The Gospel According to Pollyanna

I like the movie “Pollyanna”. The premise that an orphaned daughter of missionaries can bring a new perception to a business town through her naïve faith delights me.

When she loses her faith, tested beyond what her little body can bear, the very people revived by her witness become the witnesses and she finds her faith again.

As far as it goes it seems solid enough.

But Pollyanna theology is based on the promises in the Bible. “Pollyanna” is a feel-good movie which focusses on a fringe issue.

Christian faith is based on the cross: unjustified violence, undeserved love, sacrifice, reward costing an extreme payment, and loyal service no matter what the cost. First comes the cross where the cost of our salvation was paid. What follows is serving the Saviour, giving people food, water, clothes, and visiting the sick and those in jail.

Surely you have noticed that these are the needs we have in this life. When the Bible declares that God will supply our needs it does not promise miracles (though that happens). Christians become the distributors of God’s supplies by the love of God which moves us and the gracious provision from Creator (“Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above” [James 1:17 God’s Word©])!

The Good Samaritan by Steven Sawyer

This is the real problem with the prosperity (Pollyanna) gospel. It teaches we should have faith that God will look after us, but does not teach that believers (servants of the Living God) are to be the Samaritan neighbours providing out of our purse what the victims need.

Serving Jesus means dying to self (and our ego trip life), instead bringing glory to God. It means some weaknesses will NOT be healed (thorn in the side 1 Corinthians 12:7-10) to keep us humble and conscious of the power of God in our lives. Trouble-free is a modern ad cliché, not a Biblical teaching. Serving Jesus may mean losing home and relatives, beatings and torture, and even our physical life.

One doesn’t join Jesus for the union benefits. Jesus draws us with indescribable love. That love transforms us from selfish, spoiled brats to compassionate community workers. True Good News “is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”(Daniel Thambyrajah Niles, 4 May 1908 – 17 July 1970).

The promises are nice. Serving on the front line against evil, however, is what God calls us to, not a joy ride of irresponsibility.

6 responses to “The Gospel According to Pollyanna”

nopew
July 3rd, 2014 at 17:25

Go ahead, preach it! The trouble with any theory or theology is it argues that it is right! We should argue that God is right and the Bible, studied carefully and obeyed, keeps us in tune with Creator.
Thanks for taking the time to work on this with me.
Peace

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papapound
July 3rd, 2014 at 15:21

Thank you for broaching the subject of prosperity for us, Jesus followers. Yes, we will have prosperity and in this life we get the full package. This is a fallen world, both nature and people. That means some of us will interface with calamity and evil. In fact, all of us will at some point. What will be our response? Will we have grown to the extent that we can endure whatever may come? I pray we can. We seek that. We should seek that–to become as strong within (the soul) as soon as possible. I don’t mean in a panic but we need to be focused on our growth. This is not a “gimme” God community. No, there is a balance. Most of the time, rather than receiving, we will become the conduit, we will have many opportunities to give from our (His) resources.

I have thought about the prosperity teaching lately. What I came to is that it promotes a very self-centered view of oneself and one’s life. If taken to extreme it can become very narcissistic. That is the opposite of what we are called to in the whole of the Bible. We are to become His hands and feet, offering life and hope. We are not “navel-gazers.” That is a commandment somewhere but I couldn’t find chapter and verse, ;0).

I did find this serious verse: Isaiah 45: 7 I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.

Actually that was one of my recent reflections. I am far away from home, helping a loved one and hoping that she can return to wholeness. She has met calamity and there is a purpose in it. God, what is your purpose? I know you have one. Help us seek it and learn quickly–most prominently help the one afflicted see it and learn quickly. We are praying for a rebound, but what if there never is one? “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him!” Job

Where is the popular teaching on calamity, pain, suffering, and trials? Denial is never a good strategy with our God.

I didn’t mean to preach. I may have to make this into a post. ;0)

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nopew
June 24th, 2014 at 07:37

Yes, it is a tough one because living for Jesus can be a “high”, but we are known by our love for other believers, not our emotional condition. That quote has meant a lot to me over the years, because it knocks the stuffing out of religious authority!
Peace

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GraceandTruth
June 23rd, 2014 at 19:10

Absolutely spot on! So many Christians don’t understand it when they go through trials and suffering, but the Bible says we enter the kingdom of Heaven “through much affliction”. The “prosperity gospel” has a lot to answer for…. And I love that “beggar” quote.

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nopew
June 23rd, 2014 at 15:32

Thanks for reading.
Peace

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Susan Irene Fox
June 23rd, 2014 at 15:24

Amen to this.

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nopew
July 3rd, 2014 at 17:25

Go ahead, preach it! The trouble with any theory or theology is it argues that it is right! We should argue that God is right and the Bible, studied carefully and obeyed, keeps us in tune with Creator.
Thanks for taking the time to work on this with me.
Peace

LikeLike
papapound
July 3rd, 2014 at 15:21

Thank you for broaching the subject of prosperity for us, Jesus followers. Yes, we will have prosperity and in this life we get the full package. This is a fallen world, both nature and people. That means some of us will interface with calamity and evil. In fact, all of us will at some point. What will be our response? Will we have grown to the extent that we can endure whatever may come? I pray we can. We seek that. We should seek that–to become as strong within (the soul) as soon as possible. I don’t mean in a panic but we need to be focused on our growth. This is not a “gimme” God community. No, there is a balance. Most of the time, rather than receiving, we will become the conduit, we will have many opportunities to give from our (His) resources.

I have thought about the prosperity teaching lately. What I came to is that it promotes a very self-centered view of oneself and one’s life. If taken to extreme it can become very narcissistic. That is the opposite of what we are called to in the whole of the Bible. We are to become His hands and feet, offering life and hope. We are not “navel-gazers.” That is a commandment somewhere but I couldn’t find chapter and verse, ;0).

I did find this serious verse: Isaiah 45: 7 I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.

Actually that was one of my recent reflections. I am far away from home, helping a loved one and hoping that she can return to wholeness. She has met calamity and there is a purpose in it. God, what is your purpose? I know you have one. Help us seek it and learn quickly–most prominently help the one afflicted see it and learn quickly. We are praying for a rebound, but what if there never is one? “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him!” Job

Where is the popular teaching on calamity, pain, suffering, and trials? Denial is never a good strategy with our God.

I didn’t mean to preach. I may have to make this into a post. ;0)

LikeLike
nopew
June 24th, 2014 at 07:37

Yes, it is a tough one because living for Jesus can be a “high”, but we are known by our love for other believers, not our emotional condition. That quote has meant a lot to me over the years, because it knocks the stuffing out of religious authority!
Peace

LikeLike
GraceandTruth
June 23rd, 2014 at 19:10

Absolutely spot on! So many Christians don’t understand it when they go through trials and suffering, but the Bible says we enter the kingdom of Heaven “through much affliction”. The “prosperity gospel” has a lot to answer for…. And I love that “beggar” quote.

LikeLike
nopew
June 23rd, 2014 at 15:32

Thanks for reading.
Peace

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Susan Irene Fox
June 23rd, 2014 at 15:24

Amen to this.

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