Grace is Enough

Today’s reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Today’s reading brings to mind the criticism I once heard of the relatively new trend in preaching called “Prosperity Ministry.”

The overall message of a “prosperity” sermon is famously exemplified each week by Pastor Joel Osteen’s broadcasts. (Though he is hardly alone in following this style.) I’ve never counted how many times Osteen says something along the lines of  “God has great things in store for you,” in a 30 minute sermon, but my guess is it’s more than a dozen. About once every other minute or so, I’d say.

Meanwhile, critics note, he rarely mentions the bad, painful things that happen along the path to all the glory God has for each of us.

“We don’t all prosper all of the time, so the ‘prosperity’ message is almost a lie,” one pastor/critic once said to me over coffee. “It doesn’t help people to deal with the struggles of life.

”’God wants you to succeed’ is a very difficult thing to hear when you’ve just been laid off of work through no fault of your own, or when you’re a woman who has been beaten and abandoned by your husband and now have to raise 3 kids by yourself. Hearing the prosperity message in that context can very well lead people to a life of cynicism.”

I don’t happen to agree with this criticism. (In fact, I’ll admit that I don’t even understand it.)  But I do like what I once heard Osteen’s wife once say about her husband.

“People say Joel goes through life with rose color glasses that make him blind to the difficulties we all face. But I happen to know that Joel is definitely not blind to evil in the world. He definitely sees it, and it has an affect on him. But he doesn’t focus on it. Instead, he just keeps his attention on God, and he teaches others to do the same.”

I, for one, find that very consistent with what Paul says in today’s reading:

“Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me,  but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (Verses 7-10)

The Devil is constantly attacking me, pointing out my hardships and my weaknesses, trying to convince me that they are the “real” me and my “true” destiny. But I know that they are only Satan’s evil gifts — which I must shun with all of my strength.

Thanks be to God for His eternal grace. It is, indeed, sufficient for me (and all of us).