy.

[Allmodern Representative]

Dreaming of a Modern Oasis At Allmodern we offer the best of modern furniture and decor all in one place, hand vetted for quality and delivered for free in days. Discover outdoor dining sets, sofas and more in every style of modern from Scandi to mid century. That's modern made simple. Shop [e-mail].

[PGA of America]

Hershey's milk chocolate with Whole Almonds makes for a wholly amazing, wholly delicious experience that's well, holy. Hershey's everyone to get to experience the satisfying surprise of a whole almond tucked inside creamy Hershey's Chocolate. So don't wait your whole life to try Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Whole Almonds. And if you've already had it, then chances are you're already a lifelong fan of this confectionary delight. Find Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Whole Almonds wherever candy is sold.

[UPS Store Representative]

We're shipping Father's Day gifts with a rapid fire round of questions. Ready?

[Customer]

Yes. My gift. Can you pack it?

[UPS Store Representative]

Yep.

[Customer]

Ship it?

[UPS Store Representative]

Yes.

[Customer]

Guarantee it?

[Joel Osteen]

Of course.

[Customer]

Oh, send it. And a set of golf clubs. Oh.

[UPS Store Representative]

Hole in one.

[Customer]

Protect electronics.

[Victoria Osteen]

Dog.

[Customer]

Proof it. Return it if they hate it.

[UPS Store Representative]

Yes, no, and yeah.

[Customer]

Are you the UPS store?

[UPS Store Representative]

Hey, we have a winner.

[Customer]

Visit theupsstore.com guaranty for full details. Most locations are independently owned.

[Allmodern Representative]

Products, services, prices and hours of operation may vary.

[Customer]

See center for details. The UPS Store Visit US Store today.