Joel Osteen wants you to find your peace. Presumably the worst thing in the megachurch pastor's world are negative emotions, which is why he's written another helpful book entitled "Peaceful on Purpose" that will help you ward off those yucky feelings for under $20!

Osteen appeared on the Today Show this week to promote the book, where he shared some thoughts on how one attains e̶ ̶n̶ ̶l̶ ̶i̶ ̶g̶ ̶h̶ ̶t̶ ̶e̶ ̶n̶ ̶m̶ ̶e̶ ̶n̶ ̶t̶ "peace":

"I think of it like you have a spare tire in your car. You're not planning on having a flat, but you have provision just in case something happens. I think the same way: We're going to plan on having a great day, but we may bump into some, you know, people that are rude, or our plans may not work out. We may get a negative report. But you have to make the decision before, ahead of time, that today is a gift from God. I'm not going to get rattled. I'm going to stay in peace, knowing that he is in control."

If you want to know why Osteen is worth $100 million, just look at the above quote. There's no mention of Christ or even the biblical concept of God Almighty, just a vague reference to what Congressman Emanuel Cleaver might call "the monotheistic God, Brahma," amen and awoman.

It's this generic, vanilla-flavored spiritualism that blends Christian ethics with American materialism and Eastern mythology that pays Osteen the big bucks. He likes to scatter a little bit of Jesus over a message that appeals to the self-righteousness of as many people as possible.

"I think of it like you have a spare tire in your car."

What a way to describe the One who spoke the universe into being.

As Kylee Zempel of the Federalist put it, the prosperity preacher's message here is clear:

"Osteen's transactional equation is simple: You conjure up peace = You have a better life. God is optional."

The pastor then said the most important aspect of peace was "trusting."

"To me as a person of faith, believing that God's in control, that He's ordering my steps, that he's going to cause all things to work for my good. I don't believe, you know, you're gonna stay in peace if you're fighting – 'I've got this boss that doesn't like me, I've got this problem over here.' You just have to come back to this place of peace – 'God, You'll fight my battles, You'll take care of me. I'm gonna do my best. I'm gonna do good to other people and enjoy my life.'"

Osteen also mentioned "[starting] the day in peace" with no mention of prayer or Scripture reading – just a "me-focused" practice that sounds a lot like how Orlando Bloom begins his day with Buddhist meditation and appreciating the beauty of cows. It's all about warding off fear, anger, hatred, and suffering at any cost!

Yes, the Bible teaches that we should trust in God and not to worry.

It also says to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness," to pray that His will be done (not ours), and that we must to take up our cross daily to follow Christ, even if it causes us to suffer horrific loss, hatred from our loved ones, persecution, torture, and death!

Yet Osteen says peace is an attitude we have to work to attain in order to have some better standard of living through tranquility.

What a joke!

I'm not the only one who thought so.

From a biblical perspective, peace is relational and covenantal. It can only come through right relationship with God, the very source of peace. That peace, that wholeness, has been marred by our sin and we have no hope of achieving it without God. We are utterly reliant upon Him.

God is not the spare tire. He is all four wheels, the entire vehicle, and the driver – we are an unconscious passenger on a stretcher in the back.

What Osteen should be teaching is that the only way to have peace is through Jesus – the Son of God who atoned for the sins of the world and made it possible for us to be right with God. Jesus didn't leave room for debate on this issue:

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

If you are a pastor who says he professes Christ, then when you get on national TV, you should use that opportunity say that there is no peace, no comfort, no healing, no hope, and no resurrection without Christ.

It's telling that Osteen can go on a woke, secular TV show and deliver a message on God that has the hosts nodding and smiling in agreement. It's almost like he's paying homage to their gods, not to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

"You have to make a decision at the start of the day that no matter what comes against you, you're going to stay in peace. You're not going to let things take your joy."

You, you, you and me, me, me. Where is God in all this?

Oh yeah. He's apparently in the trunk in case you need Him.