Comment on Criticism of Osteen's Writings

I was reading an article by Michael Horton called “Doesn’t God Want Us to be Happy?” – for what it’s worth. I think it is another misguided attempt to use natural logic to discern spiritual things.

When people write articles like this, the lawyer inside of me gets riled up and wants to yell – YOU HAVE MISSED THE POINT! You need to go back to the first article of the contract and READ THE DEFINITIONS!! Duh! That is what is wrong with all of these people who like to slam ministers like Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer – THEY FORGOT TO READ THE DEFINITIONS!

One of the first things you learn in law school is not to run to Webster’s Dictionary to define words in contracts, statutes, and certainly not “terms of art.” You will look like a fool. Any good contract or legal statute will have at its outset a section where the terms used throughout the document are defined. If anyone is unclear as to what a particular word means, THEN you look outside the contract to define it.

People like Horton are trying to use THEIR definitions of happiness to judge ANOTHER’s definition of happiness – and quite frankly, it makes a learned man like himself look like he does not know what he is talking about. I think Horton needs to ask Osteen what Osteen considers happiness – and I am sure it will include some reference to joy – and Biblical joy comes from rest in Christ. Happiness doesn’t mean that your life is all roses, mansions, Bentleys, and self- fulfillment (as it seems Horton would have you to think). Rather, I believe that joy that comes from the knowledge that you are doing God’s will – WHATEVER that may be. You can have joy in the mansion if that is what God has provided, and you can have joy on the mountainside if that is what God has provided.

MY definition of SELF-FULFILLMENT: I have emptied myself and have allowed the Holy Spirit to fill me. Now I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST! To live a defeated life, still under condemnation, does not manifest God’s glory or the gift of salvation.

People are so broken nowadays that they cannot even BEGIN to think of the marvelous gift that Jesus gave us. And there is nothing wrong with a Christian knowing that IT IS FOR THEM. Believe me, if there was something inherent about people that wasn’t worthy of this gift, do you think God would have given it to us? We were created in HIS image. (I just wanna say “duh!”) That in and of itself should get us to understand that we are inherently valuable to God.

Christians need to be empowered to RECEIVE from God – not material things – but the most precious gift that He has given us – HIS SPIRIT. I wish Christians would wake up – THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST. No matter how unworthy we WERE, we have now been reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus. WALK IN IT. RECEIVE IT. If you are still condemning yourself over how sinful as people we are because of original sin, you have left the bulk of your salvation on the cross.

So I say – YES! LIVE “YOUR” BEST LIFE – because the life that “you” live is not your own. “You” have been bought with a price. Daily “you” die so that CHRIST IN YOU may be glorified.

At least, that is MY interpretation of what these preachers are trying to tell us.