Hello everyone!
This is Jeff. I want to introduce a best selling book titled Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen to you. I have just finished reading the book, and this is my reflection on it. I hope it might be a little help for you finding a good Christian book.
Pastor Joel Osteen is pasturing Lakewood Church, a congregation of over 25,000 members, in Houston, Texas. He talks about seven ways to help people to fully maximize their life potential in the book. The seven steps are: enlarging your vision, developing a healthy self-image, discovering the power of your thoughts and words, letting go of the past, finding strength through adversity, living to give, and choosing to be happy.
Speaking of enlarging your vision, Osteen contends that what one continually visualizes in his or her mind will make the mental pictures reality. I agree with that statement from my own experiences. He states that: You must conceive it in your heart and mind before you can receive it (p.6). Osteen points out that in order one to be successful, one has to envision success in one’s mind. Osteen stresses that in order to receive God’s favor thus being prosperous in all things should start with us seeing things with eyes of faith. He asserts that: … your actions will follow your expectations. Low expectations will trap you in mediocrity (p. 17). I also agree with what he says about viewing life’s events with God’s eyes. Osteen contends that God wants to bless His children abundantly and He has all the blessings in store for us. In order to receive His blessings and favor, he says that first, we have to break the barriers of our past. Osteen emphasizes that we set our expectations of ourselves too low. He contends that we have to change the way we think of ourselves negatively. For example, people who always say that they can never be successful should think about themselves again that they could be successful. Second, in order to receive God’s blessings, one has to increase God’s favor. Osteen suggests to pray daily for requesting God’s favor in all circumstances. Lastly, we have to live a life of favor-minded. Osteen contends that we must program our mind expecting God’s favor all the time.
The second step is about developing a healthy self-image. Osteen asserts that one with a healthy self-image tends to succeed much more than those who do not.
The remaining parts mention the rest of the steps, and Osteen use very simply and plain language to make his points. The part that I was challenged the most was the part seven where it talks about “being a person of excellence and integrity.” He stress heavily that God watches every action of ours—even smallest ones. In order to become a true man of integrity, one has to pay attention to and examine every detail of his or her action (i.e. being always late at work about 15 minutes, using company’s office supplies for personal use, etc.).
In conclusion, I have enjoyed reading this book. I agree mostly with pastor Joel Osteen speaking of having a good attitude, and expecting much of God’s favor and blessings, believing one’s self, pursuing excellency and integrity, and seeing life’s events with eyes of faith. However, I think he focuses a little too much on one being blessed and prosperous, not to say that is any wrong. I leave it up to your discretion if you read the book.