Joyce Meyer is a popular TV evangelist and Christian minister who has gained the attention, affections, and financial support of millions across the world. Alongside preachers like Joel Osteen and Benny Hinn, she has long been under criticism for preaching a prosperity gospel that counters what the Bible teaches.
“[She] has made a fortune teaching people that they must believe with all their heart that God wants to improve their lives — and be generous to a fault because God loves a cheerful giver,” writes Women of Grace. “Supposedly, the more they give away, the more they’ll receive.”
Joyce is also known for teaching that if you have enough faith, you too, will prosper — but in a recent Instagram post, she admitted that her perspective on that “got out of balance.”
The surprising video shared with her two million followers spoke to her faulty views on prosperity and holding that “faith” always leads to positive outcomes for Christians.
“Faith is something God gives you that you need to use and release in your life,” said Joyce. “It’s a powerful force, but it’s not just an automatic. You put your trust in God. You put your faith in Him.”
“I’m glad for what I learned about prosperity, but it got out of balance,” she continued. “I’m glad for what I learned about faith, but it got out of balance, and so every time someone had problems it was because they didn’t have enough faith. If you got sick, you didn’t have enough faith. If your child died, you didn’t have enough faith… Well, that’s not right.”
She elaborated on her mistaken perspective by quoting John 16:33.
“There’s nowhere in the Bible where we’re promised that we’ll never have any trouble,” said the evangelist. “I don’t care how much faith you’ve got, you’re not gonna avoid ever having trouble in your life. Jesus said, ‘In the world, there will be tribulation. Cheer up, I have overcome the world.’ “
While Joyce didn’t totally backpedal out of her prosperity teachings, hearing a Christian leader publicly admit fault in their perspectives is certainly a rarity worthy of note.
Watch her clip in full below:
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