Widen Your Lens Of Perspective | Victoria Osteen

Sat Jan 31 2026

Don’t let a difficult season keep you from recognizing the good things God is doing in your life.

Summary

Joel Osteen Podcast: "Widen Your Lens Of Perspective"

Episode Date: January 31, 2026
Host: Victoria Osteen (with brief appearances by Joel Osteen)
Theme: Encouragement to shift perspective, recognize new opportunities, and keep living with hope—even amid unanswered prayers or difficult seasons.

Overview

This episode, primarily led by Victoria Osteen, tackles how we can avoid getting “stuck” while waiting for prayers to be answered or circumstances to change. Drawing on scripture, personal experience, and practical metaphors, Victoria urges listeners to "widen the lens" of their perspective—focusing less on what hasn't changed, and more on God's ongoing work. The message is one of joy, expectancy, and letting go of fixation on the past to embrace new beginnings.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Don’t Wait for Change—Live with Expectancy

[01:41–03:30] Victoria addresses those who feel stuck, waiting for circumstances to improve before embracing joy or moving forward.
- “Sometimes we’re waiting on things to change… and we forget to look at our God… We’re to wait expectantly on the Lord, exciting with anticipation.”
She emphasizes that our focus shouldn’t be on perfect circumstances, but on God’s promises and ability to work amidst any situation.

2. Tap Into God’s Joy and Shine

[03:30–05:10] Victoria draws from scripture:
- “There is a joy in you that Jesus gave you… The righteous are to get brighter and brighter until the full day.”
She urges regular self-reflection:
- “Am I shining or do I feel dim? Is there a black cloud over me?... Get your eyes off of this mountain and get your eyes on where the help can come from—from the person who created all the mountains.”

3. God Is Doing a New Thing—Right Now

[05:12–07:00] She reads from Isaiah 43:18–19.
- “Forget the former things. Do not dwell on them. Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up. Can you perceive it?”
God is always at work—even in wilderness or wasteland moments—but we must “widen our lens” to perceive it.

4. Victoria’s Personal Testimony

[07:00–09:30] Victoria shares a deeply personal story about facing a three-year-long trial.
- She describes wanting to “dim” her light and stay stuck, but recounts God prompting her:
  - “You are made and designed to shine… You need to look out beyond this problem because I’m doing some new things in the middle of your mess.”
- During that tough period, she wrote multiple books and experienced spiritual growth:
  - “Can you imagine if I would have given in to defeat and discouragement… I would have lost three years.”
  - “God turned it around because I was willing to put forth the effort, to shake it off and keep living.”

5. Don’t Build Your Life Around Unanswered Prayers

[09:30–12:30] She recounts counseling a woman desperate for marital reconciliation.
- “Don’t make plans according to this prayer being answered… Don’t stop living.”
- Encourages the woman—and listeners—not to get stuck, but to keep using their gifts and living purposefully:
  - “You let God grow you. Learn, progress, take on new and exciting challenges.”

6. The Eye Strain Metaphor: Widening Perspective

[12:30–15:00] Victoria draws a powerful parallel between eye strain (from focusing too long on a screen) and how we handle personal trials.
- “When you cast your eyes and begin to see life… it relaxes the lens of your eye.”
- “The same thing parallels our life. When we focus so much on an area that needs to change… we struggle and bring strain upon ourselves.”
- Practical tip: Take a “break” from your fixations, look up, and see the bigger picture God is creating.

7. God’s New Things Are Already Springing Up

[15:00–16:00] Victoria concludes by encouraging listeners to recognize God’s new opportunities—even if they can’t see them right away.
- “He has got more in store for you… But if you’re not looking for it, you might not find it.”
- “Where you are today isn’t where you’re going to stay.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

[02:50] Victoria Osteen:
“We’re supposed to thrive like a green leaf… You’re not supposed to be dim some days and bright the others.”
[05:30] Victoria Osteen (on Isaiah):
“God didn’t say, ‘I’m going to do a new thing when I get ready.’ He said, ‘I am doing a new thing. It springs up now.’”
[08:20] Victoria Osteen:
“It was a change of perspective. It was deciding I wasn’t gonna wear a banner of defeat, but was gonna wear a banner of victory over my head.”
[11:20] Victoria Osteen (to the woman she counseled):
“Don’t make all your plans around that unanswered prayer. I got new things springing up even now.”
[14:10] Victoria Osteen (eye strain analogy):
“What I am saying is… when we focus so much on something we want to change, we struggle, and we bring strain upon ourselves. We’ve gotta get good at… casting our eyes past the situation into the distance—to widen our lens.”

Takeaways for Listeners

Don’t Become Paralyzed by Unchanged Circumstances: Life must not wait for perfect conditions or unanswered prayers.
Shine and Thrive in ALL Seasons: God’s joy and brightness are available even amidst challenges.
Widen Your Perspective: Look for God’s new things. Believe they are “springing up now,” not just coming “someday.”
Stay Purposeful and Hopeful: Continue to grow, serve, and live with anticipation, regardless of current difficulties.
Release Eye Strain—Spiritually: Break fixation on a single problem. Pause, “look out the window,” and let your soul re-center on God’s bigger picture.

Timestamps for Major Segments

01:41: Victoria’s encouragement to not be stuck waiting
03:30: On letting God’s light and joy shine through
05:12: Reading Isaiah 43:18–19 and its message
07:00: Personal testimony of facing a multi-year trial
09:30: Counseling: Don’t shape your life around one prayer
12:30: Eye strain metaphor for spiritual perspective
15:00: Closing: Look for God’s new things and keep living

Final Word:
Victoria’s message is a heartfelt call to expand our focus, keep living fully, and trust God’s ability to do new things—even if it means letting go of the narrow view of what we think we need. Her practical wisdom and scriptural encouragement make for an uplifting, relatable listen for anyone facing uncertainty or discouragement.

Loading summary...

Transcript

Kelly Ripa (0:00)

Hey there, it's Kelly Ripa. And if you've been listening to my podcast, we are knee deep in season three. And if you haven't heard it, it's time to get on board. After years of interviewing celebs on camera, I finally get to bring you the real conversations that take place when the cameras aren't rolling. Where else are you going to hear Michelle Obama talk about keeping her girls out of Page Six? Hilaria Baldwin's hilarious reaction to Alec running for office? Or Jeremy Renner's lucid hallucinations about Jamie Foxx? Nowhere else. It's raw, it's honest, and best of all, it's off camera. And believe me, that's where you get the good stuff. So download. Let's talk off camera with Kelly Rippa now.

Joel Osteen (0:39)

Wherever you get your podcasts, USAA knows.

Angie.com Announcer (0:43)

Dynamic duos can save the day like.

Joel Osteen (0:45)

Superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With usaa, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%.

Angie.com Announcer (0:52)

Tap the banner to learn more and get a'@usaa.com bundle restrictions apply.

Joel Osteen (0:59)

Why have we asked our contractor we found on Angie.com to be our kid's legal guardian? Because he took such good care when redoing our basement that we knew we could trust him to care for our kids, all eight of them, should something happen to us. Are you my dad now?

Angie.com Announcer (1:14)

No, sorry. I do basements, connecting homeowners with skilled pros for over 30 years. Angie, the one you trust. Define the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects@angie.com.

Joel Osteen (1:27)

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

Joel Osteen (1:33)

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

Joel Osteen (1:37)

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

Joel Osteen (1:41)

We praise you and thank you for all that you're doing. Amen. You may be seated. I want to encourage every one of us today that if you're waiting on a prayer to be answered or maybe you're waiting for some things to change in your life and it hasn't happened for a long time and you're just waiting for things to change so you can move on with life. I want to encourage you to not let those things stop you. Don't get stuck in those areas of your life. God doesn't want you to ever get stuck. He wants you to live with enthusiasm. He wants you to live with joy. He wants you to live with expectancy of what he can do in your life. You see, sometimes we're waiting on things to change. We're looking at everything around us and we forget to look at our God. See, the Bible says we are to wait upon the Lord. We're not to wait for all of our prayers to be answered. We're not to wait for things to change before we can be happy. We're to wait expectantly on the Lord, exciting with anticipation. God, I may be in a difficult season, but God, that doesn't stop you from working in my life. You see, with an excitement and a joy and a passion for life. That's how God wants us to live. You know, we sometimes we think that seems impossible. I can't be that happy all the time. Really. Victoria, the Bible says that there is a joy in you that Jesus gave you. He says the joy that is in me I have given you. You have the ability to tap into the resources that God has given you. You see, the Bible says that the righteous are to get brighter and brighter until the full day we're to thrive like a green leaf. We're not supposed to wither. Our dreams and hopes are not supposed to wither, but we're supposed to thrive. We're supposed to shine brighter and brighter. You're not supposed to be dim some days and bright the others. You're supposed to be bright shining. You're supposed to let the sun in the s O n every single day so that you can be bright and shiny. I think that's a good question to ask ourselves periodically through the day. Am I shining or do I feel dim? Is there a black cloud over me? Is there something trying to bring me down? Am I focused too much on a situation or change that needs to happen in my life that I'm not shining? Do I need to get my eyes off of this mountain and get my eyes on where the help can come from from the person who created all the mountains, who created the universe, and who can create whatever I need. Listen, we're to be stars. We're to let the sun in. Listen to what it says in Isaiah 43, 1819. And this is what God spoke through the prophet. And he said, forget the former things. Do not dwell on them. Behold, I am doing a new thing now. Now it springs up. Can you perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams, in the wasteland. You see, there is a question that God is asking us in his promise to us. And what he is asking us is this. Do you recognize what I'm doing in your life? You see, it says, I am doing a new thing. God didn't say, I'm going to do a new thing when I get ready. When you get straight in your life, he said, I am doing a new thing. It springs up. Now, see, God is saying, don't have faith when the situation takes care of itself. Cause I'm doing some new things right now. Right now. But the thing is, is that we have to perceive it. And in doing so, sometimes we need to change our perspective. We need to widen our lens, widen our focus. You see, it says, behold. Some translations say, look, see, watch. That sounds like anticipation to me, doesn't it? You watch and see what the Lord will do. See, it is a new thing. I'll never forget. Several years ago, I was going through the most difficult time in my life. There was. My life seemed to hinge on this one major decision to me. It felt like life and death to me. It was the most difficult thing that I can remember ever going through. I can remember what I wanted to do. I wanted to stay home. I wanted to cry. I wanted to. Waller, listen. I didn't want to shine. I wanted to dim things down. One day, God spoke to me and he said, you cannot live like this. He said, you made and designed to shine. And he said, you need to look out beyond this problem. Because I've got opportunities. I'm doing some new things in the middle of your mess. I am still working. Do you know that challenge in my life went on for three long years. And can I tell you, they see like long years. But during that time, I shook it off every day. I pushed through. Was it easy?