Your Best Life Now

Joel Olsteen wrote his popular book, Your Best Life Now, explaining how we can, right now, be happy, healthy, and rich. Or something similar. A cursory reading of Scripture denies this notion, of course. Joel's "positive thinking" and "self-image" techniques don't actually produce financial success or contentment and have nothing to do with Christianity in Scripture. So, is there really no "best life now"? That depends. If by that phrase we mean, "How can I live for what I was created to live for?"—then that might be possible. But do we even know what it is? It's clearly not just about being happy, healthy, and rich. So, what are we truly made for?

Scripture teaches that we, along with all things, were made "from Him and through Him and to Him" (Romans 11:36). We were created to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7), making Him known, reflecting His greatness, and letting our lives point back to Him. Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). This means that even our obedience, for which we were made, is intended to glorify God. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, we were meant to be in intimate relationship with God—a relationship that is now possible (Romans 5:1-2). Solomon summed it up: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). We were built to reverence and obey God. Jesus called loving God "the great and first commandment" (Matthew 22:36-40), and Paul wrote that God's purpose for us is to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29).

Olsteen was wrong about "happy, healthy, and rich," but Scripture is clear. Humans were created to glorify God by living in loving fellowship with Him, reflecting His character, cultivating His world, loving others, and making Him known. Ultimately, this is better than simply seeking happiness, health, and wealth. Living this life now would truly be living your "best life now"—with an even better one to come.