Break Out!: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life

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This book is dedicated to an amazing woman, my mother, Dodie Osteen, who is now celebrating her eightieth year. Her love, kindness, generosity, and strength of faith inspire not only me and our family but also countless others around the world. I love her dearly, and I’m honored to call her my Mother.

Once again, I am grateful for a wonderful team of professionals who helped me put this book together for you. Leading them is my editor, Rolf Zettersten, at FaithWords/Hachette and Hachette Chairman and CEO Michael Pietsch, along with Harry Helm and Andrea Glickson.

I am grateful also to my literary agents, Jan Miller and Shannon Marven, at Dupree Miller & Associates, and especially Wes Smith, the wordsmith who helps keep my message clear.

In this book I offer many stories shared with me by friends, members of our congregation, and people I’ve met around the world. I appreciate and acknowledge their contributions and support. Some of those mentioned in the book are people I have not met personally, and, in a few cases, we’ve changed the names to protect the privacy of individuals. I give honor to all of those to whom honor is due. As the son of a church leader and a pastor myself, I’ve listened to countless sermons and presentations, so in some cases I can’t remember the exact source of a story. Thanks to all who have touched my life with their own. My intention in writing this book is to pass on the blessings, and to God be the glory.

I offer special thanks also to all the pastors across the country who are members of our Champions Network, especially that group’s chairman, Pastor Phil Munsey, and his wife, Jeannie.

I am indebted to the amazing staff of Lakewood Church, the wonderful members of Lakewood who share their stories with me, and those around the world who generously support our ministry and make it possible to bring hope to a world in need. I am grateful to all of those around the globe who follow our services on television, the Internet, and through the podcasts. You are all part of our Lakewood family.

And last but not least, thanks to my wife, Victoria, and our children, Jonathan and Alexandra, who are my sources of daily inspiration; and our closest family members who serve as day-to-day leaders of our ministry, including my brother, Paul, and his wife, Jennifer; my sister, Lisa, and her husband, Kevin; and my brother-in-law, Don, and his wife, Jackelyn. We are thankful to have my mother, Dodie Osteen, as our inspiration and a constant source of wisdom.

I
was in a long line for a popular ride at an amusement park with our two children, Jonathan and Alexandra, years ago. At first everyone was in a single file, but as we moved closer to the ride we entered this small room about twenty feet by twenty feet. We were the first inside and we walked to the front doors. As we stood there so excited, knowing that we would get the best choice of seats, other people began crowding in behind us. I tried to politely hold our position at the front, but a few teenagers cleverly maneuvered ahead of us. Then, a few more, and more, and more.

We ended up being pushed all the way to the very back of the room right where we’d entered originally. I tried not to let it bother me. After all, we were there to have fun. A young woman worker came out and stood before the front doors. She greeted everyone and said we were just about ready to board the ride. She gave us instructions for getting on.

Then she said, “Okay, we’re ready to go. Now, turn around and go back out the same doors you came in.” That was right where we were standing. Suddenly, the last were made first!

In the same way, all God has to do is shift the direction, and you’ll go from the back to the front. One touch of His favor can put you fifty years ahead of where you thought you’d be. You can be at a lower position at the office, you’re going along, being your best, honoring God, and suddenly things can change. One good break, one idea, one person who likes you,
and you look up and find yourself in a top job. You didn’t see it coming. Things just fell into place.

What happened? You came into a shift. God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you’re able to pay off your house. That’s God shifting things in your favor. What used to be a struggle is not a struggle anymore. What should have taken years happened in a fraction of the time. You may feel like you’re stuck right now. You could never accomplish a dream, never overcome a problem. It’s just been too long. You’ve missed too many opportunities. But God is saying, “Get ready. I’m about to shift things.” Doors will open for you that have not opened in the past. Those who were against you will suddenly change their minds and be for you. Problems that have dogged you for years will suddenly turn around. You are coming into a shift. Because you have honored God, He will put you in a position you never could have attained on your own. It’s not just your education, not just your talent, or the family you come from. It’s the hand of God shifting you to a new level of your destiny.

Sometimes you need faith and victory spoken over your life. Words have created power. When you receive them into your spirit, they can ignite seeds of increase on the inside. That’s the reason I’ve written this book. You were not created to just get by with an average, unrewarding, or unfulfilling life. God created you to leave your mark on this generation. You have gifts and talents that you have not tapped into. There are new levels of your destiny still in front of you. But break out starts in your thinking. As you put these keys into action, making room for increase, expecting shifts of God’s favor, praying bold prayers, and keeping the right perspective, then God will release floods of His goodness that will thrust you beyond barriers of the past into the extraordinary life you were designed to live.

I’m not just trying to make you feel good. I’m declaring, “A shift is coming.” A shift in your health. A shift in your finances. A shift in a relationship. It may not look like it in the natural, but we serve a supernatural God. He’s about to breathe in your direction in a new way.

The enemies you’ve seen in the past you will see no more. The addictions
and bad habits holding you back are being broken. God’s favor is being released in a new way. It will propel you forward. What should have taken you forty years to accomplish, God will do in a split second.

The shift is acceleration. The shift will take you where you could not have gone on your own. The shift is overcoming what a medical report said was impossible. The shift is seeing that wayward child change his mind and get back on the right course. The shift is having your best year when the circumstances say you should have a down year. The shift is seeing God not only provide but also do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond.

Your new attitude should be: “God, I’m ready. I’m taking the limits off of You. I’m enlarging my vision. I may not see a way but I know You have a way. I declare I’m coming into a shift.”

You need to check doors that have been closed to you in the past. Things have shifted. The dream you had to start a new business, to go back to college, to take a mission trip—it may not have happened the first time, but that’s okay. It’s prepared you for this time. Don’t give up. This is a new day. Things have shifted. Pursue your dream again.

When God breathes in your direction, people change their mind. Closed doors suddenly open. The
no
s turn into
yes
es.
Not now
turns into
It’s your time
.

A construction manager I know had been out of a job for three years after twenty-five years of steady work. He’d had a very good position at a successful company, but when the recession hit and building tapered off, his company had to let him go. He went to one job interview after another, month after month, with no success. He finally took a much lower-level position in a small city, to which he had to travel a couple of hours every day. It was taking a toll on his health, his marriage, and his savings. It looked like his job situation would never change. But about six months later, his former boss called and said, “Hey, are you ready to go back to work?”

His old company had landed the largest contract in its history. He not only got his job back but also all of his benefits. He used to have to travel around the country. Now he gets to work in town. Plus, they increased his salary significantly. He said, “This is exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond.”

What happened? He came into a shift. Suddenly, things changed in his favor. One phone call. One contract. One good break. He went from barely getting by to having more than enough.

Now
you
need to get ready. These shifts are in your future.

The Israelites were enslaved for many years and mistreated by their captors. They were forced to work long hours and not given the proper rest or food. When they didn’t meet their quotas they were beaten with rods. It was very unfair. But one day, through a series of events, God supernaturally brought them out. The Scripture says that as they were leaving, “God caused them to have favor with their enemies.”

Notice, God
caused them
to have favor. The same people who had oppressed them for years, the same foes who had pushed them down and mistreated them, suddenly changed their minds. They said in effect, “We’ve decided that we like you now. We want to be good to you.”