Affecting Change

In my article two weeks ago I mentioned that I had recently begun reading the latest book by Lakewood Church Pastor and bestselling author, Joel Osteen.  Actually, I had begun listening to it as an audio book.  My road trip to and from Unity Village last week gave me the perfect opportunity to finish my first complete listen and begin my second.  I have since purchased the printed hardcover book and have begun reading it.  I guess you could say that I am officially “studying” Mr. Osteen’s latest book.

My initial interest in the book which is entitled, Break Out! 5 Keys to go beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life was to gain a clearer understanding of Mr. Osteen’s approach to what many have termed his “Prosperity Gospel.”  It is the first of his books I have read.  Given that he purportedly is currently the most famous pastor in the world with a congregation of thousands, a television audience of more than ten-million in America alone with an additional audience in another 100 countries around the world, plus five books that have been number one national bestsellers, I realized he just might have something beneficial to share.  Seemingly, his message is having a positive impact on millions worldwide.

My renewed interest in the Prosperity Principle is in no small part due to the fact that I am observing demonstrations of something other than prosperity consciousness, not only in my personal life, but also in the life of Unity of Arlington.  Therefore, I am planning a series of Sunday morning talks on the subject.  As the adage goes, “We teach what we need most to learn.”

When I decided to purchase Mr. Osteen’s book, I was prepared for and even expected to encounter a traditional Christian perspective that would include literal interpretations of the Bible.  In this regard, Mr. Osteen did not disappoint; he delivers precisely what I expected.  He speaks of an external God who favors those who put Him first in their lives; although, not much is said to clarify what “putting God first” entails.  However, I was pleasantly surprised that unlike the traditional Christian preachers of my youth, Mr. Osteen does not mention a God of retribution.  He does not purport that the lack of money, illness or misfortune of any kind is God’s punishment.  Instead, he speaks only of a God who loves his children and wants to bless them with all the riches, health and love they can accept.  This is a refreshing departure, and although we in Unity speak of God within rather than an external deity, Mr. Osteen’s portrayal of love and abundance is in alignment with Unity teaching.

In my first listen through, I was concerned that Mr. Osteen was attempting to brainwash the listener /reader into believing that some supernatural deity is going to favor him or her with great wealth and physical healing, and fulfill all of their dreams at any moment; once again, provided that they put God first in their lives.  I wondered if perhaps his approach might do more harm than good because initially it appears he is attempting to convince us that this capricious God is waiting for us to win his favor, yet he is not specific on how to do that.  So my concern grew because this approach has the additional potential of leaving the reader/listener with shame, blame and guilt in the event that “God’s favor” does not manifest in their lives.

However, on my second listen, I heard something that I had completely missed the first time; something that altered my perspective.  In the first few minutes of the audio book and on the fourth page of the printed version, Mr. Osteen says,

“Sometimes you need faith and victory spoken over your life.  Words have creative power.  When you receive them into your spirit, they can ignite seeds of increase on the inside.  That’s the reason I've written with book…There are new levels of your destiny still in front of you.  But break out starts in your thinking.”

When I heard that, I understood.  I knew why Mr. Osteen wrote the book and what he intended to activate in the reader/listener.

Whether he is conscious of it or not, Mr. Osteen is teaching the Unity message all the while remaining true to his traditional Christian roots.  His message, while presented in language that we in Unity would not use, is the same message that Unity has been teaching for over one-hundred years: Life is consciousness.  In effect, this is what Mr. Osteen is saying, “What you think about comes about;” ¹ or “Change your thinking, change your life.”²  His statement also echoes the words of Charles Fillmore, the co-founder of Unity, in the original Unity correspondence courses from 1909,

“This substance of true words is seed, and the harvest will be rich with increase to all who recognize that their seed words have in them life, substance and intelligence.  It is these qualities in words of Truth that make them so powerful in demonstrating prosperity, or health, or whatever is desired.”

Likewise, later in the book, Mr. Osteen says,

“The real battle is taking place in our thought life, those thoughts that say It will not happen.  You’re too old. You've made too many mistakes. You’ll never accomplish your dreams.”

Mr. Fillmore said, “True prosperity is the consciousness of abundance based on the understanding of God as the inexhaustible Resource always open to man.”

Both men are saying that our experience of prosperity is the effect of our consciousness and our consciousness is the sum total of all our beliefs.  When we fill our minds with thoughts that are grounded in the Absolute Good that God is, we will experience the manifestations of Good in our lives.  We must keep our minds stayed on the Truth.  Mr. Osteen’s book, albeit from a traditional Christian perspective, is filled with words of Truth, or seeds, that when “taken into our spirit” must produce evidence reflecting their nature, in accordance with the universal law of cause and effect.  We take these words, these seeds, into our spirit by receiving them and believing them in our consciousness.

In Unity, we do not believe in a God of caprice, but in the unchanging nature of God as Universal Law.  It is done unto us as we believe, not because God is up there somewhere judging us and determining when we have been good enough to earn his favor, but because the law always works.  That is why it is law.  It is unchanging.  It is known as the law of cause and effect, the law of mind action, the law of attraction, and by other names as well.   Life is consciousness.  We are responsible for our individual consciousness.  Ultimately, that is Mr. Osteen’s message.  As he says, breaking out of a current unfavorable condition begins with making a shift in our thinking.  We must be willing to change our thinking in order to affect a shift and change our lives.

Over the course of the next few weeks during my Sunday morning talks I will be exploring Mr. Osteen’s five keys to going beyond our barriers and living extraordinary lives.  While I do not resonate with the God of his understanding, I do find universal truth in his teaching.  I hope you will join us as we discover our common ground and ways that we can apply these truth principles, take them into our spirit, and manifest them in our lives.

¹ Mark Victor Hansen, "Chicken Soup for the Soul"

² Brian Tracy, “Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life”