LOVE PEOPLE
27th Aug 2025
We have been watching The Celebration of the Life of Dodie Osteen on YouTube. She was the wife of John Osteen, who pioneered Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, and the mother of Joel Osteen. She has just been promoted to glory at the age of 91.
When she became the pastor’s wife of this new church, she asked John, “What can I do? I can’t preach, I can’t sing, and I am no good at baking cakes?” His reply was simple, “Just love people.”
What remarkable fruit has been the outcome of those words! Dodie has lived that calling for 70 years and more. In her 40’s she was diagnosed with cancer and given only a short time to live. She came out of the hospital, took hold of the promises from Scripture, returned to church and continued praying for others, was healed and lived for another 40 plus years.
This is the calling for all believers. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” And the most well-known verse in the whole Bible, John 3:16, says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Many people in our churches are looking for a role. They want to have significance and status. This often causes tension as they are seeking to advance in the life of the church. The call to “Love People” is to all believers and leads to being effective and fruitful.
In the last discourse that Jesus gave to His disciples, He said, “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
The lasting memory for those who knew Dodie is of her praying for people. That’s what she did wherever she was, in church, with friends, and even in restaurants and public places. The fruit of her prayers has led to remarkable healings and transformed lives. She may have impacted more lives than either her husband, John or her son, Joel!
by Charles Sibthorpe
