Posted on 09/10/2007 4:44:02 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
In my Sunday School class, we finished Exodus last week. Between books, I often do miscellaneous lessons or a topical study. So, before we start Numbers next week, I did the only thing on my miscellaneous docket: a book review of Joel Osteens Your Best Life Now.
Now, why would I bother to read Osteens book (I already have, more or less, my best life now!)and why would I devote the time to talk about it in my class? First, a dear friend of mine gave it to me and my wife for Christmas. Thats probably not an uncommon gift to receive, but it is noteworthy because hes a Southern Baptist minister (not exactly Joels usual audience). Moreover, he credits Osteens ministry with important changes in his own preachingin terms of both style and substance.
Second, Hank Hanegraaff is not a big fan of Joels, strongly critiquing him on the handful of occasions when Ive heard him speak on the topic. In particular, hes labeled him as a Word of Faith (WoF) minister who preaches a prosperity (health & wealth) gospel. I have tremendous respect for Hanks ministry through the Christian Research Institute. (CRIs review of Osteens book is not a hatchet job by any means, but I disagree with some of the conclusions.)
So, how do I resolve the views of these two men? Well, for starters, I decided to read Osteen for myself! (Keep in mind that I have never seen/heard Joel in action. For better and for worse, this is only a book report!)
GENERAL OVERVIEW/THOUGHTS
-The book is an easy read. It is quite redundant, but perhaps this is necessary given the themes. If one is having trouble in the areas that Osteen addresses, saying it once is unlikely to be sufficient.
-The book is Proverbs-like in that he is largely communicating principles, not laws of nature or of human behavior. If one wants to consider them rules, then there are clearly exceptions. In any case, the context of his remarks is relevantand implied as one goes along. For example, he uses one example where a lady should remain in her job instead of taking an undesirable promotion (p. 96). But at other times, he encourages people to avidly pursue job promotionsif their reluctance has been a function of a negative attitude like fear or self-loathing.
-Likewise, in a sense, the book is sloppyif one wants to read it closely/narrowly. This is not an academic work; hes speaking/appealing to a popular audience. And hes depending on the audience to understand the context of his remarks. (Ironically, those who are more academic may be least able to read the book in this manner!)
MY CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE BOOK:
-Most of the book is fineif combined with already solid theology and practice. Even if one doesnt have a solid background, the book could still be helpful if one is recovering from some forms of bad theology.
-Likewise, how one reads/sees this will depend on their religious background and personal circumstances/backgroundwhether Charismatic or Reformed, whether successful and confident or struggling and fearful.
-At least in terms of the book, Hanegraaff/CRIs critique misses the mark. Other critiques are (quite) valid, but Osteen (at least here) is at most a first cousin to WoF.
-Osteen points to (and pounds) the importance of hope, vision, and faith. As such, his (best) audience seems to be broken people and broken communitieswhom Jesus describes in Mt 5:3 as the poor in Spirit.
-The title of the book is descriptive. Your best implies the context-specific nature of what best means to each individual (vs. the usual WoF message of general health and wealth for the faithful). Life now speaks to the fact that the Gospel is meant to have a tremendous impact on our life on earth (not just fire insurance to get to Heaven)and the need to take steps now, rather than procrastinating. These are themes developed by writers for whom I have tremendous respect: In The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard talks about a gospel for living not just dying (as is often the case in Evangelical circles). And in The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis talks about the need to focus on the present and eternity and not so much on the past and future.
NOTABLE THEMES:
-The biggie: the need to transform ones mind and attitude (Rom 12:2). There is a considerable focus on self here. But the changes are accomplished with Gods help and ultimately directed for greater/godly ends. In addition, Osteen may have in mind a corrective to the standard Charismatic emphasis on the devils power. If so, Osteen is urging his audience to avoid blaming external factors and deal with internal aspects of the sin nature.
-Related to that: we need to believe in a big, involved, benevolent God (Jer 29:11, Heb 11:6)and we need to go to Him with big dreams/goals (Eph 3:20; Mt 7:7-11).
-There is some emphasis on material prosperity, but it is reasonable/balanced. All things equal, God takes pleasure in prospering His children (p. 87a)although, often, not all other things are equal! But Osteen has much more on spiritual prosperity and abundant life properly defined. (For example, later on p. 87, he identifies a poverty mentality [that] is not glorifying to God.)
-Even within his discussions of material prosperity, all of Part 6 (50 pages) is devoted to giving and serving of all sorts. We should concentrate more on being a blessing than trying to be blessed. (p. 226) Somebody needs what you have to give. (p. 230) He challenges people to start sowing and plantingrather than waiting until things get better. And there is only one reference to church giving (encouraging people to stretch from 10-11%). Finally, it is evident that it is more important to Osteen that his audience would live a life of integrity and excellence vs. mediocritythan a concern about material prosperity (ch. 31).
-Osteen repeatedly talks about adversity coming to usand the importance of our response to it. In fact, all of part 5 (50 pages) is devoted to this topic, including chapters on standing up on the inside, trust Gods timing, and the purpose of trials (p. 206s God is more interested in changing me than my circumstances). My favorite point here was his distinction between a delivering faith (where one has faith and God delivers you quickly from a trial) and a much more laudable sustaining faith (where ones faith sustains you through a trial). This is good stuff in any casebut especially in contrast the WoF teachers to whom he is being compared!
-Likewise, Osteen talks (pointedly and at length) about taking ownership and action vs. blaming circumstance and others. Quit complaining and start rejoicing (p. 278). Chapter themes? Move on with life vs. getting stuck in paralysis (Jn 5:6s do you want to get well?; II Sam 12:13-23). Be quick to forgive; dont let bitterness take root. Let God take care of justice (David with Saul). Osteen also points to the need to overcome the crippling power of guilt and self-condemnation. In a word, choose life and blessing today (part 7); live with enthusiasm and passion; and bloom where you are planted (p. 273).
-Osteen devotes part 3 to the power of our thoughts and words. This is as close as he comes to standard WoF teaching. He might be a little hyperbolic or overstated at times, but the points are still legitimate. Our words and thoughts mattera lot! In particular, he recommends searching the Scriptures for relevant verses and saying them out loudfor ourselves and for others. At times, he leaves the reader with the impression that words alone will get the job done (p. 140). But elsewhere (and often), he talks about the importance of habits, disciplines, and choices. I especially enjoyed his remote control analogy (p. 144-145)where we make conscious decisions to change from a bad [mental/spiritual] channel or to stay there and even pull up a chair and grab a bag of popcorn to enjoy the show! This is similar to John Nash in A Beautiful Mind who talks about the need to have a diet of the mind to avoid a mental spiral into the depths of his schizophrenia.
WEAKNESSES:
-His misunderstanding and misapplication of Abraham/Sarahs (lack of) faith is brutal (p. 79-80, 82-83).
-He is not clear enough in identifying his audience. It seems like hes addressing Christians mostly (but thats a problem given some of the critiques to follow). In any case, it would have been helpful/clearer to make this explicit.
-At times, he has too much emphasis on pop psychologyor at least, its lingo (e.g., p. 61s self-esteem, p. 62s self-image, 72s negative attitude). At the least, its an unnecessary stumbling block for some in his audience. At worst, it is a stumbling block! As such, I could easily imagine a critique for Osteen being too much like Robert Schuller, Zig Ziglar, and Norman Vincent Peale. (That said, I dont know enough about any of these four to say for sure.)
-Oddly, there is little reference to Jesus and nothing on the Spirit explicitly. Its all about God. He does use references to the teachings of Jesus to help him illustrate his points. And he does have the equivalent of the sinners prayerwith Jesus as Lord and Saviorat the very end. He has an appropriate emphasis on Gods provision and our participation. And he talks about the related concepts quite often: depending on God, empowerment by God, etc.but without any mention of the Spirits role in this. A few thoughts on this: First, it is certainly strange, given the usual WoF emphasis on being Spirit-filled. Again, this points to the fallacy in labeling him WoF. OK, so why does he do it? It could be a stunning lack of theology, but its difficult to imagine him being that deficient. More likely: he wants to avoid any connection (or wants to extend a corrective) to standard WoF excesses. Or most likely, I think: for better and for worse, a seeker-sensitive concern for his primary audience, wanting to avoid spiritual jargon.
WRAP-UP:
At the end of the day, I cant speak for Osteens ministry. But his book (as a stand-alone) has some value, especially for those who struggle with the (wrong-headed) mindsets he critiques.
Is he a preacher? I never hear him say anything about abortions or homosexuality or fornication. Seems like a financial pep talk dude instead of a preacher. Has the 501c3 shut him up too? Or is he afraid of his audience dwindling if he preaches God’s word? Can’t figure him out!
I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can ...(but the Bible says I can’t...) I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can ....
No...Osteen is a motivational speaker.
No - he is no man of God but a self-made man who likes the material possessions of this world.
That is what I said.
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