Very few things in the “Christian” world irritate me more than prosperity preachers. People like Joel Osteen, with his two bestsellers – “Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Everyday” and “Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential” – not only purport to tell us how to achieve God’s blessings in our lives, but also claim that these can be ours in seven or three or ten easy steps. It’s condescending at best and unscriptural at worst. Most of all, these self-help prophets almost always ignore the role of suffering, not only in the Christian life, but also in the life of Jesus.
The cartoon below, found on Frank Viola’s website (see link below), would seem to be a perfect antidote to such thinking.
Two Christian Tracts Worth Examining
frankaviola
Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:49:08 GMT
The role of suffering – yes, at my age I can look back and see clearly the part that suffering has played in shaoing me and my life. It is much harder for a friend of mine whose candidature for the presbytery has been turned down when he is still so sure of his call – and at present can see no way ahead.