The Root of All Evil
By Brenda Farrell, 09.20.06

Authors of Time Magazine’s current cover story, “Does God Want You To Be Rich?” point to several pastors who preach what some call “Prosperity Lite”, a teaching that says we should ask God for and expect to receive material blessings while on earth.

The focus of the story is Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. Osteen, whose book “Your Best Life Now” has sold millions of copies, is a firm believer that God intends both earthly and heavenly blessings for His children.

To say that he is preaching about Wall Street style wealth is missing the mark. At its core, Osteen’s message is about the importance of relying on God’s grace in our everyday lives for things like successful careers and marriages that work. It is a message of good news and hope – two things our nation sorely needs in this post 9/11 era.

Other evangelical leaders have missed the mark, calling Osteen’s teachings everything from “(treating God like) a celestial ATM” to “baloney” in the Time article.

Even bloggers are getting in on the critiquing. An evangelical blogger known as The Internet Monk went so far as to say that Osteen is “not one of us.” Osteen’s critics quote scriptures that teach about the danger of riches but as the “Time” author’s point out, there’s a difference between relying on God for money and material needs and placing a higher value on those things than on God and His will.

The oft-misquoted scripture from Paul’s first letter to Timothy actually reads that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” The Bible is not telling us that money itself is evil. It says that evil comes when a person loves money and possessions more than he or she loves God. Yet many well-meaning Christian teachers fail to see this distinction.

Perhaps the voices of reason in this issue come from people like Kirbyjon Caldwell, a pastor of a 15,000 member (Windsor Village United Methodist) church. “Jesus did not die and get up off the cross so we could live lives full of despair and disappointment. I am not a proponent of saying the Lord’s name three times, clicking your heels and then you get what you ask for. But you cannot give what you do not have…If I am going to help someone, I m going to have to have something with which to help” Caldwell said.