JOYCE MEYER-THE TESTING OF FAITHFULNESS

There was actually very little in this message I would disagree with except for two things.

First, Jesus was not getting ahead of Himself when he was conversing in the temple at twelve years old. Luke 2 47 says all who heard Jesus "were astonished at His understanding and answers" so the Father must have been with Jesus in doing what He was doing. When Joseph and Mary wondered how Jesus could run off on them like that, Jesus answered in verse 49 that he had to be about His Father's business, and basically asking them how they could have forgotten that. The next verse says Jesus' parents didn't understand what he meant by this. (Also, if Jesus had gotten ahead of Himself, that would have been a sin, and Jesus never sinned.)

Also, while I agree in general with this message, the other problem I have with this message is the same problem I have with a lot of the less dogmatic prosperity gospel teachings. Joyce Meyer is quite right that it is not wrong to have ambition in life, and as a matter of fact, if one had no ambition at all, that would actually be a very unhealthy thing. Keep in mind, though, that as Christians, our most fervent ambition should be to be more like Christ. It's all right to desire other things, as long as they don't become more important than being conformed to Christ. If they do, or God knows that the fulfillment of these lesser desires would supplant our desire to be Christ-like, He will see to it that these lesser goals are never achieved.

I don't disagree that the testing of our faithfulness can be, and many times is, God preparing us for the responsibility that would come with achieving our ambitions, but the most important reason our loyalty to God is tested is so that we can grow into greater conformity to and deeper relationship with Him.