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Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (精装)
by Joel Osteen
| Category:
Personal success, Personal development, Slef help, Success |
| Market price: ¥ 228.00
MSL price:
¥ 218.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
This inspiring book will renew your joy and outlook on life and make you a positive thinker. |
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AllReviews |
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Publishers Weekly (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Houston megachurch pastor and inspirational TV host Osteen offers an overblown and redundant self-help debut. Many Christian readers will undoubtedly be put off by the book's shallow name-it-and-claim-it theology; although the first chapter claims that "we serve the God that created the universe," the book as a rule suggests the reverse: it's a treatise on how to get God to serve the demands of self-centered individuals. Osteen tells readers that God wants them to prosper, offering examples of obtaining an elegant mansion or a larger salary ("don't ever get satisfied with where you are," he cautions). In seven parts, he details how readers should enlarge their vision, develop self-esteem, discover the power of thought, let go of the past, find strength through adversity, give back to others and choose to be happy. The section on giving comes as too little, too late—Osteen's message to remember others and "get your mind off yourself" flies in the face of the previous 200 pages. There are some good pockets of advice, such as letting go of past hurts and avoiding bitterness. Editorially, the book would have packed more of a punch if a third of its repetitive slogans and stories had been pruned. Theologically, its materialism and superficial portrayal of God as the granter of earthly wishes will alienate many Christian readers who can imagine a much bigger God. |
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D. Willburn (MSL quote) , USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
I am a lifelong Christian and have read and studied the Word from many angles and sources over the years.
I don't know if it was just timing, or what, but I couldn't help but notice this 'happy preacher' on TV. For years, I passed him by while scanning the channels, but I DID slowly begin to stop and listen- a little more each time. I was taken by Mr. Osteen's simple messages, delivered with a humility and genuiness that I just don't think can be faked. Anyway, I began to enjoy the half hour I spent with him on TV, but still couldn't force myself to buy the book or even take his theology seriously for that matter - it was just 'soul candy' as far as I was concerned.
Finally, I gave in a little over a year ago and bought the book. I coincidentally began a new job that included a company paid daily bus pass. I began to read a chapter a day during my commute. I have now read this book at least a dozen times. Yes, it still has that candy-like comfort, but beyond that I have learned to respect the man and his theology. To those who cast it off as 'name it and claim drivel', I can only say that I receive a much deeper message from his words. Maybe it's because I've never been a part of anything remotely like the 'name and claim' theology, or perhaps it's because I'd like to believe that my own theology is deeper and therefore believe that his is too. What I'll say is that while I have learned to appreciate how much God DOES love me and how much he wants for me, I realize that monetary wealth is just one of many types of wealth that's being referred to in the book. And I hear the distinction loud and clear in his words. But I don't think that's necessarily his point. I don't hear him PROMISING good things in this book. What I hear (and what makes the difference for me personally) is simply, - what kind of attitude are you going to have as you go through life (regardless of outcomes)? Personally, while I can't say that his theology is totally supported in every detail by scripture, I can't say that it contradicts it either, and it helps me immensely. Call it "Positve Thinking". Call it what you want. It's working for me and I can see its (positive) effect on me, my life and those I love and live with each day. |
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An Indian reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
I lived a life of a loser. I was below average in studies, sports, art, extra curriculur activities, career and every time I fell in love I never received it back. Every one who knew me well said that I was a useless, Good for nothing kid who would never become anything in life. That was once upon a time in my life but things have changed. I have learnt to believe in myself. I have a job and I love it. I have hope and dreams. I have learnt to have a vision for my self and I have learnt to have faith in myself. That is what Joel Osteen's book is all about. He talks about enlarging our vision for our lives, letting go of the past, choosing to be happy, live to give and so on. This book is for people who are down in the dumps, for people who have been beaten in life. Yes there is no mention of God's love and redemption except for the last page. THis book will surely teach you how to look up in life no matter what comes against you. This is a truly a book of hope. |
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S. Warford (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
This was a very unusual book for me to pick up as I generally shy away from mainstream Christian books. Spirit kept dropping this book on my path and so finally I picked up a copy and was pleasantly surprised as Joel's teachings seem to be more aligned with New Thought beliefs than traditional Christian teachings. I found this book to be very refreshing and positive and agree with many of Joel's teachings. This is a great bridge for those who would like to explore metaphysical concepts with a more traditional wrapper. No Goddesses or Quantum physics here, but essentially the same stuff, really. Whether Joel is actually cognizant of the fact that he is teaching New Thought principles is an interesting question. For all those who want to beat Joel up for his prosperity and positive outlook, I have one question for you to ponder. If someone offered you his financial wealth, would you take it? Come on, don't lie to yourself, you know too well that you would, without hesitation. Myself, I have nothing but blessings for Joel and his ministry - we are all one and what benefits him benefits the rest of us. After all, the things he owns, the taxes he pays, and books he writes are covering someone's paycheck - perhaps even yours! You may work for the company that produced the drywall for his church or paper for his books. So don't be so quick to look down on other people's prosperity. Wish them well and you shall experience your own share of blessings. |
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T. Woodward (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
I've been a bible-believing, born-again Christian for more than fifty years. I've got exactly one test for deciding on whether to listen to a preacher - is it scripturaly based. Joel cites scripture for every point he makes. If you're looking for someone to preach hellfire, brimstone and the evil in man, he's probably not for you. If you're looking for someone to reaffirm the Good News and its place in your day to day life, Joel may be a conduit through which God can speak to your heart.
I've never heard Joel say that if you do right, you're going to have material things. I've obviously missed that sermon. I have heard him say to be happy with what God gives you. I have heard him say that travail is only a test and is to be counted to joy. I have heard him say to stop listening to condemnation and claim your birthright as a child of God. I have heard him say to be kind to others, be encouraging to your family, and to be gentle with yourself. Listening to Joel is a joy to me as it helps me discard some of the legalism and condemnation that I had built into what was an endlessly playing record that I was no good. I have learned to accept myself more because of Joel. It had been hard for me to be a better Christian because of my poor self-image. It was hard to accept tht God loved me, every single day, even when I failed, when I didn't love myself. By learning to accept myself the way that God accepts me, it grew natural to love myself more and, oddly, love others more as well. I grew more accepting (as Jesus was), more understanding (as Jesus was), and more giving (as Jesus was). Yes, God could have freed my heart without Joel. But I am not audacious enough to try to limit God on how he chooses to teach me.
My life has improved in a thousand ways since I opened my heart to a belief to a positive, fulfilled walk with the Lord, including financially. But, the financial ways are the LEAST of what I got out of it. It's possible that I have less income that I consider to be mine. Oddly, as my income increased, I found new ways to share more of it with others. But I doubt it. I truly believe that God finds ways to provide more for me than I can ever give away. God, not Joel. Would I have passed the test about what to do with new finances if it hadn't been for Joel helping me to see how I fit in as a child of the King? Maybe. Maybe not. I was pretty comfortable with the old me that only wanted more.
If it bothers you that Joel teaches you to be positive, you might want to examine Jesus words. He was full of positivism. So was Paul. Neither was well off financially but both were wealthy beyound the dreams of men.
I didn't write this to tell you how great I am. Or even how great Joel is. I wrote this because my God, My Lord is the original Positivist! Because believing in the two great commandments isn't wrong. Because sin is to be overcome, not wallowed in. If it's wrong for me to praise God for helping me to pass a few of the old tests and feel good about facing new ones with the positive attitude of a victor, then I'll just stand on the Word and wait to be judged by the only One who can.
If you think you're no good, buy this book. If you believe you're a failure, if you hurt because of past slings and arrows, buy this book. If you say you're a Christian but can't quite practice it in day to day life, buy this book. I will never be sorry that I did. |
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Craig Undlin (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
If your theology does not believe God wants us blessed and happy, this isn't the book for you. The book will do nothing to change your theology on this point, because it makes no effort to do so. It is not intended to be a theological dissertation to convince you that God wants you blessed, rather it assumes you understand that. If you don't agree with this point of view, reading this book will probably only tempt you to write a nasty book review that judges the motives of a man you have never met.
If your theology believes that God wants us blessed and happy, this book will encourage your faith and give you practical ways to see more of that blessing in your life and enable you to become more of a blessing in the process.
For anyone that has read some of the nasty book reviews and are wary of reading the book because of those comments, I want you to know that there are millions of Christians that agree with Joel's point of view and not just because we want to, but because it is scriptural and we believe with all of our heart that it is true. I would suggest that those reviewers have put themselves on very thin ice to have judged not only Joel's motives, but the motives of the millions of Christians that believe like him. Let the Lord be our judge.
I want you to know that there are many of us that whole-heartedly believe this book to be the way that God wants us to live - and indeed He is not pleased with us if we are not living this sort of blessed life - as He was not pleased with the children of Israel when they would not enter into their promised land of "milk and honey". This truth is from cover to cover in the Bible, and please don't be dissuaded by a few of these mean spirited book reviews that you read.
There's obviously not enough space here to give a full dissertation, but here's a few scriptures to chew on if you are open to seeing things the way I believe God wants us to.
The first comes from the mouth of Jesus himself when He explains the very reason that He came to planet earth - John 10:10 "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
The second describes why Jesus paid the terrible price that He did on the cross - Gal 3:13-14 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ"
As sacrilegious as it sounds - it's right there in black and white - He died so that we would be blessed. So please don't listen to those that would stoop to crying "blasphemy" against those of us who choose to take the Lord at His Word - and make every effort to honor Him in doing so. |
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Ray Howerton (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Joel Osteen book has been on the Ny times best seller list with good cause. This is the kind of "self help" that I believe we all need. On the subject of attitude, I think sometimes we all get so used to our own negative ways that we don't even realize that we are being negative. No wonder we struggle to move towards our goals. Our thinking and attitudes are often off base. Joel's book covers this topic and so much more. I think that it would be hard to do anything except feel better and happier as a result of reading this it. I will add that it's so wonderful that this along with Rick Warren's book have been selling for so long as bestsellers. This is the shot of Christianity that the world needs during these times of sin and temptation everywhere we look.
I noticed another book mentioned on an older review by the name of Passenger's Side: Putting Jesus Christ in charge of your life. Author - John Michael Forosisky. Because I just finished it, I thought I'd give it a little plug here and mention it. This book contained some very useful insight. Like Joel's book, I felt the principles can be applied to assist the reader in improving their life in the here and now. The author emphasizes that this is made possible through what he states can be an amazing, even miraculous relationship with Jesus Christ. (I do agree.) I say read both, make a serious commitment to change your life for the better, and watch what happens! |
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An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
My son purchased this book for me. I started reading a chapter a day. I thank God for giving Joel the gift of being able to write this book so that so many others may walk in God's favor. So many things I have taken for granted like my personality, communication skills, and compassion I realize that these are gifts God gave me to use in his honor. I don't know where I am going but I am on my way.Because I have read this book I have purchased the Journal to enrich and deepen my knowledge of what this book is teaching me. If my review helps another person to read this book than I have given something to God. Roses & Rainbows. |
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J. Brown (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Joel Osteen is a little one dimentional with the message he's trying to get across, but he's really, really good at getting that message across. He can't carry an entire religion on his back, but he can certainly help you see that you're valuable to God. He doesn't talk about condemnation or sin or any of the heavey stuff. He focusses mainly on the love God has for us, the value of each of us to God and the Joy that is available to each of us. It's a great message for anyone who's heard a thousand times that they're a sinner and can't earn God's love. That gets too depressing and defeating after a few decades. I appreciate Joel Osteen's message because I feel that so many priests and preachers are all to eager to point out our shortcomings while neglecting to point out our worth to the God who created us. For me, this was a timely reading. I needed to be reminded that God thinks I was worth creating. |
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Donald Mitchell (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
If you're a Christian, you'll be delighted to find a book on how to live your life in constructive ways that's supported by the Bible, telling examples and positive energy. If you happen to enjoy Pastor Osteen's on-line broadcasts of services from Lakewood, you'll recognize many of the stories and examples. I could almost hear his voice as I read the inspirational words.
If you are not a Christian, you may find this faith-based approach to living life to be challenging to your beliefs. Perhaps that challenge will be a rewarding one for you.
To me, the book has tremendous ring of authority as Pastor Osteen recounts examples from his own family where faith and positive thinking made a difference such as his mother's recovery from liver cancer, his sister's regaining her health and overcoming the setback of a failed marriage, and his own doubts has he unexpectedly tried to fill the large shoes his very successful father left for him.
The seven lessons won't surprise too many people, but the positive way that they are expressed can uplift you. One of the reasons that I enjoy watching Pastor Osteen's services is that God's grace just seems to glow from his body as he tells you that God wants you to be a victor, not a victim.
Here are the seven lessons:
1. Enlarge your vision (what you focus on is what you get)
2. Develop a healthy self image (believe you can do it!)
3. Discover the power of your thoughts and words (your thoughts and words can pave the way to real changes around you)
4. Let go of the past (focus on what you want)
5. Find strength through adversity (trust God to get you there in His own good time)
6. Give! (giving opens up the doors of receiving)
7. Choose to be happy (enthusiasm for opportunity helps create fine results)
Many people feel that Christians need to be focused on avoiding sin and repenting. Yes, those are good things to do. But they can tie you too much to your past. Once God has forgiven you, He wants you to move forward. It's important to remember that point.
Will reading this book change your life? Yes and no. If you follow the book's precepts for a year, yes it will. If you read the book, put it down and do nothing different… no.
Read this book, apply it, pray for God's guidance to help you, and be the person God wants you to be!
May God bless you. |
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