Joel Osteen. The Power of Favor. FaithWords, 2019.

From what I can gather, Joel Osteen can be a controversial figure. I have been told by at least two people that Osteen is unsound. I confess I do not recall ever hearing him preach—we live in New England, so Christian media are not too big here—and until now I had never read any of his books. Forty years ago when I worked in a bookstore, I recall reading a book by his father, John Osteen. I believe that book was helpful at the time, but who knows what the son will be like?

The Power of Favor from this reader’s perspective is very biblical. It is a collection of stories or testimonies, usually the story of a contemporary experience paralleled with a story from the Bible. The theme, obviously, is favor.

The premise is simply that God shows favor towards His people. It does not mean that they will not have hard times, but that God will promote them even as He takes them through hard times. An example Osteen uses more than once is Joseph, son of Jacob. Yes, Joseph had favor from both his own father and from God. His brothers did not like that and sold him into slavery.

Joseph found favor with his master and became steward of his household. Unfortunately for him, his master’s lascivious wife also liked him but not in an honorable way. He spent years in prison. Nevertheless, he continued to trust God, and God granted him favor with his jailers and eventually even with the Pharaoh.

There are many stories like this in The Power of Favor. We read about Mary, the other Joseph, Nehemiah, David, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, and others. Osteen notes that in some cases people even found favor with their enemies. We begin to see a biblical pattern in the stories Osteen tells. The result is encouragement. That is the great takeaway from reading this book: It was written to encourage. If we begin to have a sense of how much the Lord loves us and looks out for us, we can be encouraged.

In all fairness, while Osteen notes that favor can result in wealth, as in Abraham, or power, as with David or Nehemiah, those are not to be the focus. Such things, if they happen, are blessings. Let’s be honest, people can get discouraged. I certainly do. But if they can begin to see things from God’s eternal perspective, they can begin to discern the big picture. God is faithful. God keeps His word. God is love.

After reading this book, I said to myself that I ought to read it again. I need to be encouraged. I am a thinker and a teacher. Both types tend toward melancholy. But I know what God is like. When the poet in Psalm 143 says he is overwhelmed, he follows that by saying, “I meditate on all your works, I muse on the work of your hands.” (See Psalm 143:4-5). He remembers what God is like!

Years ago I read Bob Buess’s Favor: The Road to Success. I sometimes give that book as a graduation gift. I found that a helpful book. I wondered how Osteen’s book would compare. Buess mostly quotes and analyzes specific verses and passages from the Bible and applies them. I have found it most encouraging to consult it from time to time.

Osteen’s The Power of Favor tells stories. In that sense, it is more readable. Buess is more for people who like to pick apart Bible verses and get all they can out of them. Osteen is for one who likes stories. As much as I like to read for detail and even enjoy poetry, I know that most people like to hear stories. Osteen’s book is a little longer but the stories will stick.

This perhaps gets me thinking why some people have honest problems with Osteen (I am not talking about jealousy or envy here, but honest difficulties). Romans 12:3-8 tells us about gifts that God has given people. These are often referred to as motivational gifts; they are the created impulses that motivate people’s personalities. Two of those gifts are teaching and exhorting or encouraging. These two motivations are often at odds.

The teacher likes to analyze things. The Bible teacher is usually interested in the original languages. He is motivated by getting people to discover truth. The encourager is interested in helping people along the way. They are motivated by giving people hope. We need both kinds of people in our lives. We need truth and hope.

The problem comes in the church because these two personality types can be at odds. We see this in the conflict between Paul and Barnabas over Mark in Acts 15:37-40. Paul was the teacher. He could apply so much of the Hebrew Scriptures to the New Covenant because he knew them so well. He studied in the most highly esteemed Jewish school of its day. To him, the young John Mark was becoming a hindrance.

Barnabas was actually Joseph the Levite’s nickname. It means “son of encouragement.” It seems everyone recognized this gift in him. He wanted to continue to work with Mark. He was the encourager. He would likely be less strict. He could see potential in Mark. All Paul could see was someone who was less rigorous. The Bible commends both Paul and Barnabas. They had different gifts. One gift was not better than the other, nor was one a more superior disciple. They each contributed to the people of God in their own way.

Osteen is more like Barnabas. I am a teacher. I love good teaching as much as anything. But like John Mark, I can certainly use encouragement. So can most people. Osteen delivers.