Becoming A Better You Review Step 1

Book Review by Scott Hill

Step 1: Keep Pressing Forward

I am 80 pages into Become a Better You. The book is broken into the seven steps, with each step having several chapters then Action Points at the end of each section. The first 80 pages wrap up step one “Keep Pressing Forward”. Chapter 1 “Stretching to the Next Level” is a good overall understanding of really the books entire premise. “God wants us to go further. He’s a progressive God, and wants every generation to increase in happiness, success, and significance.” However, Joel’s definition of happiness and success is kept vague for a few chapters at least. We are told in order to stretch we have to let go of past successes, because “God likes to outdo Himself”. Your best days are in front of you not behind you. Therefore we must get rid of low expectations and not make little plans for our life. For 6 chapters Joel keeps referencing a valuable treasure we have on the inside. A unique gift, but never once mentions what this treasure is or how to acquire it. It seems to be the same “everyone is special in his own way” mentality, but that is assumed. We all have potential and when we believe, we take a step of faith and stretch ourselves; that’s when we start to tap into it and begin to rise higher. We are all valuable and our gifts and values have been put in us by Almighty God. God has the final authority. He says you are valuable so you need to dwell on thoughts like “I am creative, I am talented, I am valuable, I have a bright future. He then goes on to say that regardless of who has spoken negative words into your life you must cast those words down. Too many people lack self esteem because they are constantly dwelling on negative thoughts about themselves. Others don’t determine your potential, you determine your potential and God would never ask something of you without first depositing the gift inside of you. Chapter 2 is really just a continuation of the special gift message of chapter 1.

It is in chapter 3 and 4 when things begin to get interesting. Chapter 3, “The Power of Your Bloodline” begins with a brief description of the breeding history of thoroughbred race horses. He talks about the generational breeding of these animals to become champions, and then makes a rather strange declaration. “You have the DNA of Almighty God”. Even assuming an allegorical meaning to this statement, I really don’t see what he means by this. We are said to have come from a bloodline of champions such as Abraham, Isaac, David, Paul, etc. and makes references to the power of our spiritual bloodline. This is what allows us to “tap into God’s power”. Joel then makes an interesting assertion that he will later contradict in great detail in the Chapter 4. but also contradicts in the same paragraph. He quotes Galatians 3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law”. Joel says because of Christ we are set free from sin, fear, worry, constant sickness or bad attitudes. Then goes back to the positive thinking model by declaring don’t talk about the way you are, talk about the way you want to be.

Now chapter 4 is a textbook example of what happens when you start by misapplying scripture. “Breaking Free From Strongholds, jump starts itself with a misapplication of Exodus 20:4 “visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me”. This chapter gives numerous examples of this generational curse that must be let go so that our bloodline blessings can be embraced. Including Tim, whose family was cursed with heart attacks by age 50. In fact, most males in Tim’s family had died by age 50 from heart attacks. Obviously 48 year old Tim was scared. However, Pastor Joel told him that only he could break the curse. Tim was told not to start planning an funeral and not to assume he would have a heart attack, but to take a stand against it. Everyday Tim should declare “With long life God is satisfying me and showing my His salvation” and he should also eat right and exercise. This chapter continues with more of these stories about lifting the curse of alcohol, drugs, divorce etc. The most interesting and telling story was one of a school boy who began to have panic attacks about his parents not coming to get him. After much pray and discussion the parents discovered that this boy’s grandfather had suffered similar attacks after the loss of his father at an early age. So obviously he must have passed this down by a generational curse. But just as “only you can prevent forest fires” we are told only we can break this curse. The same curse that we were told Christ broke at the cross in chapter 3.

My opinion of step 1

I was determined when I started this to say something positive about this book. I believe Joel Osteen genuinely wants to help people live better lives. I believe he has seen enough suffering caused by this sin cursed world that he really wants people to become better thems. Unfortunately, this book is only going to help as much as a Tony Robins seminar. You can judge how much value to place in that.

Whether accidental or intentional Joel Osteen is a genius. He has somehow taken the charismatic health and wealth mentality and molded it with the positive thinking and self esteem movement with just enough pop psychology to make it appeal to the masses. Make no mistake about it. No matter how much Joel softened it it is still the same old, believe and receive, name it and claim it, speak it into being mindset of the charismatic movement.

I am giving him the benefit of the doubt that his intended audience is believers, but it is difficult to tell. However, the audience wouldn’t matter much consider the content. While certain scriptures are given occasional acknowledgment there is nothing biblical about the entire first step. In fact it is in complete opposition to scripture. In order to believe the conjecture in Mr. Osteen’s book you would in fact need to either ignore or be ignorant of a vast majority of the biblical teaching of anthropology. In Mr. Osteen’s defense he has been very forthright in declaring his ignorance when it comes to scripture, but that doesn’t excuse the psychological foolishness and new age “see it and be it” mentality of the first step so far. In my humble opinion other than freedom of speech he has no right to speak on behalf of God or Christianity. There is nothing in this book so far that I would even consider uniquely Christian.