Chosen: Your Life Is Marked for Distinction

by Joel Osteen

From a New York Times bestselling author, this powerful guide will help you discover the life you were designed to live.

Before you were born, the Most High God not only knew you but He chose you. He handpicked you and put a calling on your life. He’s already equipped you and empowered you to accomplish your purpose. He stamped His approval on you and destined you to leave your mark. He says you are His most prized possession.

Don’t let fear, insecurity, guilt, or regrets keep you from your greatness. Right now, God’s face is shining on you. There is a distinction of favor on your life that causes you to stand out, that gives you an advantage, that opens doors of opportunity and causes you to prosper even in a downtime.

What God has in your future is greater than you’ve ever dreamed.

This compact digest by author of 10 New York Times bestsellers JOEL OSTEEN is derived from material previously published in The Power of I Am and The Power of Favor.
Joel Osteen is the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Millions connect daily with his inspirational messages through television, podcasts, Joel Osteen Radio on SiriusXM and global digital platforms.

128 pages, Hardcover

Published July 8, 2025

About the author

JOEL OSTEEN is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers. He is the senior pastor of America's largest congregation, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. More than 45,000 people attend services there every week. His televised messages are seen by more than 10 million viewers each week in the United States, and millions more in 100 nations around the world. His 24-hour channel on SiriusXM Satellite Radio and millions of social media followers have prompted numerous publications to name him as one of the most influential Christian leaders in the world. He resides in Houston with his wife, Victoria, and their children.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Chosen, Joel Osteen has written a book reminding readers that God approves us and that He has handpicked us and He has given us a calling on our lives. The book is derived from material previously published in The Power of I Am and The Power of Favor. The book begins with Joel explaining how we are all marked for distinction. When we choose to put God first in our lives, God can cause favor to fall on our lives. Scriptures declare how we are chosen and set apart from others. He can cause blessing to occur, promotions we didn’t earn, prosper when we shouldn’t be, all of these can happen because of whose we are. Joel also shared how important it is to run your own race. We have our only special assignment from God. We don’t have to compete with others and try to keep up with them. Instead, we need to focus on what God has called us to do. We don’t have to have an incredible gift to be used by God even. He stated how David was chosen for his personality and his ability to sling a rock. The gift helped him to defeat Goliath and help him to get promoted on the throne.





In the book, Joel shared an email he received from Rudy. Her and her husband, George was trying different recipes to make gumbo. They found one they loved and started to sell it door to door. One day, they saw a commercial from a large grocery store hosting a cooking competition. Whoever won would be featured on their store shelves. Out of 600 submissions they were in the top 25. They unfortunately didn’t win the grand prize. They attend Lakewood Church and that Sunday Joel was discussing how God doesn’t take us from point A to B to C sometimes it’s back and forth and can take a while. After a few months, they received a phone call from the grocery store saying that they would like to feature their product and display it in their stores. God accelerated their dreams even when it appeared that door was shut.




I would recommend this awesome book to anyone is needing a reminder of the special calling on their lives. They may feel insignificant and less than but this book will provide you with the hope that God has chosen us. This book is very insightful on helping us to realize that God’s face is shining down on us and His favor is all around us. God chose our personality, our looks, and our purpose where we can fulfill our destiny. We are all God’s masterpiece and this book will remind you of how important you are.

[Cassie Webb · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Chosen" by Joel Osteen is a book I approached with some skepticism due to the controversy surrounding the author and his association with televangelism. However, I wanted to give it a chance to see if it adhered to biblical truths or leaned towards prosperity gospel.

The book does speak truth and emphasizes God's sovereignty, affirming that blessings come from God and we do not have a say in them. This aligns with biblical teachings. However, I was disappointed that Osteen often references scripture without providing direct verses. While I agree with the notion that we are chosen by God and have His favor, Osteen's writing suggests that God will answer all our prayers in the way we desire and that only "good" things will happen to us if we pray. This is misleading, as God answers prayers according to His will and for His glory, not always in the way we expect. Additionally, it is important to recognize that sometimes "bad" people experience good things. "Chosen" contains some biblical truths, but readers should approach it with caution and discernment.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chosen: Your Life Is Marked for Distinction by Joel Osteen
Publisher: FaithWords
Genre: Christian, Self-Help
Published: July 8, 2025

Chosen is a book about seeing ourselves as God does by Joel Osteen.

I’ve been a fan of Joel Osteen for years and appreciate his positive messaging. I’ve read most of his other books and this one is on par with the previous ones!

I love how his style of writing feels like he is talking to you over a cup of coffee, like we are old friends and he is offering his support and wisdom.

I truly appreciate the use of stories from the bible, his life and those around him to demonstrate the lessons.

This was a quick read and definitely worth the time. The book is filled with some great tips for identifying and removing the negative from your life and served as a reminder to me to stop some my anxious thoughts before they can take over.

I'm so grateful to Joel Osteen, FaithWords, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

[Sara Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great motivational book letting you know that simply being a child of God marks you destined for good in life. Chapters are: You Are Marked for Distinction, You Are Chosen, You Have Favor to Fulfill Your Purpose, You Are a Masterpiece, and You Will rise to new Levels. I appreciate that each chapter is only about 20-25 pages, so it makes it easy to read a chapter a day and then take time to reflect on it.

[Jack Lozeron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book wasn't what I was expecting didn't realize it was gonna have anything to do with religion, but I liked the notion of utilizing a higher power to enhance a personal experience. The human experience, some really solid advice in the book and some of the words in sentences were exactly what I needed.
Also, a really quick read.

[Kathryn Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want something to uplift you out of a funk and understand God better then this book is it! It helped ease a lot of stress that I was under and ground myself.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

good short book makes alot of sense

[Daja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a good book, a little repetitive at times but overall the message was great. It left me feeling spiritually fired up and confident in the core of who I am in JESUS

[Miguelina Guzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very spiritual and insightful talk about that god it’s with us all day we just have faith in building by pray more to him

[rosalie galliher · Rating 5 out of 5]

always makes you have hope and curiosity

I love Joel’s books. They seem to lift me up from discouragement to encouragement. And his stories are always good examples. He’s a storyteller.