Destiny

I appreciate, in some sense, what Joel Osteen is trying to do.  I just think he's got everything wrong.

If you watch Joel Osteen, you might think that God's Kingdom is about you being promoted and made prosperous in every sense of the word.  I'll be frank, I do believe people have destinies in God, but few people reach out and try to obtain their real destiny.  Most people settle for making more money, having a spouse and kids, and basically pursuing the American Dream.  I don't believe God is in that at all.

If God births in you a dream, expect to go the opposite way from which you think you should be headed if the dream is from God.  Joseph dreamed he would be the master and his brothers be his servants, and he was sold into slavery and later unjustly accused of a crime and sent to prison.  David was told he'd be king of Israel, but God didn't mention running around the wilderness hiding from a megalomaniac.  God doesn't like to use the direct route when sending someone to great destiny- he likes to take the long way.  Because to God, the perseverance that is created, the depths of character that are made, are what make the journey worthwhile.  God is into building character, not building worldly wealth.  Sure, to a precious few that might end in worldly wealth, but the people who go through this process develop a profound faith in God and a deep appreciation for God, which the wealth attained in the end pales in comparison towards.  If you have a real destiny in God, expect misery to come your way, followed swiftly by trials and tribulation.  Anyone who will be great in the kingdom of Heaven must first prove themselves through great difficulty and persevere through much pain.  God is into building DEEP people.  People who only want the money, will never see the true destiny that God would have for them.  If all you want is a quick fix, you completely misunderstand the nature of the kingdom of God, and will not see the kind of personal transformation that God would have for you.  For it is depth of character that God longs for, as well as deep faith.  You cannot acquire these things through shortcuts and quick fixes.  Either learn to persevere, or the dream you have is not from God.