Joel Osteen

Joel Osteen entered the news again a couple of weeks ago.  For those unfamiliar, he is a pastor of a church in the Houston area.  He is best know for writing a book that espouses the idea that you can live "Your Best Life Now."  Apparently after Hurricane Harvey moved into the Houston area, there was a period of time where he didn't offer his church as a haven for flooded out refugees.  As one can imagine, this became a twenty-four hour discussion on Facebook and other social media platforms.

I hesitate to say anything about that situation.  Certainly it would have been difficult from a logistic standpoint to not only open the church, but also to get staff and support in to care for the people in need.  Certainly in the end, the church was opened to the displaced people of Houston.

I think people struggle with Joel Osteen for a number of reasons.  It isn't that he is worth 40 million dollars or, that he feels just a little fake as he shares his messages with adoring fans.  The problem is that his message doesn't connect with most of us.

The bigger problem is that his isn't a Christian message.

I have read the Bible through many times and Pastor Osteen is right that the Bible says clearly that God loves us.  What he is totally wrong about is that a loving God will give His children whatever they want and ask for.

I'm not a perfect dad.  I have my struggles, but I love my children very deeply and because I love my children, I do not (and never would) give them everything they ask for.  Even if I had the money and space for all the stuff they want, it would be harmful for them to have everything that popped into their heads to want.  It would not be healthy for them to eat dessert first and forego green beans in exchange for potato chips.

God's Word makes it clear that He is a far better father than any earthly father could be and as such, He give us good things, but He also gives us hardship and trials because those are the things that build our characters and draw us closer to Him.  If I pray for a million dollars He probably won't give it to me, not because He doesn't love me, but precisely because He does.

Looking back at the apostles and great people of faith over the years, they often were quite poor and yet they constantly gave of themselves.  I can't imagine Paul or Peter praying for wealth except that they might help others with it.

I know that God has blessed us with many more things, both physical and spiritual, than we deserve.  In the end, He wants us to desire something more than this life and the things this world has to offer.  Even if we had millions of dollars, we would be empty if we didn't have Him.

Truly if we hope and pray and chase fame and wealth, we may find a little bit of them in our lives here, but we'll miss the far more important things that God wants us to learn.

It is easy to pray for God to bless us and our families, but I think such prayers are a little shallow.  I would learn to pray for God to make me the sort of man who can bless those around me and to draw me close to Him.  That is the only place where I will find true satisfaction.