Osteen upbeat on God’s message

Joel Osteen’s is an upbeat brand of theology, heavy on hope, encouragement and empowerment.

And, for some, that’s a problem.

Osteen has been criticized for what some have characterized as his more uptown take on prosperity theology, offering something more akin to self-help than religion, and, even, for not talking enough about sin.

Yet, agree or disagree, Osteen’s message of God’s love has been embraced by millions of people across the United States and around the world.

On Friday , Osteen will bring his message to Las Vegas for “A Night of Hope” at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The event will feature Osteen, his wife and co-pastor, Victoria, and members of his ministry in an evening of praise, worship and music. And Osteen will share his core message: God cares for each of us and empowers each of us to overcome and succeed.

In addition to serving as pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston – it’s been called the largest church in America – Osteen’s books are best-sellers and millions watch his weekly television service.

Yet, during a recent phone interview, Osteen – a gracious, humble guy who often displays self-effacing humor – says he never really wanted to be a minister.

Rather, Osteen was content to work behind the scenes as his father, John Osteen, built his ministry at Lakewood Church.

“I liked television production and editing and writing, all of that stuff,” he says. “I just thought I didn’t have the desire to do it.”

Osteen hadn’t even preached before a crowd until the week before his father’s death in 1999.

“I knew my dad would like that,” he says. “I said: ‘Know what? My dad’s not feeling well. This will make him happy.’ And, he died.”

Two days later, the resistance Osteen felt toward pastoring his father’s church faded and he realized that “this is what I was supposed to do, and it sounds crazy, because I never dreamed I would.

“He always said, ‘Joel, you’d make a good minister.’ I said, ‘Dad, I don’t have the desire.’ And he never pressured me. I knew he wanted me to, but God can change your desires.”

That same year, Joel Osteen succeeded his father as pastor of the church.

“People at the church were very loyal,” Osteen says. “They wanted me to succeed, because my dad had been there 40 years.”

He laughs. “That was helpful, because I didn’t know what I was doing the first two years.”

Osteen’s theology has been described in a variety of ways, including “evangelical.” But, he says, “I don’t like labels, myself, so I probably wouldn’t describe myself as evangelical.”

For one thing, Osteen says, “evangelical, for a time it was a political word. You heard about the ‘evangelical Christian vote.’

“Our goal is to reach everybody. In our church, I don’t know, but we’re probably half Republican and half Democrat. It’s like the general public.”

Also, Osteen prefers to focus on messages that, although based in belief in the Bible and in Jesus, are universal and uplifting and offer real-life applications.

“We’ve had some success, if you want to call it that, because I think people are looking for something practical. Maybe that’s the best way of putting it,” Osteen says.

“I don’t think that people, when they get pushed down, want to be told that what they’re doing is wrong, and I think our message is about uplifting people.”

Make no mistake: It’s still about “making a decision,” Osteen says, but coupled with the belief that “they can overcome.”

Osteen has heard the criticism that he treads too lightly on sin. He says his approach may stem, at least in part, from his own makeup.

“Before I was a minister, I used to play a lot of sports, and I was always the one who was positive and encouraging: ‘Come on, we can beat these guys,’ ” he says. “I didn’t change. That’s just what comes out of me.

“I’m always quick to say my way is not the only right way. My dad would go through lines of Scripture, and he taught that way. But you’ve got to stay true to who you are.”

Yet, Osteen adds, “I’m still old-fashioned. I still give altar call every service. I ask people to come to Christ. I feel like I do talk about sin. I just talk about it in a different way.

“A lot of people I speak to, they already know the Lord. Now I feel like: OK, you know the Lord. You’re Christian. How do I live this Christian life? How do I forgive this person who hurt me? How do I deal with my boss who treats me wrong? This is where my strength comes in.”

Osteen doesn’t buy the criticism that his message is a variation on prosperity gospel, attuned more toward material success than on salvation.

“I will say this: I do believe God wants you to be blessed and prosper,” Osteen says.

But, he continues, “I don’t talk about money. I talk about God’s blessings and favor.

“Sometimes there is a notion that if you love God, and you’re really humble, you’ve got to be poor or have struggles. I don’t see that. I think we should be leaders. I think we should be examples – not material-minded, but blessing-minded.”

Does it ever become tiresome having to address critics? Osteen laughs.

“I only do this when I do an interview,” he says. “But I don’t mind. People say this and that and I find that a lot of it is not warranted, because somebody hasn’t listened to me and just read what somebody said about me.”

Osteen is gratified that he is able to reach so many people who, perhaps, aren’t regular churchgoers.

“About half of the people who come to our events or watch us on TV don’t go to church and weren’t raised like me,” he says.

“They say, ‘Joel, I’m not religious.’ But these events are open to anybody. That’s one reason we have them in neutral arenas and not at a church.

“I always say, it’s open to anybody who wants to come down. You don’t have to be (a member of) a denomination, you don’t have to have a church background. Just come and be inspired in your faith.”

Looking back, Osteen sounds humbled that he’s doing what he does.

“It’s amazing,” he says. “God has done more for me than I can ask for, and, really, that’s a big part of my message: God will take you places you never dreamed of.”

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.