How Are You Handling Worry?​ | Victoria Osteen

Summary

Podcast Summary: "How Are You Handling Worry?" | Joel Osteen Podcast – Victoria Osteen

Date: October 4, 2025
Host/Speaker: Victoria Osteen

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the theme of handling worry and stress, with Victoria Osteen sharing faith-based strategies and personal stories to empower listeners to overcome anxiety by turning to God. By referencing stories from the Bible, offering practical advice, and sharing memorable metaphors, Victoria invites listeners to reflect on their own approach to worry and to seek peace through trust and spiritual connection rather than self-reliance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Worry Starts and the Choice We Make

[01:43 – 03:05]

• Victoria shares a personal anecdote about receiving a phone call warning her "not to worry," which ironically triggered worry immediately.
• She reflects on how worry often becomes our automatic response as soon as we sense potential trouble or receive bad news.
• Victoria emphasizes that we have a choice in how to respond: letting worry control us or intentionally handing the concern over to God.

“Sometimes when I worry, it’s like I’m really doing something. I’m just working it and working it and working it in my mind. I heard worry was a lot like sitting in a rocking chair. You’re doing something, but it’s getting you nowhere.”
— Victoria Osteen [03:11]

2. The Biblical Story of Mary and Martha

[03:12 – 07:01]

• Victoria retells the story of Mary and Martha from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus visits their home, and the sisters have different responses:
  • Martha stresses over preparations and responsibilities.
  • Mary chooses to sit and listen at Jesus’ feet, setting her to-do list aside.
• Jesus affirms Mary for choosing “the better way”—prioritizing spiritual presence over busyness.

“Martha, Martha, why are you so anxious and troubled about so many things?...Mary has chosen the one important thing. She’s chosen the better way.”
— Victoria Osteen (quoting Jesus) [05:01]

• Victoria clarifies that Jesus isn’t saying responsibilities don’t matter but encourages us to linger in His presence as the best way to handle worry and stress.

3. The Nature and Cost of Worry

[07:02 – 09:10]

• The word ‘worry’ is rooted in an Old English term meaning “to strangle”—highlighting how worry chokes the joy and life out of us.
• Worry strains relationships and can make us miss moments of joy, even in the presence of blessings.
• Victoria shares a relatable example: how the stress of planning an event can rob us of enjoyment, sometimes making loved ones miserable too.

“Worry doesn’t change anything but your personality, it changes your disposition. It doesn’t make the situation better—actually, it makes the situation worse.”
— Victoria Osteen [08:41]

4. How to Handle Worry: Faith in Action

[09:11 – 12:45]

• Victoria recounts helping a colleague whose son was deployed with the military:
  • The colleague’s worry made her unable to function at work.
  • Victoria encouraged her to turn to specific scriptures, make declarations of faith, and pray rather than dwell on fear.
  • Over time, the woman found peace and strength in prayer and scripture, and her son eventually returned home safely.

“Worry pulls us away from God’s power. But worship and praise draw us to him and it changes the situation.”
— Victoria Osteen [11:55]

• Practical advice: Have go-to scriptures and positive declarations for moments of anxiety.

5. Letting Go: Metaphor & Visualization

[12:46 – 14:30]

• Victoria shares a visualization technique she uses to release her worries:
  • Envisioning a big, red helium balloon, she imagines placing her troubles inside, then releasing the balloon to God.
  • Sometimes, she has “to let go of a whole bouquet of balloons.”
  • The key is to do whatever it takes to physically and mentally release worry to God.

“These troubles are just gonna go right at your feet, Jesus, you’re gonna take care of them. Sometimes…I have to let go of a whole bouquet of balloons. Do what you gotta do to release the worry and the care.”
— Victoria Osteen [13:54]

6. Call to Action: Pause and Recenter

[14:31 – 15:21]

• Victoria urges listeners: When worry takes hold, pause, choose to “sit at His feet,” and allow spiritual renewal.
• She reassures listeners that releasing worries allows us to receive God’s goodness, wisdom, and joy.

“Listen, if you feel the pressure, the stranglehold of worry coming on you, even if it’s automatic, push the pause button. Let’s be like Mary…Let’s empty out the concerns so that we’ll have room to receive his goodness, his thoughts towards us, his wisdom, his joy.”
— Victoria Osteen [14:45]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:11] — “Worry was a lot like sitting in a rocking chair. You’re doing something, but it’s getting you nowhere.”
• [05:01] — “Mary has chosen the better way.”
• [08:41] — “Worry doesn’t change anything but your personality.”
• [11:55] — “Worry pulls us away from God’s power. Worship and praise draw us to Him and change the situation.”
• [13:54] — “Sometimes I have to let go of a whole bouquet of balloons. Do what you gotta do to release the worry.”
• [14:45] — “Push the pause button…Let’s linger there for a while…so that we’ll have room to receive His goodness.”

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Important Timestamps

• [01:43] – Victoria introduces the topic with her personal story about worry.
• [03:12] – The Mary and Martha Bible story illustration.
• [07:15] – The etymology of ‘worry’ and its effect on joy.
• [09:11] – Example of comforting a coworker through scripture and prayer.
• [12:46] – Visualization technique for releasing worries (balloon metaphor).
• [14:31] – Call to pause, recenter, and receive God's peace.

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Tone & Style

Victoria speaks with warmth, sincerity, and empathy, blending biblical insight with personal anecdotes and straightforward advice. Her tone is gentle, encouraging, and faith-filled, reinforcing that the solution to worry lies in trust and spiritual connection rather than frantic self-effort.

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Takeaways

• Worry is natural, but we always have a choice in how we respond.
• Lingering in God’s presence (like Mary) provides strength and clarity, even amidst responsibilities.
• Worry is unproductive—it “chokes” joy, affects relationships, and drains energy, while worship and trust bring renewal.
• Use practical tools: scripture, faith-filled declarations, and visualizations (like the balloon) to hand troubles to God.
• When worry creeps in, pause and invite God’s presence and wisdom.

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This episode offers both spiritual wisdom and relatable, actionable steps to manage worry, meant to inspire and equip listeners to exchange anxiety for peace and purpose.

Transcript

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[Joel Osteen]

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

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

The other day I got a phone call and the voice on the other end of the phone said, victoria, I gotta tell you something, but don't worry about what I'm gonna tell you. Well, automatically my worry kicked in. That was my first response. I thought, oh my gosh, what do I have to worry about? You see, that's what happens. Sometimes our worry automatically kicks in without us even knowing it. We just worry when a concern or a care comes into our life. Now this particular problem was not huge, it wasn't monumental, but it was a problem all the same. It was something that needed to be resolved. So I had to push pause for a moment and make a decision. Was I going to let this concern overtake me? Cause my mind to just spin out of control, fret and worry until the problem has resolved itself? Was I gonna ruin my Entire day because of this concern. Or was I going to say, God, you gotta help me with this situation. God, I gotta present this to you. You know everything about me. You said you'd fight my battles for me. Now, God, I am giving this to you. And I'm gonna try to rest and hear everything you would want me to hear from you. You see, we have to make this choice. How are we going to handle this thing called worry? Are we going to just work it in our minds? You know, sometimes when I worry, it's like I'm really doing something. I'm just working it and working it and working it in my mind. I heard worry was a lot like sitting in a rocking chair. You're doing something, but it's getting you nowhere. We're just working it and working it and working it in our minds. And that's so unproductive. My question today is how are you handling worry? Because how we handle worry and stress is going to make all the difference in our life. There's two sisters in the Bible named Mary and Martha. You can find their story in Luke. Mary and Martha, two sisters. They had a brother. They were obviously, from what the scholars say, well to do people. So they had a lot going on in their life. They had money to manage, they had a home to manage. They had a lot of things happening. One day, Jesus came to their home. He was going to stay with them. He was going to fellowship with them. I'm sure they were so excited. I'm sure that everybody in the town knew, hey, Jesus is coming over to my house. Because this was a very important person. So I'm sure they were preparing. They were getting everything just perfect for Jesus. Jesus came to their home. And as they were fellowshipping and as they were enjoying Jesus, Jesus noticed something about Martha. She was buzzing around. She was working it, working it, working it. And he said to her, martha, Martha, why are you so anxious and troubled about so many things? You see, he had observed Martha as they were in this home. He saw how she was handling all the to do that was going on. But in contrast, here's her sister Mary. Now, Mary had as much responsibility as Martha did.

[CDC Announcer]

But.

[Joel Osteen]

But Mary said, I'm gonna take this opportunity when all my busyness and all the concerns that I have to just linger here with Jesus. Cause he's at my house today. I'm gonna sit at his feet. I'm gonna pour out my heart to him so he can pour in his thoughts to me. You see, Martha was so disturbed that her sister was. Would have the audacity to sit at the feet of Jesus when there was so much to do. That she said, jesus, you need to tell my sister to come help me. She needs to get up and she needs to get in this kitchen. There's the emails to answer. There's stuff on the stove. The kids needed to be taken care of. There's a bunch of stuff to do, and she needs to get up and she needs to help me. Can you believe she would even say that to her guest of honor? He said to her, mary has chosen the one important thing. She's chosen that one thing. She's chosen the better way. Now, let me just tell you this right now. He said, there's one important thing, there's a better way. Now, he was very much aware of the legitimate concerns that these women had. The Bible says that Jesus said, in this world, you're going to have trouble, you're going to have hardship, you're going to have some things that come against you. But be of good cheer, I have already overcome the world. Be of good cheer. I've already overcome the world. I guess when you look at that scripture, you can say, easy for you to say, Jesus, you're God. I still have these troubles and these concerns. This is what he was saying. He wasn't saying that you shouldn't take your responsibility seriously. He wasn't saying that there weren't legitimately things to be done. He was saying, there's one important thing and it's the better way. What he was saying is all these concerns, all these crisis, all these things that are coming against you, you need to come hang around at my feet, linger in my presence. Because, see, that's the one important thing that's gonna help you get through. That's the better way to handle worry and stress. That's the better way to handle worry and stress. You see, I believe that Mary somehow figured out the better way. And she did wasn't that she was lazy, it wasn't that she didn't care. Mary said, look, this is my chance right now to empty out the concerns and to put in all that God is. You see, that's the better way. Have you ever planned a birthday party or a holiday celebration at your house or some gathering, and you were so stressed out that you made your own self miserable and maybe some of your friends and family as well? There's a better way to handle the stresses of life. The word worry comes from an old English word in the 1500s that meant to strangle. To strangle. I think that's an amazing interpretation of that word because worry and stress literally chokes the fun out of life. It literally pressures us in every relationship that we have. It steals our joy. Think about it. Jesus was at Martha's house. She couldn't even enjoy the fact that Jesus was there. She missed the whole beauty of the moment. She couldn't calm down, relax and be peaceful. She allowed the stress that was going on in her mind to strain the relationship with her own sister. See, it was an attitude that changed. Worry doesn't change anything but your personality, it changes your disposition. It doesn't make the situation better. Actually, it makes the situation worse. I worked with a woman several years ago and she had some legitimate concerns in her life. And I could see how it was affecting her entire life. Her son was in the military and he had been deployed to another country. She was extremely concerned about his well being and if he was going to make it and how things were going. She was so concerned and so worked up that I saw it begin to change her disposition, change her personality. She could hardly even function at work. And I said to her, I said, look, there's gotta be a better way to handle this situation. I mean, he is there. There is not a thing that you can do about it. You've got to come to this place of peace and rest in the Lord. So I began to pray with her and then I began to make some suggestions. I said, look, you need to get some scriptures. You need to have them ready just as your warfare. When these thoughts start strangling your joy and your peace, you need to write out some declarations. When you feel that tension coming against you, you need to say, God, thank you that my son is in the palm of your hand. Thank you Father. That no weapon formed against him will prosper. Father, thank you. Your angels have charge over him to keep him in all of his ways. He won't even dash his foot against the stone, but he'll tread upon the lion and the cobra. The young lion shall he trample underfoot. Thank you, Father. You put a bloodline around him that the enemy cannot cross. Father. I thank you Lord, that my son will come home safely. I began to see her put this into practice. Little by little, she began to take control over that worry. And I could see the strength come back. I could see her focus and her resolve come back. She began to praise God in the midst of her fear and her torment. And it made all the difference in her life. You see, worry pulls us away from God's power. But worship and praise draws us to him and it changes the situation. I have a good news to report. Six years serving in the military and her son came home safely. He came home safely, you see. Worries, a weight. It weighs us down, causes us to not be productive. In fact, the Bible says, lay aside every weight that would so easily beset us. Come on, us. So you have to lay it aside because it says that you have to run with purpose in every step. And when you are weighed down, you can't run. My sweet friend was so weighed down, she couldn't hardly get to work, much less run. You see, when she began to lay aside that weight, she was able to run out her purpose. See, her prayers, her intercession for her son was much more powerful than her worry. When she talked to him on the phone, she could say, son, I want to tell you I'm praying for you. The angels of the Lord have charge over you. You walk out and you be bold with confidence. Know that God Almighty is looking after you. She could encourage him to pray for himself. You see, when she began to lay aside the weight and run with purpose, she was way more effective. There's a technique that I use, and I've used it for years, and it works for me. You just gotta find something that works for you, right? So when I have these concerns and these troubles, I imagine a big helium balloon, big, beautiful balloon, red, red balloon. It's a power color. And I began to put those troubles in that balloon. And I imagine myself holding that balloon by the string, holding it out in front of me with those troubles. And I look at that balloon and I let it go and I release it to God. And I say, God, thank you that you're bigger than all these troubles. Thank you that you love me and that you said you'd perfect those things that concern me. So I'm going to give them to you. These troubles are just gonna go right at your feet. Jesus, you're gonna take care of them. You see, sometimes I have to admit, sometimes I have to let go of a whole bouquet of balloons. Do what you gotta do. Do what you gotta do to release the worry and the care. Because Jesus will sustain you when you release it to him. Listen, if you feel the pressure, the stranglehold of worry coming on you, even if it's automatic, push the pause button. Let's be like Mary. Let's take a lesson from this woman and let's sit at his feet. Let's linger there for a while. Let's empty out the concerns so that we'll have room to receive his goodness, his thoughts towards us, his wisdom, his joy. Listen. Weight is only going to weigh you down, but when you let it go to him, all things can be new again. Amen. Amen.

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[Joel Osteen]

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[Joel Osteen Ministry Announcer]

When you contact us today, we'll send you happy, healthy and free a 31 day wellness journey as our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount. This devotional will help you strengthen your faith, declare God's promises and receive the healing he's already made available to you. Spirit, soul and body. God wants you whole and this resource will help you experience his peace from the inside out. Please request your copy today. Begin a life receiving, life giving journey that will transform your spirit, mind and body. In just 31 days, God is going.

[Joel Osteen]

To restore what the enemy tried to steal. Your joy, your peace, your health. Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. Thanks so much for your prayer and support. Your generosity is bringing hope to people around the world. Special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for your monthly gifts. 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 watch on YouTube, the new jaw Osteen Network social media. You can listen on SiriusXM 24 hours a day. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired until we see you next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

[Joel Osteen Ministry Announcer]

Be sure to request your copy of Happy, healthy and a 31 day wellness journey. Visit jolostein.com or call 888-567-Joel for an additional gift that month we are also offering the Wholeness and Promise Bundle which includes the Happy, Healthy and Free Book plus the Words of Promise Journal, a beautifully designed journal where you can reflect, record prayers and speak life over your future. You can also request the Happy, Healthy and Free collection featuring the devotional, the Journal and a beautifully crafted set of three desktop encouragement blocks Each whitewashed wooden block displays one powerful word, happy, healthy and free along with a carefully chosen scripture. Place them in your home or workspace as daily reminders of God's promises for your life. You can request these life changing resources by calling 888-567-JOEL or logging on to jolostein.com today. Call or click 824 hours a day. This is your season to rise stronger, live lighter and walk daily in God's healing and peace. Request your copies today.

[Joel Osteen]

If you're a pastor, we'd like to invite you to our Pastors Gathering. We'd be honored to spend the day with you here at Lakewood. We'll share some of the things we've learned, insights and behind the scenes be a time of inspiration and encouragement. We'd love to meet you.

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