--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I made a decision when my father passed…" description: "\"I made a decision when my father passed away that I was going to be who God made me to be and not try to preach like my father.\" — Joel Osteen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/joel-osteen-194_decision_i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed_2504594.jpg" --- # I made a decision when my father passed away that I was… ![“I made a decision when my father passed away that I was going to be who God made me to be and not try to preach like my father.” quote by Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/joel-osteen-194_decision_i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed_2504594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/joel-osteen-194_decision_i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed_2504594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/joel-osteen-194_decision_i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed_2504594.jpg) > “I made a decision when my father passed away that I was going to be who God made me to be and not try to preach like my father.” [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He resolved to follow his own divine identity rather than imitate his father's preaching style. **In simple terms:** Choose personal authenticity over imitation. Key Takeaway Embrace your unique calling. Themes faith identity authenticity Mood determined reflective Type inspirational spiritual When to use this quote - personal crisis - career decisions - family expectations Key Concepts spirituality self‑realization Questions to Reflect On - How do you define your purpose? - What fears arise when breaking family patterns? A Different Perspective May others view his path as lacking tradition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [The decision for me was whether to have 'The Father' be a book that told a story - from the point of view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/the-decision-for-me-was-whether-to-have-the-father-be-a-book-that/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [Any decision made by my father was the result of a process that had involved many voices and which sometimes had taken weeks or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/any-decision-made-by-my-father-was-the-result-of-a-process-that-had/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [When my father passed away, I learned to be unattached to physical things. At a very young age, I was able to roam the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eiza-gonzalez/when-my-father-passed-away-i-learned-to-be-unattached-to-physical/) [Eiza Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eiza-gonzalez/) > [When my father passed away and then when later on I gave birth, those are sort of ground-breaking experiences that put everything else into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/when-my-father-passed-away-and-then-when-later-on-i-gave-birth-those/) [Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/) > [My father has passed away. He was African-American. My mother is white. So I was adopted by a couple that was of a similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-michael-key/my-father-has-passed-away-he-was-african-american-my-mother-is-white/) [Keegan-Michael Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-michael-key/) > [My father passed away in 1942, and three-four months after his death, I had to start working. There was a responsibility on my shoulders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lata-mangeshkar/my-father-passed-away-in-1942-and-three-four-months-after-his-death-i/) [Lata Mangeshkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lata-mangeshkar/) > [I was very empty after my father passed away. It was an emotional time, as it would be for anyone, but to be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhani-harrison/i-was-very-empty-after-my-father-passed-away-it-was-an-emotional-time/) [Dhani Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhani-harrison/) > [My father passed away when I was 12, so it was very difficult. But I was always the class clown. I don't know why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-willard/my-father-passed-away-when-i-was-12-so-it-was-very-difficult-but-i/) [Fred Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-willard/) > [I was an only child growing up, and my father passed away when I was twelve, so for most of my life, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-wersching/i-was-an-only-child-growing-up-and-my-father-passed-away-when-i-was/) [Annie Wersching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-wersching/) > [When my father passed away two or three years ago, I didnt listen to music for four days - thats a long time for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/when-my-father-passed-away-two-or-three-years-ago-i-didnt-listen-to/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [My father passed away due to Alzheimer's disease, and many things I do are nods to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-nantz/my-father-passed-away-due-to-alzheimer-s-disease-and-many-things-i-do/) [Jim Nantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-nantz/) > [When my father passed away, my mom didn't really know what to do and how to deal with it for me, so she put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eiza-gonzalez/when-my-father-passed-away-my-mom-didn-t-really-know-what-to-do-and/) [Eiza Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eiza-gonzalez/) > [The day I won an Emmy was also the day my father passed away. I received a call from my sister on the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy/the-day-i-won-an-emmy-was-also-the-day-my-father-passed-away-i/) [Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy/) > [My beloved father passed away just two months after I told him I was going to start a company. Whenever I make progress in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/my-beloved-father-passed-away-just-two-months-after-i-told-him-i-was/) [Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/) > [When my father passed away, he had his organs donated. In that painful moment, I was deeply comforted knowing that my father would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perez/when-my-father-passed-away-he-had-his-organs-donated-in-that-painful/) [John Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perez/) ## More by Joel Osteen > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I don't have to figure out how God is going to solve my problem. I don't have to understand how He's going to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-don-t-have-to-figure-out-how-god-is-going-to-solve-my-problem-i-don/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [The only difference between black coal and a precious diamond is the amount of pressure it endured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/the-only-difference-between-black-coal-and-a-precious-diamond-is-the/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Faith is easy; I think people complicate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/faith-is-easy-i-think-people-complicate-it/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [There's pros and cons of a big church. Cons is I don't get to know everybody, I don't get to go to their ballgame,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/there-s-pros-and-cons-of-a-big-church-cons-is-i-don-t-get-to-know/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [When you smile and project an aura of warmth, kindness, and friendliness, you will attract warms, kindness, and friendliness. Happy people will be drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/when-you-smile-and-project-an-aura-of-warmth-kindness-and/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [You may not have the approval of someone 'important,' but you have the favor of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-may-not-have-the-approval-of-someone-important-but-you-have-the/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“In the Bible, God called Gideon a mighty man of (fearless) courage. Gideon looked around and said, “Who’s He talking to? That’s not me.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/in-the-bible-god-called-gideon-a-mighty-man-of-fearless-courage/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [At the start of each new day, remind yourself: I am talented. I am creative. I am greatly favored by God. I am equipped.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/at-the-start-of-each-new-day-remind-yourself-i-am-talented-i-am/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Don't be intimidated by the size of your problem or the size of your dream. God will see to it that it is finished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/don-t-be-intimidated-by-the-size-of-your-problem-or-the-size-of-your/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [No matter what's happening, choose to be happy. Don't focus on what's wrong. Find something positive in your life. Thank God for the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/no-matter-what-s-happening-choose-to-be-happy-don-t-focus-on-what-s/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I deal with more practical issues of the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-deal-with-more-practical-issues-of-the-bible/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I've learned a simple principle: all I have to do is be the best 'me' that I can be. One day when I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-ve-learned-a-simple-principle-all-i-have-to-do-is-be-the-best-me/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“Too often we don’t realize how great we have it until something is taken away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/too-often-we-don-t-realize-how-great-we-have-it-until-something-is/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) [Explore all 960 Joel Osteen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## More Decision quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-foundation-from-which-your-decisions-about-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [“it is either you happen to life or life happens to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sesan-kareem/it-is-either-you-happen-to-life-or-life-happens-to-you/) [Sesan Kareem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sesan-kareem/) > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am encouraged President Obama now says he will fulfill his constitutional obligation to seek authorization for any potential military action in Syria. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-am-encouraged-president-obama-now-says-he-will-fulfill-his/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) [Browse all 9,145 Decision quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I made a decision when my father passed away that I was going to be who God made me to be and not try to preach like my father.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joel Osteen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed-away-that-i-was-going-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decision" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed-away-that-i-was-going-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/joel-osteen-194_decision_i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed_2504594.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/joel-osteen-194_decision_i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed_2504594.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/joel-osteen-194_decision_i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed_2504594.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I made a decision when my father passed away that I was going to be who God made me to be and not try to…” — Joel Osteen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joel Osteen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I made a decision when my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed-away-that-i-was-going-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-made-a-decision-when-my-father-passed-away-that-i-was-going-to-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```