Let me share a couple stories. First is from the recent New York Times article about the bestselling author and megachurch pastor Joel Osteen. Joel shared in one of his sermons about a time when he was driving around in a large parking lot (it may have been a mall parking lot, I can't remember right now) and began to pray that he would receive a good spot since it was full. Sure enough, God answered his prayer he claims, and he not only got a spot, but the best spot available.
Another is from a sermon I heard Keith Wheeler give over a year ago. Keith is a guy who has carried a cross in dozens of countries across the world and shared the gospel in places where others have never dared to go. One time Keith was walking down a road (I believe it was in South Africa) and was sweating profusely from the incredible heat. At some point in his journey he says to the Lord, "you know, I could really go for an Orange Fanta right now" and keeps going. Not long later, a nice car pulls up beside him and the window rolls down. A nice lady had stopped to offer him some Orange Fanta she had in her cooler. Of course Keith gladly takes the needed refreshment.
These two stories are fairly similar- both men pray for something they really want at that time and seem to have their prayers answered. However, they draw two completely different conclusions from these events.
Mr Osteen goes on to tell his audience that this is the type of blessing we should be praying for and God wants to give us. God doesn't just want to give us a parking space, He wants us to have the best parking space. Mr Wheeler sees this as a humorous example of God's provision. Mr Osteen sees his example as a small part of a larger principle- God wants you to have the best stuff. Mr Wheeler didn't draw any major principles regarding God's desire to answer every prayer we offer up. He didn't use this as an argument for God granting every little desire we have- a nice car, job, parking spot or soda. He never said, "because God gave me Orange Fanta I know that God also wants me to have the best of everything else" (besides, if God wanted to give him the best soda He would have given him fountain Pepsi).
Let's suppose for a second that God did answer Joel Osteen's prayer for a nice parking space. Is this a sign of God's favor? I mean, doesn't Paul say that God gave man to his desires to worship gods other than him, and they are now living with the consequences of that decision (read Romans 1:18-32 for the whole context)? I'm not comparing asking for a nice parking spot with worshipping idols or sexual immorality, but what I'm saying is that God allowing us to have our desires is not automatically a sign of favor.
After all, doesn't Jesus Himself say "the first shall be last, and the last shall be first"? Doesn't he say to His disciples, "whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all" (Mark 10:43-44)? What if Joel Osteen getting that spot meant some elderly person had to walk a quarter-mile to do their shopping? Is that being a servant to all? Is that what the Lord would have us do? Maybe I missed the verse where it says if you pastor a big enough church and sell enough books that means you're exempt from such things.
Osteen's book is called "Your Best Life Now." And you know, maybe he and others are living their best life now. That's too bad, because it seems to me that there is a life to come that is supposed to be better than this one. And with all the verses in the Bible that laud humilty and self-sacrifice I'm betting that'll count more in the time to come.
Sometimes God, for whatever reason He has determined in His sovereign plan, does answer the little prayers we offer, like Keith Wheeler's. Sometimes, He chooses not to do so. We can't always draw up a formula for these things. And for those who have ever heard me teach, you've probably heard me use the phrase "God is not a vending machine." I'm afraid that folks like Joel Osteen have turned God into just that- a vending machine where you need the proper amount of "faith" or whatever. I prefer Keith Wheeler's version, God has a sense of humor and is always faithful to provide, and once in a while He gives us a small, seemingly insignificant glimpse of the truth that He hears our prayers.
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3 comments:
"God fixing your life" is a good way to put it. The problem is that he ignores the "difficulties" that come with this. There is no exposing your sin- which would be hard since he never talks about sin to begin with. Which of course rules out confession of sin. And repentance from sin.
Mind you, I'm not one who likes to call him a heretic. I think he's more shallow than heretical. And I don't think of him as a blatant prosperity teacher either, he's more into "feeling good" than "having stuff." But self-help preaching is NOT preaching the gospel.
Hey Danny, I agree with what you say about the whole "feel good" gospel and the problems with it. I think that it is true that God does want us to have the "best" life now that is possible now, and that it does come through faith in Him. But like you pointed out, it is not through faith that he will give us stuff or make our life really comfortable. It is through faith that he loves us that he will give us the best life, as he defines it.
I think that may be part of the distinction between Joel and Keith's perspectives. It is not that Joel doesn't believe that God loves him, but he seems to focus on how God loves him. What we do know is that God loves us. How he expresses that love, we don't really know for sure. Joel seems to assume that if God shows his love one way at one time then he must always show it that way. Keith seems to rest in the fact that God loves him (why else would he carry a cross around the globe) and he can laugh at a funny way that God chose to express that love.
I'm reminded of another story that John Dawson shared about a time his wife really wanted some jewelry and he told her it would be a waste of money and God could use that money better, but then somehow (I forget the details) God gave it to her. John concluded that sometimes God just wants to give us gifts because he loves us. I think that we get into trouble when we start defining how God must show his love.
I hear a lot of sermons and teachings about God's blessings. They will say, "If you're faithful and do this, God will bless you for it," or "If you give generously to such and such, He will give back to you," etc. I want to say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I should do this because that would be obedience, and not to do it would be rebellion." Didn't Jesus tell His disciples not to expect thanks for doing what was expected of them? Where is the sense that He is our Lord and we are His servants? When we are obedient, there is the blessing of peace and joy that accompanies the knowledge that we have pleased our Master, and He often will bless us in other ways as well. But shouldn't our desire be for His will and His glory? And like you were saying, we should be hesitant to get too comfortable and "blessed" here on this earth, when this life doesn't begin to compare with what awaits us in heaven.
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