Joel Osteen - Time to Try Again

I want to talk to you today about the time to try again. We've all had things we wanted to see happen, but they didn't work out. We tried to start a business, tried to lose weight, tried to have a baby, and tried to forgive. We did our best, but we weren't able to succeed. When we face these setbacks, it's easy to settle there and think, "I don't want to be disappointed again." The relationship didn't work out; I don't want to get hurt again. My boss said I wasn't qualified for the position; I don't want to get rejected again. I tried to make peace with my loved one, but it only made things worse. I don't want to rock the boat again. But just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean that it won't happen. The people who reach their destiny are the ones who try again. The enemy would love for you to live disappointed, dwelling on what wasn’t fair and who hurt you. You did your best, but the door closed; the promotion you deserved went to your coworker. You wanted to get your degree, but you weren't disciplined — you didn’t study, you partied, and now it seems like it’s too late. But God knew every mistake you would make. He knew every setback and every person who would do you wrong. He's already taken that into account. For every setback, He has already planned a comeback; for every loss, a new beginning; for every closed door, an open door. Failure is not final unless you quit trying. The scripture says, "A good man falls seven times, but he gets back up again." We are all going to fall. The question is, are you going to get back up? Are you going to believe that God is still ordering your steps, that what He started, He will finish? There has to be a fire inside, a holy determination that you will become all that God created you to be. "But Joel, I tried to get back in shape, and I couldn't do it." God is saying, "Try again." Well, I tried to break the addiction; I’ve been to rehab a few times. Try again. I tried to make my marriage work, but we were too combative. I tried to start my company, but I couldn't get the funding. Try again. Sometimes it wasn't the right time, or God was working in you, getting everything arranged. But you will come into what the scripture calls a window of grace, where God empowers you to do what you couldn't do before, where there's favor that causes doors to open, the right people to show up, and an anointing of ease, where what used to be a struggle is not a struggle anymore. You have the grace to forgive, the grace to get healthy, and the grace to take new ground. But this power is only activated if you try again.