Jesus Versus The Secret: A Christian’s Guide to the Law of Attraction
At the time of this writing, The Secret is the #8 best-selling book on Amazon. A book with a title like The Secret makes you want to discover what’s inside.
The secret within The Secret is the Law of Attraction, described in the book as follows:
Everything that’s coming into your life you are attracting into your life, and it’s attracted to you by virtue of the images you’re holding in your mind.
The most obvious explanation for the power of positive thinking involves motivation. In other words, positive thinking encourages positive action, and positive action causes positive results.
However, another explanation can be found in The Secret, which casts positive thought as metaphysical power:
You are a human transmission tower, and you are more powerful than any television tower created on earth. You are the most powerful transmission tower in the Universe. Your transmission creates your life and it creates the world. The frequency you transmit reaches beyond cities, beyond countries, beyond the world. It reverberates throughout the entire Universe. And you are transmitting that frequency with your thoughts!
Notice the capitalization (and deification) of the word “universe” in the previous excerpt. Despite all its talk of quantum physics and new science, The Secret is a spiritual book with underpinnings in theology and religion, where Universe and God mean the same thing.
Because of The Secret’s metaphysical nature, people may want to know if the Law of Attraction violates their religion. In fact, the book claims to parallel several world religions.
A Christian friend of mine recently said, “John, do you think the Law of Attraction is just a bunch of new-age mumbo jumbo?”
What she really wanted to know was whether a Christian could practice the Law of Attraction in good conscience, or if Christianity and The Secret were diametrically opposed. As it turns out, the answer lies inbetween these extremes.
Before we go any further, I want to share my religious background, so you know where I’m coming from. I do not claim to be an expert on Christianity, but I know something about it. My mother and father-in-law are preachers, and I was raised in the Church. I have practiced many Christian denominations: Baptist, Non-Denominational, Pentacostal — the list goes on. I have read every word of the New Testament six times, and I believe the Gospels contain some of life’s most valuable lessons, whether you’re Christian or not.
So when I was asked to share my opinion about Christiantiy and the Law of Attraction, I discovered I had quite a bit to say.
But I want to be clear: This article is not about what I believe. You are smart enough to make decisions about your spirituality on your own. This article is an analysis of how the Law of Attraction meshes with basic Christian principles – no more, no less.
The Power of Faith
One of the core principals of the Law of Attraction, as described in The Secret, is the ability of faith to affect physical change in the universe:
You must believe that you have received. You must know that what you want is yours the moment you ask. You must have complete and utter faith.
In the moment you ask and believe and know you already have it in the unseen, the entire Universe shifts to bring it into the seen. You must act, speak, and think as if you are receiving it now. Why? The universe is a mirror, and the law of attraction is mirroring back to you your dominant thoughts.
On the importance of faith, the Law of Attraction and the New Testament agree. Christianity recognizes the power of faith to bring about positive change, not merely as an internal motivator, but also as an external creative energy.
If you doubt the Bible’s position on faith, just look at these scriptures:
Luke 17:6 –If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this tree, Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you.
Matthew 7:7 — Ask and ye shall receive.
Mark 11:23 – For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
The scripture in Mark is one of the most powerful in the Bible. It says you can have anything you want if you have faith. So are The Secret and the Bible in complete agreement? Well, not so fast.
The Christian God is not Your Genie
In The Secret, the Universe is portrayed as a cosmic genie, waiting to grant your every wish. But the Christian God is not your Genie. The Christian God is sovereign, not merely an extension of your hopes and wishes.
So what’s the implication of God’s sovereign nature upon the “power of faith” scriptures I quoted earlier? Simple: You can have all the faith in the world, but the Christian God isn’t granting your wish unless it’s His will.
This does not completely undermine the principles of faith advocated by LoA, but does apply limits to them.
Plus, the Bible has a Code of Conduct
Although the Law of Attraction and the Bible agree in principle on the power of positive thinking and the importance faith, the Bible (being a religious book) suggests a code of conduct related to what you should attract, whereas The Secret (a secular book) does not.
The Secret says you can obtain a new BMW by manifesting it. The Bible, on the other hand, suggests the futility of living a consumer lifestyle. If you want to know my opinion about the hopelessness of modern consumption, read my American Zombie article. If you want to know what the Bible says about it, read these verses:
Matthew 6:19 — Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 13:22 — The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
Both verses hint at the temporary and unsatisfying nature of living for the material treasures of this life.
There’s more to the Bible than the Law of Attraction
The NIV Study Bible that I used as a reference while writing this article contains almost 2,000 pages, and only a small percentage involve desire manifestation. In other words, there’s more to the Bible than the Law of Attraction.
This brings us to our final point, the real impact statement of this article: If a person wants to follow the tenets of Christianity and simultaneously use the Law of Attraction, he must recognize the Law of Attraction as one small component in a larger body of Christian teachings.
A complete reconciliation of LoA with the Bible would take a book, not an article. And it’s doubtful even a book could tackle it, since reconcilation is a personal journey. Hopefully this article has given you a place to start and something to think about.
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Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 10:19 am under
[…] like The Secret. If you’re interested in reading more, you can check out the article on my blog: Jesus Versus The Secret: A Christian’s Guide to the Law of Attraction. But before you read it, I want to make it clear that this article was meant to be an objective […]
May 30th, 2007 at 11:58 amJohn, thank you for writing this. I have been struggling to understand how the Law of Attraction fits into my Christian lifestyle since I first read The Secret. This helps me a lot.
Your blog is fast becoming one of my favorites.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:41 pmThank you Jessica. I appreciate all the time you’ve spent reading these articles, and I am glad you are enjoying them and finding them useful to you.
Feel free to e-mail articles to any friends whom you think could benefit from them.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:50 pmI think this whole idea that you can manifest stuff out of thin air is pretty stupid. My two cents. Peace out.
May 31st, 2007 at 1:27 pmDude, you need to forget this idea that the Bible is the final authority on everything.
How anyone could read what you just wrote and not be more confused on the subject topic is a mystery to me. No offense to you personally. But you can make the Bible say anything, that is why there are hundreds of different denominations. There are hundreds of different ways to interpret it. Why all this confusion? Because the Bible isn’t inerrant and unified and was never meant to be read that way. When you stop trying to make it something it isn’t, a new way of looking at the world will open up to you. Really strive to follow your logic to it’s conclusion and you will see what I mean.
To anyone reading this who may be of an evangelical leaning: Stop treating the Bible like an inerrant blueprint for your life! BECAUSE IT ISN’T!!!
What does the Bible have to say about the ‘law of attraction’? Who gives a ****. But seriously, that’s like asking ‘Alice in Wonderland’ what it has to say about…well, anything. It’s a book, and should be treated as such. What does Jesus have to say about it? I’d like to know, but unfortunately he hasn’t been around for 2000 years, so no one is going to be able to ask him.
BTW, I was raised Christian, went to church every Sunday and was two semesters from getting a B.A. in Theology.
Peace out.
May 31st, 2007 at 9:25 pmJR_45,
The Secret is a very popular book right now, and I have talked to several people who are concerned about whether or not The Law of Attraction can be reconciled with Christianty.
I do not expect this article will be the last word on reconciling LoA with Christianity, nor should it be, since a comprehensive treatment of the subject would likely require a book, not an article. The key to understanding the Bible as a cohesive whole is context — the context of who was writing, who was speaking, the intended audience, and the socio-political ramifications of the text at that time. Once you understand context, you can begin to understand intent. But that’s way too deep for an article like this.
The intent of this article was to address those who were looking for it (and these people are out there), and to give them something to start with. Whether a person chooses to reconcile LoA with Christianity is a personal decision, and ultimately, a personal journey.
I appreciate your point of view, JR_45. Your viewpoint (and all viewpoints) are welcome here. Feel free to post anytime.
I will be cleaning the profanity out of your post — hope you don’t mind. I want to make sure we keep the conversation civil to anyone who might want to participate.
And one more quick point — I never said that I thought the Bible was the final authority on everything. In fact, I went out of my way to say that this article is not about what I believe.
But you must understand that there are people out there who feel that it is important to reconcile every spiritual or metaphysical concept with the broader framework of Christianity. The need for this kind of reconciliation isn’t going to go away simply because you tell them to stop it. Surely you know this.
P.S.
Just out of curiosity, what stopped you from getting your B.A. in theology? Did you have a bad experience?
May 31st, 2007 at 10:14 pmNice article, John. Thanks for posting this.
May 31st, 2007 at 11:08 pmNice reply.
For the purpose that you wrote it, you did good job.
Thanks for claryifying.
I stopped short of the theology degree for a few reasons, none of which had much to do with ’straying’ from Christianity. I was still very much a ‘fundie’ when I dropped out. I suppose at the time money was key, as well as growing tired of the college life.
Thanks for letting me rant.
peace
June 1st, 2007 at 5:38 am“Thanks for letting me rant.”
–Anytime JR_45. I enjoyed speaking with you.
June 1st, 2007 at 9:34 am[…] Jesus vs The Secret: A Christians guide to Law of Attraction at Johnplace Online […]
June 11th, 2007 at 3:48 amThe difference is the age old conflict of man wanting to be God instead of to serve God.
Christianity advocates faith as the means of knowing and serving God.
The Secret advocates faith as way for man to know and serve himself, to be “God” in the universe, ignored one’s own flawed and immortal will.
June 12th, 2007 at 11:52 pmRichard, you make an excellent point — one that has been on my mind since I wrote this article, in fact. I am glad you posted this.
Oh, and welcome to my blog.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:10 amThank you so much for your article. It’s so important that the “Secreteers” get a balanced view of what’s in the book. To me, “The Secret” is simply a modern day reminder of the power of your thoughts, words and actions. As much as many would not like to hear it, the Bible truly is the original source for virtually all the of self-help books. And that’s why many of the self-help books only help people for awhile. They’re trying to restate something that is a lot better understood and appreciated in the original context.
June 16th, 2007 at 5:57 pm“The Secret” is not *bleep-ing secret. We always know about it didnt we. Just that it was called:
- The power of positive thinking
- power of positive affirmations
, etc.
I think all we need to believe in is the law of good-karma, and the world will be a better place to live in.
PS: After seeing religious riots in my city streets, where thousands of Hindus and Muslims killed each other, I gave up on religion, god, etc.
June 22nd, 2007 at 2:01 pmThank you for the comments, Paula and Shypsys.
And welcome to my blog. :)
June 22nd, 2007 at 9:31 pmhey, wow there are some angry ex/non christians out there… the secret is new age ok. plain and simple. they Replace god for the “universe” that he created. all the things the secret talks about are worldly and material things. you either want what the “flesh” wants or what the holy spirit lives through you. they are opposite and whats confusing is when you try to blend them together called the law of attraction. whether you choose to want worldly materialistic things is the flesh or your actually praying as if you know in your heart god will grant it because its for HIS glory not your comfort. long explanation short, its all boils down to choice and what you choose to live your life for. christ, or ungodly materialism witchary freemasonry mormonism jehovah witness catholisism atheist. where your heart is, there is your treasure. to bad your soul will be there too… oh ya for all the “theres 50 billion interpretations of the bible, people” first of all, each persons relationship to christ is different, but the common goal is the same. you think youve done research in school or buisness? try researching salvation and which is the only faith that holds true to exactly what it says. gods word is alive, it didnt end when the words were spoken or letters written down.
June 27th, 2007 at 10:03 pmoh and shypys… giving up on god for how others express there faith in what they belive. dont you wish you had even the slighest bit of faith, your faith is so minimal, when people dieing for faith are well. dieing. you buckle? ask god to give you patience and start reading the new testament… song - what do you live for? is it something you stand for? is it everything you belive and more? a reason to give more, finally youve found your everything to belive in more…
June 27th, 2007 at 10:07 pmThanks for your comments, Kyle. Clearly, there is some heartfelt sentiment there, and as always, everyone’s point of view is welcome here.
June 27th, 2007 at 10:40 pm“You must believe that you have received. You must know that what you want is yours the moment you ask..”
Really? here I am with basic cable, when I already have the “secret” wishmaster 3000 sitting up there in my head collecting dusk.
Doesn’t this sound a tad bit narcissistic to anyone here? So the argument of the book is that: “I AM GOD” therefore “I CAN DO EVERYTHING” the only thing holding me back from doing everything is “MY DIS-BELIEF IN MY ALL POWERFUL POWERS”. Umm, Yeah, in their dreams. I don’t want to destroy anyone’s ego here, but wouldn’t all our powers kind of cancel each other’s out anyways, lol.
Oh no! did I just say that out loud?
Awww, does anyone need a hug? = )
Seriously, Jesus is the ultimate source of human happiness. I can’t begin to express this feeling in words. It is beyond me, to be frank.
Wow! Talk about a motivational speech, this book sure ranks among the top of that category, along with others like: “I AM GOD”, “ALL ABOUT ME 101″
and my favorite “THE UNIVERSE REVOLVES AROUND ME”.
This doesn’t even deserve a rebuttal, the book rebuts itself in real life. I have lots of questions for this author. Question one being: When was the last time you were truly happy? If he thinks propping up people’s ego is the path to happiness, he’s going to send a lot of people down a dead end path with him along with it. Ever since I became a Christian, my Lord has answered “all” my questions fully, intellectual and spiritual. Each and every week, there was always at least one day that made me felt “happy” like I was truly alive. I can tell you for sure that ego does not play a role in making those days possible, in fact, it was the opposite. Happiness pretty much overwhelms a person when you are caught by it, and you almost all the time want to spread that feeling to others; because you have sooo muchh energy (or life) inside you.
Be Humble and Live all your days faithful to the lord. You will not regret it. My only regret, not finding God earlier.
June 28th, 2007 at 5:12 amLuke,
You do make some excellent points (and I am glad you left your comments), but I have found that a more humble approach is often more persuasive.
I also believe that people are smart enough to decide what they want to believe on their own. Spirituality is highly personalized, whether there is one great truth or not.
June 28th, 2007 at 9:46 amThanks for the reminder John = )
Where are my manners? Sigh.
June 28th, 2007 at 3:14 pmNo problem, Luke.
This sort of topic gets people fired up. :)
June 28th, 2007 at 3:23 pmHi John
Thanks for the great post and insight. There is no replacement for aligning ourselves with God and His ultimate infinitely loving purpose. We are after all, creatures of the universe. We are created. He is the Creator. We do not have the ultimate say. He has.
On the other hand, we do have a part in co-creating and directing our lives in partnership with our creator and we have a part to play. Certainly our thoughts influence and attract our actions; subconscious thinking affects conscious behavior.
Law of attraction is but a glorified concept of “As a man thinketh, so is he”. Pretty commonsensical. But common sense is not so common and the idea has to be revived and renamed ” the secret” , which is no secret at all.
And as an extension of the concept, when you are aligned along a certain path of thinking,things just come along for you - like they say, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Strange but true. Nothing genie or magical about it. Just a phenomena that exists. Maybe through the opening up of the mind. If the mind is closed, even if it happens, you cannot see. Or it does not happen.
It all starts with your thinking. And that is the beginning of everything.
Blessings to all.
June 30th, 2007 at 8:10 amMay
http://wwww.successinspired.com
Thanks for your thoughts, may.
July 1st, 2007 at 12:35 amThank you so much for sharing your message regarding “The Secret”. The Secret DVD is very popular in our real estate office & I needed a
July 17th, 2007 at 12:01 pmChristian view on this view.
I haven’t had a good feeling about it and as you pointed out our GOD is not a Genie!!
I’m looking forward to reading more of your articles.
Take care,
Darlene Vincent
i had the same initial feeling regarding The Secret. im i guess a devout christian and ive never herd of the whole new age religion before but when my dad brought it in and started watching it something just isnt right. the more personal you are with god the more obvious he makes to you things that arent of him at all. see you have the prideful people who do not repent and acknoweledge jesus as the saving one then you have the prideful people who actually realize theyre prideful and repent. where im going with this, is a new pride thrown into a new demention going farther from god than any others. some commities from the UN are welcoming what they call the great teacher (anti-christ) and im sorta thinking he might be really persuasive in being a world representative of the new age movement, turning faces away from christ and god as impartial. he gunna sweep the nation talking about something wonderful in the making for 3 1/2 years right…
July 17th, 2007 at 5:40 pmThanks for your comments, Darlene and Kyle.
Richard’s comment, several up from here, summarize the primary difference between the power of positive thought taught in the Bible and the power of positive thought advocated by the secret.
He said it quite beautifully, so I’ll quote him here:
The difference is the age old conflict of man wanting to be God instead of to serve God.
Christianity advocates faith as the means of knowing and serving God.
The Secret advocates faith as way for man to know and serve himself, to be “God” in the universe, ignoring one’s own flawed.. will.
As always, I think it’s important for me to state clearly that I’m not trying to tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t think. I believe spirituality is a highly personal journey. My hope is that this article helps people make up their own minds, bringing to bear whatever logic suits them.
July 17th, 2007 at 6:08 pmTwo young supposedly Christian couples had dinner at our home last Saturday evening. One of the topices that came up was “The Secret” and I was amazed how the young woman gushed about this splendid new method for acquiring anything one wanted. As the husband nodded in agreement, the other couple became intenselty interested and wanted to borrow the dvd, or book, or whatever they could get to jump on this new bandwagon. It seemed sad that our focus shifted suddenly from discussing ways to live out our Christian faith helping those less fortunate, to the latest get rich quick scheme. The mood around the table quickly changed and it was clear that earlier talk of making sacrifices for others could in no way compete with The Secret. I believe time will tell and when it speaks, it will confirm timeless biblical truths that trump any new age theory.
July 19th, 2007 at 5:45 pmDear John
July 24th, 2007 at 12:44 pmI found your thoughts on the subject captivating.
I am however currently a christian, but after watching the secret it really stretched my beliefs and made me worry that I might loose my salvation, because of believing in this so called secret.
After becoming a christian I realized that my thoughts turned away from serving myself and turned to serving others - As Christ did. With the emergence of this secret which tells you to declare from life what you want - By visualizing what I wanted, I was contradicting my faith and focussed on materiality.
Would you be so kind as to forward me any furthur material you find on this topic.
Hi John, great site..
My fiancé brought home the Secret and I read it, watched the DVD, and could not help but feel uneasy with the whole idea of asking from the universe.
I thought to myself, surely if I substitute the word universe with God then that can’t be all that bad.” I’ll just ask Him for what I need, obey Him and worship Him and I’ll have used the secret and LoA while praying and believe I’ll receive and I’ll get. IF He wills!
Wait!! That is what I have been doing all my life and nothing! I have not had a steady job in 4 yrs (yes… FOUR years). If I were incompetent then that is something, but 3 of the companies I have worked for went under, all other jobs are on about 3-6 months contract, done some work of my own on the side but frankly, I’M TIRED OF BEING BROKE!!
Can’t marry my fiancé, can hardly buy myself clothes, buy food etc. I live off my family and my girl (I say that very embarrassed) I’ve even tried getting a recruitment adviser just in case I’m doing something wrong. NOTHING! I need to work for a living. Mc Donalds here told me I’m “overqualified to serve as a waiter” Come on!
Anyhow, the secret, as you can imagine, is very attractive to me. Maybe instead of depending on His Will, I can depend on my own.
August 1st, 2007 at 5:18 pmThanks for your comments, Ster. One thing to keep in mind, whether you’re a Christian, a new-ager, or practice some other form of faith, is that much of success boils down to hard work, determination, and tenacity. In other words: making things happen instead of wishing for them to happen.
Best of luck to you.
August 1st, 2007 at 6:23 pmyo ster. whether you listen to this or not this sorta goes out to all the people who give up hope and backslide. i dont have any fancy victory story of my own, but when i slide away from hope, which i am not at yet but Surely will come, i have people i can turn to and ask them to pray for my situation and insight and they will. surround yourself with people who will bring you up and pray faithfully for your situation. ill pray for you man :) im guessing you dont tithe. try to and see what happens. ask god to open your eyes and see his blessing in your life. oh and johnplace.. you claim to of read the new testament like 4 times or whatever. money is not the real issue here now is it. faith that god abundantly loves you and his hands are on your situation taking care of it whether you belive it or not. do not depart and he’ll show up :) dont get so discouraged in things you cant change. good luck keep your head up :)
August 1st, 2007 at 9:42 pmand wayne, not to be religious here but after watching 1 movie your conserned about your salvation? how often do you pray, do you read the bible everyday, do you go to church, to you have a group of people that pray for you and you pray for them. thats being religious i know and sorry. but these are the things that keep us steady in the sight of a battle that satan wants to win. remember theres an enemy that wants to rip your life apart, and theres god who wants you to embrace him with arms wide open and humble.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:47 pmand john again sorry. you said “hope that this article makes people make their own minds bringing suit to what ever logic they have.” you cant go live life like that. we are supposed to be shining lights in darkened situations. dont be like oh your struggeling for your faith, well i notice the perdicament your in and i think youll pick the best thing thats the best for you… wow thats encouraging. why is it that 99% of the world is so to speak, going to hell. they want to live life whatever feels best for them. so where are they making that jugement call then, godly people or worldly people. your being of the world by not being a godly one, your might as well not say anything and be neutral than accidentally be on the wrong side. i dont just say this to you john even though it looks like it but im talking to fellow christians in general.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:53 pmKyle,
It has been my experience that trying to tell other people what to think does not work. And in the context of this particular article, trying to push my own agenda only muddies the waters and ruins the dialog, suggesting I have an agenda, which I do not.
This article was intended to be an academic exploration. There are plenty of places on the Web where one can find this subject matter tainted by bias (on one side or the other), but that was not the intent here.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:33 amSter,
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:02 pmI fully understand your situation and have gone through similar situations myself and struggled with it. I believe God wants the best for you.
And happiness and blessings and success with it. Trust. Patience.Believe.
He definitely will not give you a stone if you ask for bread.
Blessings.
May
Ster,
August 8th, 2007 at 4:43 amYou are either a christian or your not, you dont try christianity neither do you put a time limit on God. He knows exactly what He is doing afterall he created you for a reason and with a purpose. Its not you being successful/rich that is important its what you become in the process. The bible says in James I:12.Blessed is the man who stands up under trial,after you have stood the test and are approved you’ll receive Gods promise.What is 4 years compared to the rest of your life and eternity. This is coming from someone who has gone from being extremely poor to rich. Its painful, its challenging but it will pass. Dont give up on your faith and dont get sucked into easy fixes they only last for a while and the price is way too high.
@ Kyle,
Thank you for your prayers, i appreciate them.
@ May
Thanks for your comments.
@ Lael
You wrote “..Its not you being successful/rich that is important its what you become in the process.”
This got me thinking that my comments may have been taken out of context.
It’s not that I’m looking for wealth/success - that would be great, but I’m looking for a way to feed, cloth and shelter myself. Not (much appreciated) handouts form my family and wife to be.
It’s one thing to withstand the test of time, wait till God provides my purpose in life. In the meantime, i need to work! Earn a living!
Bottom line, I’ll need to give this topic more thought. Thank you all for your support and kind words.
August 9th, 2007 at 2:44 amSter,
August 9th, 2007 at 1:15 pmYou’re welcome.
Try thanking and praising in whatever/ all circumstances. It works wonders!
God is always good.
Above and beyond what we think or ask.
Blessings.
Religious scriptures are a parody of astrology.
August 11th, 2007 at 8:01 pmNoFear: Well, that’s a viewpoint I hadn’t heard before. :)
August 12th, 2007 at 3:00 amHi, JohnPlace,
Firstly, I just want to say that your commitment and courage to launch this topic blesses me today, as I have JUST “stumbled” upon the discovery of this “Secret” movement via some various Youtube clippets of the movie, of the courses, promotionals, and even of Oprah footage.
I just simply wanted to air a few basic thoughts that were running through my mind as I eagerly watched and listened to all of the footage…..
1) “Well, this ‘Secret’ is no different than the live long universal Law of Karma or The Law of Sowing and Reaping, as well as the live long interplay of the ‘phenomenon’ our modern-day Carl Jung termed as ‘Synchronicity’.”
2) “Hence, ’so where’s the ’secret’?’ …And why is this footage advertising it as some sort of historical occult exclusivity to ‘elite personalities’ such as historically famed scientists, inventors, political and industrial leaders, but which is just ‘NOW’ being uncovered and ’specially offered’ out of the goodness of the hearts of Proctor et al? Why would the founders of this ‘Secret’ movement need historically famed inventors, quantum physicists, and guys like Proctor to not only prove, but to ‘occult-ize’ the existence and expanses of the Time-old Law of Karma and man’s power of choice? And for that matter, by the way, do we even need the BIBLE to prove the existence and results of such a universal dynamic as Cause and Effect?”
3) “The psyches and spirits of men of ancient civilizations knew and stewarded quite consciously the reaping of what they sowed –and they certainly attached some code of morality to that, too, by the way. How could they not? Karmic thinking automatically begs the acknowledgement of ‘good’ and ‘bad’; ‘positive’ and ‘negative’.”
4) “Why did a mental vision of Satan perched up high on the precipice before Jesus, tempting the Lord with all his twisted, clever powers of scriptural knowledge (regarding wealth, health and authoritative powers), crop up in my mind a couple of different times as I watched this footage progress?”
5) “The thought cropping up of the New Testament verse which warns of materially profiting off of God’s Word and Name for ‘approving or validating’ one’s own personal –even exclusive– schemes. This all truly DOES ly in the motive and heart’s desire, indeed. Any purity-of-heart issues here?”
6) “Where does/should one draw the line on this “purpose-driven” movement we’re currently stoked about as a generation? I can see a potentially dangerous ill-logic connecting to the ‘Secret’ here, because there are alot of people out there that are going to rationalize that this ‘Secret’ thing is the way to go as long as they envision a set of noble charitable goals all in the name of God and ‘God’s work’, whatever that would mean: A subtle syndrome of thinking, ‘As long as I’m doing God the favor of purposing a noble aspiration/deed, God will honor my decision to apply the “secret” as the way for driving my life’. [Feedback on this pondering would be appreciated.]”
7) In all of this Law of Attraction business and through all of the scientific quantum talk about the unseen powers of the mind and spirit of man as creator in the world around him, there is STILL something that is above and higher, more powerful, more radical, more disruptive, more outlasting, and completely outside of this very real and very true karmic phenomenon (no matter how mindfully advanced one’s exploitation of this natural common phenomenon is). And that ‘Something’ is able to crash through and interrupt it at any time along the history and the daily life of man, AS IF from out of ‘Nowhere’, like no other Power known to the history and spirit of mankind –certainly unknown to the angels!– and that is….
ALMIGHTY AMAZING GRACE!
If it wasn’t for God’s Hand of Grace intervening and overshadowing this universe and this world system we live in, regulating and withholding the unseen dark spirits, powers and principles from completely and all at once devouring the planet and the human race, then where do we think we would be? The Serpentine Deceiver and his legions would be more than happy to dupe us into focusing our energies upon –and literally granting us– the gifts of wealth, health and authoritative powers –the offer of ANYthing– if the thing works to remove the Person and Light of Jesus and HIS Kingdom and Inheritance from the number one slot of our daily, hourly focus.
8) “JESUS is the Truth; JESUS is the Way; JESUS is the Abundant Life.”
Thanks for letting me post, John!
August 17th, 2007 at 1:08 pmTo God be the glory and God bless you!
Thanks for your thoughtful and articulate response Gracie. I have much agreement with your comment.
As you’ve accurately pointed out, there really is no secret. The secret is that it’s all marketing, of course. All the talk of quantum physics and of elites keeping secrets from the general population is bogus, and the rest of the material has been around for ages.
On the purpose driven life front, I do think it’s important to live a life of meaning and purpose; a goal related to the Protestant concept of a calling that’s been around longer than I have and will be around long after I’m gone. And of course, positive thinking is a powerful motivational tool.
There are certain elements within the Law of Attraction that are supported by scripture (and practically every other supposedly divine doctrine on the planet); once again, a lot of these ideas are nothing new, and are not harmful if viewed within the larger framework of our beliefs.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:13 pmGracie… great comment. Very well articulated.
This has been a hard topic for me, but after weeks, i’ve come up with a few ‘laws’ i’d like to share. Feedback would be welcome and much appreciated.
(some are from other websites, i apologize for any copyright infringement)
Priorities:
• Seek first the kingdom of heaven.
• Pray with faith, and believe you will received.
• Trust in God, He knows what is best for you. Surrender in humility to him.
• Seek Gods will.
• Colossians 3:12-17
12: Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. AND ABOVE ALL THESE PUT ON LOVE, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17:And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.(Emphasis on the last verse)
Laws:
August 18th, 2007 at 5:56 pm• Our thoughts/attitudes create our realities and we attract what we focus on. (True regardless of religion)
• Want it but don’t need it: Express gratitude for your current blessings. Allow more to flow into your life by cultivating a feeling of contentment and acceptance.
• Want with relaxation and ease: think of the difference of power and force. Replace hurry with patience.
• Open yourself to something better. Visualize the end result and allow God to bless you with the ‘hows’.
• Be happy without it. You can be happy while still desiring some things to be better in you life. Be happy now!
• Know why you want it. Ask your self the three words, “for what purpose?” What emotional state do you desire and anticipate?
• Explore your reasons. The more benefits and reasons you can imagine, in detail, the more likely it is you will manifest your desire – hard work, determination and tenacity.
• Take small steps: every step forward leads you closer to your desire. Incremental action leads to monumental results!
• Exercise patience and consistent action. Success is the progressive realization of a worthy idea. Free yourself from linear time, and live your life in the now.
• Believe you are worth it. You do deserve what you want. Identify and eliminate any limiting beliefs. Remember that you can pray with faith that by His mercy, all things are possible!
The problem with the ‘Law of Attraction’ is that there is no such law. Do you mean to tell me the child in the hospital with a brain tumor ‘attracted’ cancer? Or the woman found raped and murdered ‘attracted’ her killer? Gee, why couldn’t the people in Jamaica think happy thoughts and blow the hurricane away? Or perhaps we should send The Secret to the people of the Sudan who can ‘think’ themselves out of famine and genocide? Good and Bad things happen to people for a number of reasons, some unknown to us. I am overweight, but writing down ’size 8′ on a piece of paper won’t make me thin. I have to diet and exercise. It’s hard work. Sucess, wealth, health …all these you have to work hard for. They may be available to those in a democracy. But they are not available for everyone in this world.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:51 amStella: To me, the single biggest problem with LoA and other forms of positive thinking is that they’re generally impotent unless supplemented with real action in the real world, but matters of faith are not intended to withstand scientific scrutiny (no matter what The Secret says about quantum physics) so the point is probably moot.
August 20th, 2007 at 10:07 amHello John and co…
Wow, how wonderful it was for me to find a site that spoke about if and how the secret fitted in with Christanity…
Before I read the secret and watched the dvd, I read a book called the Game of life and how to play it by Florence Scovel Shinn. It is a wonderful book filled with the similar ideas to the secret but it’s linked to God and not the universal genie that many people now believe in.
Has anyone read the book? If you have (or if you will-)I would LOVE to hear your comments on it.
Those of you who said you had a bad feeling about what the secret was advocating… Im pretty much sitting with this feeling right now.
This is why im researching as much as i can on the topic and asking as many peoples ideas and opinions as possible - guess this is my personal way of figuring out the good and bad of the world out there.
At least i can say that i know i’ve been really looking for a website like this and know that because of hours of actual searching - i found it. In looking at just this - the LoA makes sense in this regard. And yet it can be so confusing at other times.
Thank-you John and to all those of you who have posted your opinions on here - its been most rewarding to read.
Blessings to you all!
August 23rd, 2007 at 5:17 amNyssia *
Hi Nyssia. Thanks for your comment. I have not read the book in question, so unfortunately I can’t offer you any opinion there.
Perhaps one of my readers has read it?
–John
August 24th, 2007 at 10:40 amI enjoyed reading your article. I think that the Law of Attraction is a repackaging of Satan’s words to Eve in the garden, “…You will be like God…” It is his greatest temptation and the reason why he fell from grace with God. We were created to love, honor, and serve God. The people I have met who are truly happy and peaceful love and serve God with a passion. In fact, their joy and peace is evident even when they are experiencing tough times. The Law of Attraction promotes loving, honoring, and serving ourselves. Many people feel empty. I think this emptiness occurs when our connection to God–the only source of all our supply–is disconnected.
August 25th, 2007 at 7:44 amHello from Austria to you all!
I am really thankful that I found this website because I was thinking about this whole “secret” and “wishes to the universe”-thing a lot during the last weeks. Actually I was already starting to send wishes but some uncomfortable feeling made me stop it. I had a discussion on the secret in another forum which made me feel even more uncomfortable. One girl stated that she couldn’t help being jealous when other people were successful. So a discussion evolved about the Law of attraction and things were said like “the universe loves us the way we are, with all our faults and weaknesses. So why shouldn’t it fulfill wishes which are born out of envy if the outcome is that we feel happy and satisfied?” Of course you have to be thankful. (on the other hand the same people say that wishes which are made out of a feeling of lacking something won’t be fulfilled - I have no clue where they get these certainties from ….)
Well, I pointed out that it would be better if - before wishing - one should take a look at oneself and ask “Why am I jealous and greedy? Where does it come from?”. If my wish born out of greed and envy is fulfilled, doesn’t it hurt myself and others in the end because I will never have the feeling of having enough and my behaviour and attitudes towards others won’t change? And if the Law of Attraction works every time and the “Universe” seems to be blind as far as one’s motivations are concerned: Why shouldn’t it also fulfill wishes which are born out of evil thoughts?
That was clearly something the people there didn’t want to hear. There were also comments like “there is no evil. What we call evil is just a lack of love, luck and light so I prefer to spread love”. That was the point where I preferred to end the dicussion.
For me, the secret-stuff bears several dangers:
- First of all: People who fanatically talk about it (and their number is growing) also often say “God is everything, so me too - I am God!”. I don’t think I have to further comment on that.
- They totally ignore the fact that if good attracts good and bad attracts bad and if I am the creator of everything in my life: WHY shouldn’t some people WANT to attract bad things? That’s where they pack in words like thankfulness just to give the impression that only good can be done with this method.
- Some people develop a kind of fatalism: “This and that happened to this person because he or she ‘attracted’ it.” For me this is a good basis for selfishness and ignorance.
- I don’t want to know the number of people who were enthusiastic about the secret and then even get more depressed because wishing, visualizing and manifesting doesn’t work out for them. Just because they hoped for immediate solution of all their problems without thinking about themselves.
It makes people want to have a life without any dark hours although those are the hours in which you learn most. And for me that’s the greatest gift which God or the Universe can make.
Well, I prefer believing and trusting in God (who I am certainly not and I also don’t want to be God) because so far he has never let me down. I have everything I need and if I want something I work for it and DO something for it. Everything that happens, happens for a reason - that’s for sure. And if I don’t get everything I want it’s also for a reason. That’s enough for me to know, I don’t need secrets, laws and wishes to live a happier life.
And now that I read who used the words “You will be like God” before all the secret-enthusiastics, I definitely don’t want to have anything to do with it anymore.
Dolores
September 4th, 2007 at 10:51 amThank you for your thoughtful and articulate response, Delores. I too am often disturbed by the mentality that there is “no such thing as evil,” an argument often reduced to symantics.
While it is true that 10 different people might offer 10 different definitions of evil, it is through the explorations of these definitions that the true nature of evil can be understood.
The idea that every thing a human being wishes for should come to pass simply because it crossed someone’s mind is foolish and dangerous thinking.
The Secret is a secular book. As I mentioned in the article, it offers no code of conduct, and very little on the delineation of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, or productive vs. non-productive.
September 4th, 2007 at 11:01 amHi John,
The Secret actually says that one has to be thankful for the things you already have - which may be seen as a code of conduct. But in my view this can also be seen as an ethical and moral “appeasement” for those people who may have slight concerns about what they are doing with this “secret”. If you are thankful, there can be nothing wrong about it. But the bottom line in fact is “You have to be thankful to get more and more and more of what you desire”.
September 5th, 2007 at 3:12 amDolores,
Thankfullness seems like a flimsy COD. I read that book from cover to cover, and I didn’t come away with anything that I thought even remotely resembled a code of conduct.
September 5th, 2007 at 8:25 amAs you said, JohnPlace: “There are certain elements within the Law of Attraction that are supported by scripture (and practically every other supposedly divine doctrine on the planet); once again, a lot of these ideas are nothing new, and are not harmful if viewed within the larger framework of our beliefs.”
Pefectly said, dude.
My hubby and I look at the Secret as an addendum or ‘boost’ to the many teachings in God’s Word and our dedicated life in Christ. Be strong with and trust in God and you’re all good, brothuh!
Thanks all for your great insight!
September 6th, 2007 at 3:46 pmMrs. Kazooki
Thanks for your kind words, Mrs. Kazooki.
September 7th, 2007 at 12:47 am[…] if you mean God as in Christianity, but a forum member did a blog post that might be of interest Jesus Versus the Secret: A Christian’s Guide to the Law of Attraction. Maybe that will help. Also, the Bible talks about: ask and you will receive, as a man thinks, so […]
September 14th, 2007 at 11:34 amIt has been interesting to read the comments posted on your website regarding your article ‘Jesus Versus The Secret…” Like many of your readers I am too a Christain and have reservations about The Secret and its Law of Attraction [LoA]theory. I was drawn to your article initially to see how one could draw parallels between the LoA and Christainity. And I admit one could certainly justify following LoA based on your references to Matthew and Luke. However…..one needs to understand that the whole premise behind the LoA is the underlying theory and practice of the Natural Man, which focuses man as the center of the universe, not God. The Natural Man theory was practiced throughout the Age of Enlightenment during the 17th and 18th Centuries in Europe. This theory clashed heavily with Christainity during that period but interesting enough produced the fundamental concepts of individual freedom and liberty; which you all know are the basis of our U.S. Constitution. The concept of the Natural Man has also fueled the New Age Movement and I think you can find strong links with a lot of the Self-aggrandizement crowd in the Democratic Party. So if you do or have read The Secret and are a practicing Christain, keep this in mind. Your readers also need to see that the presmise for the LoA and The Secret is about the power of positive thinking which came into prominence during the late 1920’s and early 1930s with Norman Vincent Peal’s book “The Power of Positive Thinking” which significantly referenced the New Testament, particularly Matthew. Then there was Napolean Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” which fueled the Amway craze. I think the differentiator concerning the LoA is that if you choose to practice it, you must keep in mind to focus only on your thoughts and not on attaining physical things or wealth. For example; thinking and visualization a new job, earning a degree, being a better person or parent. It’s like the little train that said ” I think I can, and I did”. The Bible focuses on creating a healthy, positive focused life based on the belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Positive thinking will produce positive results. If by concentrating on the positive, material gifts are realized, then that is a by-product and but should not be the goal. The goal here is to have a postive thought process that no matter your condition, you will succeed in improving it. For me that is the LoA….thinking positive, acting positive, being positive. It’s addictive and people are attracted to it. Some call it self-confidence. So I guess we can rename LoA as the Law of Self-Confidence. The bottome-line is that positive thinking, based on the understanding and belief in God, by practicing the teachings of His Son, Jesus, we can have a positive life. I remember a story that Norman Vincent Peal talked about. He spoke of a very elderly man,dying and in his hospital bed. Friends could not get over that while he was going to die, he was also very positive. When asked what his secret was, he merely pointed upward in silence.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:38 amThank you so much for your thoughtful reply, Sandy. It is one that I have much agreement with. The verses that I quoted within the article certainly do suggest that a Christian is not well served by sitting around wishing for material things all day. Many religions (not just Christianity) ashew a material lifestyle; and positive psychology research suggests that people who value extrinsic factors (such as fame, wealth, popularity, and image) are less happy than people who focus on intrinsic factors (such as faith, loyalty, and love).
September 20th, 2007 at 2:27 pmJohn, this is a good article on a controversial topic… at least in our household. Honestly, like you hint here, I think there’s integration of BOTH Christian (or Jewish or Muslim, etc) faith and what The Secret teaches in the Law of Attraction.
“Even the least of you can do all that I have done, and more.”
One can consistently attend Church each Sunday, perform daily prayer and have a personal relationship with Jesus and/or our Lord, and still help manifest extraordinary things by the power of their thoughts and mind– God-given potential of the brain. They are not necessarily counter-intuitive nor does one cancel nor negate the other. Yes, God is first. He expects you to NOT Judge others, and see the cup half full by speaking about Abundance (vs. Scarcity), and cleaning up our own “stinking thinking.”
Faith, the teachings of the Church, and a personal focus on “walking the narrow path” are not diminished by the accompanying right and power to use thought, visualization, affirmations along WITH God to bring about a rewarding life, and providing good works while here on Earth. If it happens to bring more wealth, that’s more tithed (given away) to church and charities, isn’t it?
Media feeds the buzz on The Secret; Oprah furthers the buzz; but what is ‘old’ shall be ‘new’ again, yes?
Incidentally, I’m writing an article on this topic right now and would love to hear your thoughts here, or at http://www.breedingsuccessblog.com — thanks
September 21st, 2007 at 6:05 pmMy sister told me about the “Secret” whilst our Dad was awaiting a heart surgery which was eventually not successful. From what I gather it is nothing more than a further departure from the will of God, a form of witchcraft, and sorcery.Jesus says consider the birds, they do not farm or harvest but the Heanvenly Father feeds them, are you not worth more than birds? I consider it blasphemous to seek and scrape for more material things than the Lord has blessed me with.
October 8th, 2007 at 4:12 pmThe “Secret” is about as good as the wares of a snake oil saleasman.
Wow, very interesting reading. It’s sad to see so many people searching and so confused.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God.
Malachi 3:5-7
“So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.
“I the Lord do not change…..Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.
The Bible is God’s word. It is our guide. Try reading it, then try proving it wrong. What have you got to lose? You have nothing to lose if it’s incorrect, right?
October 9th, 2007 at 10:59 amThe secret “is NO SECRET”. God’s word is for everyone.
October 22nd, 2007 at 9:01 amThe first thing you do not do is only think of yourself, your wants, etc.
Sure if you walked around with a frown and cursed life daily, things are bound to not be in your favor and many would avoid you.
Yet again, you can smile be the kindest soul, attract many, but still attract many that will take advantage of you and still cause problems.
It’s not some kind of magical chore in order to get “what you want”.
God’s Will is God’s will and you have to learn and know that whatever God’s WIll” is for you may not even be what you would have it to be, or possibly even grow to know what exactly it was!!
What you want is to have enough faith and do as you are told in God’s Word to do, in order to live and reign with him one day.
The earth is dying. WE die. Things get old and even if we had a choice; who would want to live here on earth forever and work all the time?
How can anyone find happiness in knowing there are others around you less fortunate then yourselves and you are just thinking up all kinds of goodies for yourselve and not paying any attention to others that suffer?
That’s why we are told to Love one another, and be content in everything, and WORK for the Lord.
Amen? Amen!
God is the Gennie ! Not in a hollywood production of course. The fundamental difference is how you choose to see god and Interact. Christian Fundamentals Teach that God is and old man with a beard that stands in judgement of all mankind. This is a misrepresentation of God . In every religion there is a form of esoteric teaching that teaches meditation and methods for advanced people to understand our relationship with God and how we interact with the universe at large , Kabbalah is an example of this type of teaching and so is the Law of Attraction and the teaching of the 7 universal Laws in metaphysical circles . Religious dogma really is a very limited view of the world that implieas my God it better than yours and in fact everyone is praying to the same god. This should raise the real question for Christians are you just allowing yourself to be spoon feed scripture and have a level of understanding that allows you only to take things literally or are you open to learning what the people who wrote the bibble where really saying? There really isnt anything to “judge” in the secret it’s the same thing ,the movie was just an attempt to indroduce the ideas to a mass media!
October 25th, 2007 at 12:43 pmMr. Law of Attraction: The Christian God, as defined in the Christian Bible, is not a Genie who waits around to grant your every wish irrespective of its nature and/or implications.
Whether or not the Christian God (or any god, including the one you described) exists is a circular debate that probably isn’t useful here.
Each faith defines God in its own way, and one must generally respect their right to do so. The fact that you have a different interpretation of God is fine, but it doesn’t change the scriptures in any pre-existing texts. All the “tough” questions that you pose to Christians could easily be posed to you. Spirituality is all about the inner journey — the definition of what it is that we choose to believe.
This article was written for people who believe in the Bible and are curious as to how a secular book like The Secret might fit into the larger framework of Christianity.
October 25th, 2007 at 5:37 pmi don’t care about ‘the secret’, let it be just me and my Jesus…that’s more than enough for me….
October 26th, 2007 at 4:23 amYou know what scares me the most? That the “new agers” and others are so set on telling the world that the Bible is not to be taken literally, when in fact it very much IS a blueprint on how to live our lives! If you follow God’s law (which, obviously is impossible because we are human…..but if we at least try we are always inclined to be better people, serving others, etc.) you will be living your life the way God intended. (Obviously, writing is not my gift so this is not coming accross the way I want it to.)
But here’s my final question: What is so horrible about the Bible that makes people hate it so? And don’t say “look at all the wars started because of God.” Well, that was never God’s will. It’s imperfect people making bad decisions and declaring them in the name of God. God is about love and serving others, not ourselves. Greed is the basis of evil and as far as I can see, manifesting anything one wants is pretty much “greed”.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:48 pmGreat article and dialog. I am a Jesus Follower but have a hard time using the word Christian to describe me. Spiritual but not religious. For me I love the Secret…actually I am listening to it right now! The makers of the film agreed that they focused a bit too much on material things because that’s what people want…marketing. BUT having used the tenants of LOA in my life, things are changing. I am not rich, no biggie, but my life has changed since seeing the film.
Also, I pray every day that if there is something with “The Secret” that is false then I ask for that to be revealed.
People can bash this thing, whether a repurposing of Karma, positive thinking whatever, AND people bash the Bible. For this Jesus Follower, I love it, I love the Bible, and Deepak Chopra, etc.
You were right in a much earlier post that Spirituality is personal. If we meet in that place, very cool!
Peace,
November 16th, 2007 at 5:00 pmLionel
I just have one comment on this whole topic. In the Bible when Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted by the devil what took place? Did not the devil tempt Jesus in ways to get Jesus to ask for something in order to receive it in return? My point being, the law of attraction. This states to ask the universe of anything you wish, say it, believe in it, have faith, and then receive it. Now keeping this in mind, go back to Jesus being tempted by the devil. Wasn’t the devil saying the same thing? He showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and all their splendor and would give it to Him, if He would just bow down and worship satan…basically believe, have faith, and then He would receive everything He asked for, in this case all the kingdoms of the world. So now I ask my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, how does “the Secret” contradict our belief in Christ? Wasn’t Christ tempted the same way to have all the riches and spoils, neccessities and things of this world if he would only believe and have faith in satan that it would happen for Him? And isn’t the secret saying the same thing? Say what you want, ask the universe for it, then meditate and believe in it, and then it will happen. Don’t bother asking how it happens, just receive it. Why not bother asking and doing research on how the “universe” will bring you everything that you want? Because if you dig a little deeper you’ll see the “universe” is satan himself trying to deceive you.
and thats all i got to say about that…
December 8th, 2007 at 4:25 pmI enjoyed your article and the discussion. I am a Christian and have just finished watching The Secret on video; I found it fascinating and very confirming of what I already believe. Of course I filtered it through my faith. Without Jesus being the center of our thoughts and the Holy Spirit directing them I believe we are off the straight and narrow. However, how powerful to realize that what we speak, meditate and believe has a very real and tangible effect on the world around us. I tell my children that our actions create the atmosphere that we exist in. I will continue to strive to let my action and thoughts produce life.
December 10th, 2007 at 4:36 pmIs anyone aware of a bible study that examines where the secret is in conflict with or concurrence with the bible?
Also, is anyone aware of how to get in touch with local believers that may be interested in meeting to explore this topic and support and pray for each other?
Also, has anyone explored the parallels with the secret and the book, Think and Grow Rich?
If all we do is for God’s will, why can’t that include abundance?
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Matthew 25:29
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
Luke 12:15
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
I believe that God definitely gave us free will to choose. Why would He say (in so many words) you can have abundance, but remember to keep greed in check and be prosperous for My will and glory?
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us”.
Anyway, thanks John for the opportunity to share an opinion…
January 26th, 2008 at 12:03 amFirst of all the law of attraction does not go above God. God created this law for us, but he controls it and has power over it. Just like he created gravity. i’m sure God can defy gravity if he wants to.We can control our lives to a certain extent. We have limits. God has the ultimate say. If something is not meant to be it will not be no matter how hard you try. God has the final say. Plus, you don’t have to use the law of attraction to acquire material abundance. You can concentrate on world peace, or concentrate on good things happening to people you love. The law of attraction does not have to be selfish, the law of attraction equals will. Human will. Essentially what we will, will happen. What you put your mind to you can do. That is basically what the law of attraction is saying. It is like praying. You are visualizing, and that is a form of praying. Just pray for the right things, not the wrong. Power is not a bad thing itself. It is the way we use our power that can make it good or evil. I’m sure everyone here has a certain amount of abundance , since they are using a computer. Now are you being selfish or spreading it? You didn’t need the law of attraction to achieve that abundance, you already achieved it. Now will you what will you do with your abundance? Keep it to yourself or share it? Whether you got that abundance using the law of attraction or not you still have it. So, what makes it any different?
January 27th, 2008 at 6:48 pmdave you are dead right
January 27th, 2008 at 6:57 pmthe important thing is how you use the abundance not how u will achieve it(morally of course, dont achieve things imorally) If the law of attraction helps you achieve more, now you can give back more to the world. You can achieve abundance and then share that abundance, and the law of attraction can help you do that. But never forget that God created this law and all the laws of the universe and he is above them.
January 27th, 2008 at 6:59 pmI like this post by john Place. it brings the point i have been trying to present in my blog. You can check it out for similar posts including the one above, full credits to John place of course.http://law-of-attraction-for-christians.blogspot.com/
January 29th, 2008 at 10:48 ammono, Rick,
Thank you for your replies. Great, great insight! Your thoughts have really helped me, inspired me and opened my eyes to see the topic in a broader perspective.
January 29th, 2008 at 5:02 pmThank you mono,
January 30th, 2008 at 3:05 pmYour reply to this article Jesus versus the Secret, is one of the best and most insightful I read here. It is my thoughts that a person can read new information and make a decision how if at all, any of the information may or may not fit into your beliefs or life. You have free will to decide how it applies to your own personal beliefs.
As an adult I started meditating for stress and reading books on meditation, the law of attraction, ect. This new information offered me the opportunity to believe in something higher spiritually than myself.
Studying these concepts opened me up spirtually to know more and I began to read the Bible, pray daily and develpe a relationship with God. I am now looking for a church to attend.
I believe God wants us to pray and ask for his guidance through any avenue. I believe God is the same with many names depending on where you live, your religion or culture. How could there be a different “God” for each separate religion or culture? Aren’t we all really praying to the same one? Finally, who are we to decide how people are lead to God. I am sure our God shows examples and information to open his doors to all people in ways we do not have the ability to understand.
Hi John,
I was in the middle of typing a message and I think I accidently sent it before I finished or either my computer mysteriously logged off of your website. Please let me know if you received it. If not I will try to send another.
thank you and I love your website :)
February 4th, 2008 at 8:45 pmHi Lisa! Sorry to say I did not receive a message from you. These computers can be quite frustrating, can’t they? :- )
February 5th, 2008 at 5:38 pmi just saw that secret and attraction stuff on oprah, and didnt quite feel right with it and decided to do some research. first thank you John for this your space. am not comfortable with all that stuff bcos part of has christian things and part not. if i mix a half glass of coke and water together, the water is not pure, likewie the secret has the form of godliness but denying the power thereof. i dont know if anyone has been exposed to some sects that nurture the human mind to do amazing things like watch something and with your mind move it, these things i believe like the secret work with the human soul which believe me is powerful but none of them can delve into the spiritman which can only be alive in christ. this thing about telling the universe, as a christian, we are told of spiritual wickedness and other forces in operation in the bible. daniel’s prayer was held by a prince of the air from being answered and all of a sudden its a smooth ride. when i just became serious with christ, some things i will just think and even before prayer they came and this was to show me God’s grace. as i grew in the faith, i began to contend for certain promises and issues concerning my destiny. pls christians, show me one place in the bible where great blessings fell on a wish like that. Abraham, Isaac, Israel, Joseph, Moses, till revelation. pls lets be careful for the very elect will be deceived.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:14 amHello, Hello
I believe (like so many others) the power of positive thinking is so great for so many reasons
My take on the secret as a christian is that
well at first it scared me I felt like it was preaching to me and it sounded a little looney to me, however I, not like many others (my Hubby for excample) have an open mind and am willing to try (almost)anything once. My hubby however thought it sounded crazy and wanted to know what i was listening to (CD Version audiobook)….I felt kinda weird after that. Like the secret was weird … and something for weird people to follow. But after doing a few things the suggest
I felt so real to me and like a door was opened I felt like I wanted to tell everyone this great “secret” I learned but was afraid what they might think of me… I really don’t care what people think anymore I know it works for me.
BUT!!…..BUT…I did not _completely_ follow what the book says I incorporated what I know about god and christianity, Big Difference from what they teach…in the secret… When something great happened to me I thanked GOD, I think if anything my relationship with God got better…
I be more positive try to smile or say something funny to complete straingers when I notice they are down, or go out of my way to help people in need. They thank me in some cases but I feel better knowing I changed their day… and I become more positive, God is so great he always fullfills all my needs, and then some!
I don’t need to pray or ask for all the Money in the world
The REAL LESSON HERE IS THAT there is a greater happyness and fullfilling feeling from having just what you need(food, house,loving family), helping others and feeling overly happy about what you have now than thinking and dwelling in the thought of what you don’t have or want!
Learn to be happy for what you have, not don’t have and you will be truly Happy knowing each day GOD will provide.
Yes, we have bad days everyone does think of something that makes you happy and turn that feeling around before you be mean to someone else and unintentionatlly ruin their day and it landslides from person to person and we now have 10 people having a bad day.
Live your life for GOD and stop searching for riches and money you probably wouldnt know what to do with if you did win the lottery anyway!
February 15th, 2008 at 1:08 amthe bible says (and i firmly believe) that i can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
on the other hand, the “secret” says i can do all things through my will, my thoughts, my focus…
enough said, i guess the secret simply makes man the center of everything which is very un-Christian. God is the center of everything and one of the reasons why we’re created is to glorify God through our lives and not to glorify ourselves. everything happens because of God and not because of me. i can’t create things or situations. only God can. and to think that we can create things just by merely thinking about it is just another way of saying that i am a god… that anybody can be god.. that we are gods… Lucifer wanted to be god… he thought about it. in fact he was so motivated that he even “attracted” a legion of angels to attack the Throne of God… was his thoughts manifested itself? i don’t think so. he can’t dethrone God. he can’t make himself into something just by thinking and wanting it so bad… God is God.. and it’s His sovereign Will that is in everything… not ours.
well, fact is, “The Secret” is just one of the ways that Satan (Lucifer) is trying to lure man into believing the way he believed. he was destroyed and so he wanted man to be destroyed with him. he’s still the great deceiver of all. and he does it so mildly this time through the Da Vinci Code and The Secret.
Christians should be very discerning these day. the enemy is definitely working. like a hungry lion seeking who he may devour. don’t be lured into thinking just like the Humanists do. Humanists centers its focus on man alone. Christians must focus on God alone. To do otherwise is to rebel.
I believe that in matters of faith, nobody has to take a neutral stand. it’s either you’re a Humanist or you’re a Christian. there’s no “in between”. To be neutral is to dishonor God… it’s just like you’re saying that you are ashamed of God.. that you are afraid to profess your faith in fear that you might offend another…
On the other hand, i also believe, that in matters of correcting other’s beliefs, that every thing must be done in love. and so i pray for those who doesn’t believe in Christ, hoping that salvation will also be upon you. your “free will”, your good works, “intense motivation”, and your thoughts can’t get you to heaven. It’s only through God’s grace. It’s only through His Sovereign Will… not yours.
And for those who are doubting and are in neutral, please hold your ground in the Word of God. Stand firm in the faith. always. Ask God for faith, mercy and for His Sovereign Grace.
Always remember, it is God who is the Sovereign One…not man…
A Sinner saved by God’s Grace alone… billy
March 15th, 2008 at 2:19 pmi am a christian, just that at times i do find conflicting believe between Having Faith and God’s will..
Many times we pray and want to have faith in believeing answered prayers but on the other side of my mind a voice said what if it isnt God’s Will? and God may have another plan for you? And this voice conflicts my faith and becomes doubt… How can this be resolve?
james
March 26th, 2008 at 8:11 pmYou did not post my last comment although it was great and people could have read that information and been helped,
Fact -there is a God, and yes the secret works, but many are replacing God, with the universe, forgetting God created the universe.
Bible prophecy in Daniel of the coming Age of Antichrist. [”But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces.” Daniel 11:38] This New Age definition worships a god of forces, just as Scripture foretold Antichrist would do!
March 30th, 2008 at 10:33 amThe kingdom of heaven is within you my friends
Jesus said, “If your leaders say to you, ‘Look, the (Father’s) kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father’s) kingdom is within you and it is outside you.
We search, we wander, we roam
and wonder why we were created,
God is right there on the throne,
how can God be debated.
Because the kingdom is within.
you are God
the only sin,
is not knowing.
because when one knows thy self
one will know God
and one will know that we are one.
There comes a time in every man and women’s life,
that we ask ourselves the question
who am I?
we ask ourselves the question
what am I here for
we ask ourselves the question
what must I do
we ask ourselves the question
whom must I be
So I wrote this poem,
not only for you
but also for me
Be love,
love is what you are
and let everything your eyes can see be a mirror image
of what you are
and let everything you do reflect what you are
you are love
so let reflection reflect love
let reflection be eternal
so you eternally am
so you eternally be
so you eternally see
and you eternally are,
‘love’
and don’t try to hide it
because love is internal, external, eternal,
you cannot hide it,
love conquers all
so don’t try to fight it.
if love is a flame
ignite it
carry that torch
bright lit,
if love be food
bite it and taste it
if love be a word
write it, copy and paste it
read it
learn it
study it
like if you turn the word love around
you get evol
stick on a v for victory
stick on a e for energy
You get evolve
BECAUSE TO LOVE IS TO SURELY EVOLVE.
and even in the beginning there was word
and that word became flesh
let that word be known as love
and the love became flesh
word also has a frequency,
so tune in to the word love.
and listen to that word
a samurai lives and dies by the sword
you can live and die by the word
and let that word be love
a picture paints a thousand words
let that picture paint a thousands words of love.
if you worship God
let God represent love
and let love represent God
worship love
practice love
preach love
practice what you preach
preach what you practice
live life
life love
be love.
Its what you are
Paul Michael Bales
March 30th, 2008 at 10:41 amPaul, what do you mean I didn’t post your last comment?
Comments are posted automatically by the blogging software unless they are picked up by my spam filter. I assure you I have not purposefully omitted any of your posts.
March 30th, 2008 at 7:08 pmok, i must of typed wrong email in first time,
what do you think about my posts?
March 31st, 2008 at 9:00 amWell, I think your second to last comment is indeed supported by the scripture you quoted, and it is a quote that I have heard more than once, often from those warning of the hidden dangers of The Secret. I personally find myself a bit too disengaged to comment, seeing as how I posted this almost a year ago, and since that time, the comments section here has taken on a life of its own, while I’ve largely moved onto other topics. I am glad this is still drawing interest, however, and I encourage further discussion.
March 31st, 2008 at 6:05 pmhe he yes a year ago i think the secret was more about making money for them teachers it was so aggresivly marketed you know, they are all good people but theydo milk every bit of knowledge they have.
the film concentrated on greed to much
these law are here you know physics and quantum metaphysics and nature and history tells it all,
but in history the teachers also focused on God and scipture
heres an interesting thing i will tell you now
two men looked outside there jail cells, one saw darkness, and one saw the stars.
you get what you focus on, those stars were there for both but only one saw because he was looking for them where as the other was depressed and could only see the darkness around him.
March 31st, 2008 at 7:57 pmVery nice intro and comparison - thank you!
April 12th, 2008 at 12:10 pmHey,
well I just watched ‘the secret’ movie and well, I guess I decided to sort my thoughts out here. ‘The law of attraction’ makes sence come to think of it, and its something God could create like everything in this world fits together perfectly, and the law of attraction seems to fit also. My indiviual opinion is, well all the different opinions on ‘the secret’ and through the years has made it into a bigger deal than it is. They make it seem like now that they know this ginormous secret, they know everything. But as a christian I accept that I will never know everything in this human life time, but after life I believe I will. The law of attraction is a secret for being alive, for having faith, positive thinking but most of all believing in yourself. I am sure many people who know the secret are still a slight bit doubtful about what happens after life, if there non -religious that is. Anyway The Secret movie has also made an impact on me as I put my religious beliefs in with it, like John said like with the faith, and the genie. It reminded me that my hopes and dreams are reachable with the beautiful thing called faith. The law of attraction, well maybe thats Gods way of making things work, maybe its a thing that makes you realize that us humans little set up in the world really isn’t everything when its so easy to come over it, to reach where you want to go even when its impossible.
Sorry if that part made no sence.
Like, I guess what I mean is I’ve always thought that humans have created so much and its all so very smart for this lifetime. Theres so many ways to find happiness like by watching movies, jet-skiing which has all been created by us. But its not everything. okay here is what i think. we all have huge dreams right? Well i know i do. a big one infact. when i reach this dream I’m not sure if i will be happy for the rest of my lifetime. I know i will have a sence of fulfillment, definite happiness, but for how long i am uncertain because… we always want that little bit more. something else.
okay so i dont even know if thats relavent with anything, but i guess this just leaves me to say knowing the secret doesn’t leave me with knowing everything.
the secret isn’t the secret to life, its a secret to some discovery of frequencys and attractions, and how believing is a miricle worker, i guess its a secret on how to think, how to live.
which i think all in all is quite smart, but it doesn’t answer everybodys hardest questions.
Anyway for whoever was to read this, this is just all my opinion so feel free to agree, disagree, some bits are all over the place i know but yeah my mind is open but will I always look in myself and my religion for the answers.
Thanks :)
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:14 amJohnPlace,
I’m glad I found your blog because your openness is refreshing. All of the comments here are an excellent representation of how Christians are reacting to “the Secret”. I’ve enjoyed reading every one of them.
Two comments. I wish a good film producer would make a quality documentary movie showing how Jesus lived the LoA while He was on the earth, how our scriptures are replete with “As a man thinketh, so is he” and how being thankful is a key to living a more abundant life which is really what “the Secret” is all about. I think the main reason people get hung up on the LoA is because the movie is presented with a new age viewpoint, not giving our Father the credit for His “secret” LoA which, like mentioned in this blog, really isn’t a secret at all if we know and believe His Word.
My other comment is that watching “the Secret” is for mature Christians who can filter the LoA truths into what Jesus taught while on the earth. Those who are new believers and/or don’t know that Jesus came to show us exactly how to live happy now and after earth life, won’t be able to withstand the new age undercurrent. Sometimes people, who say they love Jesus, dwell on the negative too much and think we need to scare people into living His teachings (You’re going to hell if you don’t be good!) and not on the positive life He wants us to live, the bottom line reason He came to earth and said “Follow Me”. To me, the LoA is His teachings to think higher than the mundane, a reminder us that He is in charge and wants us to look for the good in others.
Yes, I’m a Pollyanna and look at life with rose colored glasses, but isn’t that’s what Jesus wants us to do. Think positive! The only time, I can think of off hand, that he was negative (mad) was when he cast the money changers out of the temple. Actually that was even a positive moment to show us how to use righteous indignation.
I’m grateful I know He made the Law of Attraction for us, same as He made gravity or we’d all fly away not as pretty as some think we’ll fly away.
May 25th, 2008 at 9:20 am“The Secret” is done by the same crowd behind “What the Bleep Do We Know?” JZ Knight and the Ramtha bunch. JZ appears as Ramtha in “What the Bleep” (Ramtha is a 35,000 year old warrior who is channeled by Ms. Knight. She makes a ton of money through workshops on her ranch in Yelm Washington. JZ has numerous scientists, doctors and other professionals at her disposal who appear in the above-mentioned films.)
If you do the research you will see I’m correct. It’s not widely known (Ramtha’s behind it) because it would freak people out and keep The Secret from reaching a wide audience.
Look at this link and see how JZ Knight and The Secret are linked…
http://www.newsforthesoul.com/bleepinsecret.htm
My faith:
I am a drop of the Ocean. I am not THE Ocean. I am a child of God. He guides me if I turn towards Him and ask for His guidance. There is a God and it ain’t me. My Higher Power sees the big picture and knows what’s best for me.
His will, not mine… letting go of my ego and turning towards Him… listening. Then I pray & move my feet. That’s MY secret!
Blessings,
Wind_Dancer
June 25th, 2008 at 11:13 pmThanks for your articles on LoA and Christianity. Some of the new thought denominations (like Unity) discuss LoA as part of their Christian faith, but one of the problems I have had with The Secret is that it leaves Jesus out of the picture.
While the teachings are compatible, the Christian believes that it does not work without faith in Christ. So, working the practices into affirmative prayer practice is the key from the Christian perspective.
I was a bit baffled in reading about your article on a message board and seeing replies from people who tried to understand LoA from a religious perspective. Spirituality is nothing if not a religious perspective on life.
Thanks for your blog. I had considered writing on this topic on my own blog, but you have done a nice job. I may just link to your blog instead.
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:49 amThanks for this article.
My husband asked me to listed to the CD’s with an “open-mind” because he understood that I had my reservations, because we are both focusing on our relationship with Jesus Christ.
We have both investigated other religious philosophies, and we have always come back to the same conclusion that nothing is more important that developing a one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ - which is only possible if you believe in his life, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins.
We both ardently believe in this fact.
One of the ways that we demonstrate this belief is by seeking to follow God’s will in our life - not our own.
That is where I have issue with the Law of Attraction…
But, then again - I don’t.
I do not think that The Universe that is mentioned in this practice is synonymous with God.
But, I do believe that this Universe that they speak of is real.
I think that if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you are seeking to live your life according to His will - then, if you apply the practises of the Law of Attraction - you can get what you want - because what you want is what God wants for you.
Your requests from The Universe, are really requests seeking that The Universe bow down to the will of God that He has for your life. And as you develop your personal relationship with God, He will reveal to you what it is that He wants for your life - and your requests of The Universe can be more specific.
I think that “trick” in this whole business is in using scripture references - out of context - to justify the claims. (Also, in seeking to have The Universe = God)
This scripture is not about a generic faith - but a faith is in God, and His Son, and the power that is granted you because of your belief in him.
The verses before and after this reference are clear about moral and ethical obligations of the asker - and Mat 6:33 - requires that you seek FIRST the kingdom of God and all of his righteousness.
The verses before and after this require a belief in God, asking for forgiveness.
The Law of Attraction is very… “Attractive”, I even have to admit.
Who would not want to have all of their hearts desires?
And, I firmly believe that we are responsible for where we are in life - good, bad, or indifferent… so - I can see the truth in the supposition that we “pull” into our lives that which we desire and focus our attention…
I love this one quote .. “We are all Self-made men, but only the successful will admit to it”
That is so true.
So, in my heart - I want to have a relationship with God, through His Son, Jesus Christ - and I want to live my life, every day, hour, minute, second … according to His Will - not my own. My will is governed by The Universe - God’s will His governed by Him, and Him alone.
The Universe is fickle and true to only itself…
God is steady and true to those who believe in Him…
I think I am going to stick with God.
July 28th, 2008 at 11:18 amI’m glad I found this article. It was able to give me the exact answers to the many questions I had re: LoA. Thank you, John.
August 9th, 2008 at 7:18 pm[…] them. These channeler just hop on for the ride. I find this questionable, if not very dangerous.) Jesus Versus The Secret: A Christians Guide to the Law of Attraction *On a personal note, just watching Esther (Abraham) Hicks in her video seminars makes me uneasy. […]
August 11th, 2008 at 8:16 am[…] like The Secret. If you’re interested in reading more, you can check out the article on my blog: Jesus Versus The Secret: A Christian’s Guide to the Law of Attraction. But before you read it, I want to make it clear that this article was meant to be an objective […]
September 21st, 2008 at 11:37 pmI am the author of a book on van Gogh, “At Eternity’s Gate: the Spiritual Vision of Vincent van Gogh,” and a Ph. D. in the History of Christianity. Check out my website for reviews of my book - http://www.dotcomprofiles.com/kpe/index.html Recently, I have been reflecting on the relationship between the “New Age” concept of the “Law of Attraction” and Christianity. While I do believe that all matter is energy and we influence what we attract into our lives by how we think, sitting in my living room, thinking positive thoughts to help me sell my home, find a great job, provide financial abundance, and deliver the perfect mate to my doorstep, just seems “weird.” Still, I am going through a major crisis, and life change, as a result of fraud and I want to turn this around. I believe in miracles, as I have seen them in the lives of others and experienced them in my own. My frame of reference is Christianity (not fundamentalist Christianity, albeit, but Christianity, none-the-less). So, how do I practice the Law of Attraction as a Christian? While reading the scripture for last Sunday’s worship service (in my Evangelical Lutheran church), I came across a detailed road map in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. So, here is my commentary on applying the principles of Christianity to the Law of Attraction, based on the incredibly insightful words of St. Paul.
Christianity and the Law of Attraction
Copyright, Oct. 23, 2008 @Kathleen Powers Erickson
Philippians 4:4-7
Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, the first Christian congregation established on European soil (in Macedonia, Acts 16:11-15), under difficult circumstances. At this time, Paul had been imprisoned for his work in spreading the Gospel and was awaiting execution (Phil. 1:12-26. “It is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”)
Paul gives complete and clear instruction to the Philippians, which is a step-by-step lesson on the Law of Attraction.
First – Paul instructs his congregation to get into the right state of mind – joy. Remember, he is exuding joy in Christ, even from prison. (How many people, no matter how dark your current situation, would rather be in prison?) So, the first step is to “rejoice,” in the Lord (not just rejoice, but “in the Lord.”) So, if you are Christian and references to the “universe” and the “Divine Intelligence” leave you a bit cold, take Paul’s advice. Turn your thoughts to the Lord, as the author of love and your Shepherd. (Psalm23: 1 – “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.” ) Acknowledge The Lord and remember he provides all your needs.
Second - Once you feel a state of joy (and remember there are two emotions from which all others come: Joy (which comes from the emotional experience of the love of God) and fear (which comes from the feeling of separation from God, the source of love). So – make a decision, a conscious decision in your daily life to choose Joy (a loving relationship with Christ) over fear (the separation from the love of Christ).
Third - Paul tells us to “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.” Feel the presence of the Lord, and assume a gentle spirit. This means that you “let go” of all that is blocking your good. Disappointment, resentment, anger, envy, hopelessness, and pessimism block the good God intends for you. Most importantly, if you have not forgiven someone for a wrong committed against you, you must release this to God. Jesus admonishes, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25. (Remember, the ground is level at the Cross. We are all sinners in need of God’s forgiveness and redemption. Leave justice to God. When a snake bites, it hurts, but it is not the bite that kills, it is the venom that permeates the bloodstream, festers, and destroys. Harboring resentment and wishing ill to another has the same effect). You must make a conscious choice to let go of all of this and focus exclusively on what it is you want. (Once again, this is a conscious choice that requires mental discipline). Every time your mind goes to one of these self-defeating thoughts, such as “everyone else is doing well, why am I suffering? God does not hear me. He does not love me. I am not worthy of God’s grace and abundance,” – STOP! Quiet your mind (10 minutes of meditation or prayer can work wonders here). Then, remembering that the Lord is with you always “even unto the end of the earth,” focus on what you really want. Begin to visualize it – begin to feel it present in your life right now. Imagine yourself at your ideal weight. What are you doing? What are you wearing? Who are you talking to? Imagine yourself in perfect health? How does it feel? Imagine yourself financially secure, with all the money to meet your needs and the needs of your family. What are you doing with the money? How do you feel, knowing that you can let go of fear and anxiety? How are you relating to your children, spouse, neighbors and friends? What can you do or have that you were without before this abundance of wealth came into your life? Feel the experience right now. Be absolutely certain it is on its way.
Fourth – Paul writes, “Be anxious for nothing.” This means you must let go of fear. Even if you are sick, or have been diagnosed with a terminal disease, or you are facing foreclosure, give it over to God. Let go of fear. Choose to focus on God’s love, being mindful that you are his child. He loves you as you love your own children. If you wonder how you can possibly stop worrying, remember Paul wrote this from prison, while awaiting a gruesome death by crucifixion. Ask God to help release you from fear and worry. The Lord’s Prayer says “Give us this day our daily bread” (not our weekly, monthly, or yearly bread). In Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now, he instructs us to stay in the present moment. Worry and fear are products of the ego that continually focus us on the future, robbing us of the natural joy of the present moment. He writes, “What is wrong with the present moment? You can always cope with the Now, but you can never cope with the Future, nor should you have to. The answer, the strength, the right action, or the resource will be there when you need it, not before, not after.” (Words to live by ——-)
Fifth – Now, and only now, after you have entered a state of joy, after you have released negative emotion based on fear and separation, after you have acknowledge the Lord’s presence, entered the present moment, quieted your mind, and released worry about the future – ASK. At this point, enter a state of prayer. There are now three components to the act of prayer. Paul writes, “ in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. There are three steps here: 1) prayer, 2) supplication, which is a humble request for God’s help, 3) thanksgiving. Jesus instructs us to “Ask and it shall be given. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened unto you.” Matthew 7: 7-8).Give thanksgiving as if you have already received what you have asked of God. Jesus tells us, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24)
Sixth – Finally, have confidence in God’s deliverance. Immediately, God will move events and people to come to your aid and bring about what you have asked of Him. The result – “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:7. This is how Paul could exude joy in the midst of imprisonment and impending execution. This is an act of faith – walking humbly with God and allowing Him to do His work in our lives. DON’T GIVE UP if what you have asked for does not show up right away. Pray and trust God to meet your need in the best possible way at the best possible time. (You don’t have to figure out how or when. That is not your work. Your work is to get yourself in a joyful state of mind, release negative emotion around what you are asking of God, ask, give thanks, and trust that He will provide).
Godbless and Godspeed.
Kathleen Powers Erickson, Ph.D.
October 24th, 2008 at 6:29 amI do not believe the LoA and Christianity are mutually exclusive propositions. To the contrary, I see many more parallels than differences. If one wants a better job, or desires to lose weight the LoA suggests faithfully believing it will come will make it so. This doesn’t simply mean wishing for it alone will make is occur as suggested by some comments. Rather, a person who has given their faith to this idea will also likely engage in actions or behaviours more supportive of the desire outcome. If I give faith and unrestrained belief to the idea I deserve and will get a better job, and glory be to God for the opportunity, I am more likely to ACT in a manner which supports my belief (and thus, am more likely to engage in actions, supporting this faith, and necessary to make it so). This is much different than simply wishing for it and then doing nothing to support the outcome. That the LoA is self-focused is misinterpreted by many to mean I needn’t look to God for my needs, I look to myself for my needs and satisfy them in a selfish way. I certainly didn’t get this from the LoA. Rather, I perceived the exact opposite. That my unyielding faith in God, and unconditional love and gratitude for God working so actively in my life is a vital component of the LoA. Ultimately your relationship with God is personal. On might say, in that context, selfish. Yours alone. No matter how hard I try or how much I wish, I cannot bear the ability to deliver salvation to other people, even my own children. Ultimately, each person will have to make their own individual choice, and obtain their own salvation by accepting God into their life. To my point of view, the LoA mirrors the kind of life Christ taught us to lead. A life of faith. A life of benevolence, love, and thankfulness. A life of inclusion and tolerance. A life of wishing all the joy, love, peace and blessings of life for all my fellow human beings (even those who may persecute, torture, and crucify you). A world of miraculous transformations and healing of the body and spirit. I think Christians should be more excited it is presented in a secular way. In this way, people who would otherwise be turned off to the christain message can slowly be drawn to a life of christ if it is introduced to them initially in a more digestable secular way. The paralells to christianity will undoubtedly be recognized by them along the way. At worst, we will have a world of people living and thinking in more of a Christ-like manner, even if they do view it in secular terms and THAT is a step in the right direction in my opinion.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:23 amWho would not want to have all of their hearts desires?
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I think if you faithfully apply the LoA (which frankly, mirrors a great deal of the christain tenant), you will find your hearts desire may differ than simply wishing for a BMW or a nicer house. I think your definition of success, and happiness will likewise differ from what it had before. I believe we are all children of God, and have been embdued with the essence of God (in fact, made in God’s image). If we are all God’s children, everyone in the world, then some of God’s children live elsewhere, have never celebrated or been exposed to Christian teachings. Isn’t your God also their God? One thing about religious dogman is it can be so devicive and narrow. My view of religion is as follows: 6 abstract artists are each told to paint their impression of “love”. What you get are 6 relatively different paintings which are all expressions of the same underlying feeling. THAT, to me, is religion. The basic underpinnings of most religions are similar (and similar to the tenants of the LoA), but expressions of that underlying eternal kernal of Truth are different (much like the paintings). Sometimes there is so much concentration on the differences of the “paintings”, and more focus on which painting is right (and which is wrong), than focusing on the common underpinnings of Truth which was the source of all the paintings. To me, that is where God can be found. In the common underpinnings of Truth!
November 15th, 2008 at 8:40 amIt seemed sad that our focus shifted suddenly from discussing ways to live out our Christian faith helping those less fortunate, to the latest get rich quick scheme. The mood around the table quickly changed and it was clear that earlier talk of making sacrifices for others could in no way compete with The Secret.
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Indeed. It does seem sad. I got so much more from The Secret than the focus on getting material possesions. That this couple seemed more focused on this aspect, and less focused on the spiritual growth, thankfulness, benevolant aspects. Thereagain there are many christians who have sad interpretations and live sad examples of the christian bible. I try not to make sweeping judgements about Christianity as a whole based on the actions of the few christians who are perceived by me to be hypocritical, judgemental, condemning, and intolerant. Most people bothering to look into The Secret, or LoA are apparently on a spiritual search themself. They are looking, considering, evaluating, feeling, praying. They are on a search and their spiritual vaccuum is yearning to be filled. When trying to lure these people to the message of christianity, one must subtley draw their interest to the message. Hitting them right out of the gate with “you are either christian or not, you either believe Jesus died for your salvation or you will burn in hell” (even if true) is NOT the way to interest these searchers, these yearners. In fact, it is a big dose of cold water to the idea of christianity. Did not Jesus tell his disciples he would teach them to be “fishers of men?” Think about that for a moment. When fishing, is the craft not a subtle undertaking. Do we not cast our line and try to attract and hold the attention of the fish we seek to catch? If you waded into the river, arms flailing and thrashing about, would you expect to catch many (any) fish? The right out of the gate condemnation and immediate challenge of their beliefs (lest they burn in hell) is exactly like the latter effort to catch the fish. Not effective.
On the matter of sacrifice, to me if it is done for the right reasons it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice. It is a labor of love and doesn’t feel burdonsome. Buddha remarked that sacrifice (that feels like sacrifice, done again and again) leads eventually to deep rooted feelings of resentment which poisons the soul. Remember, it’s not the “sacrifices” which matters most, rather, it is the feeling behind the sacrifice (like the poor woman in the temple who could only give one coin, but according to Jesus, gave the most of all. Because her gift was sincere, and not to intended to demonstrate how much she was sacrificing). Sorry, rambling thoughts from a searcher. Thanks for enduring my posts!! God bless each and every one of you!!
November 16th, 2008 at 7:02 amBy all means it hasent been a secret, it has excited within all religious texts for 1000’s of years. It make it appear as though it is coveted and heading from all but a select few is rubbish… Its like calling the new age movement new… Astrology,etc has also been around for as long as man can recall… just my 2 cents…
February 12th, 2009 at 9:34 amJust a few thoughts
As a Christian I am struggling to know whether deliberate creation sits with Christianity. But I guess if you don’t create deliberately then you create arbitrarily 9albeit unconsciously. Better then to guard one’s thinking and create good things deliberately (the bible tell us to focus on what is good) than to create arbitrary stuff good or bad without really knowing about it.
Also as Christians we are to worship the creator of the law and not the law itself - rather like the pagans being taught to worship the God who created the tree and not the tree itself as in the story of Boniface and the origin of the Christmas Tree.
The trouble with the Christian religion (separate as I see it from what God really intended) is that it has invested an awful lot in making us feel bad about ourselves and giving us such a low self esteem. Most groups at various points in history have been hated by Christians because of the misinterpretation of the bible (including women, homosexuals, people of other faiths, disabled (at one time seen as a punishment for sin) ) that if we don’t change our thinking around then we are likely to attract a whole heap of bad stuff because of the often abusive teaching of the institutional church and its effects on us.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:54 pm[…] Jesus Versus The Secret: A Christian’s Guide to the Law of Attraction […]
March 13th, 2009 at 8:09 amThis topic ellicits enough feeling in me that I have to respond. Let me preface this by saying that I have been raised in a Methodist household, went to a Lutheran grade school, went to a Catholic high school, and have studied many world religions (it was curriculum in my catholic high school, go figure!).
Today I went to a class at my church called Renewing The Mind: Thinking, Feeling, and acting more like Jesus. On the second page of this booklet, it shares an overview on what you would learn.
1) How to recognize and overcome 8 thinking bugs(feelings of invalidation, blame, perfectionism, coulda-woulda-shoulda)that make your life miserable.
2) How to explore and evaluate beliefs, feelings and behaviors that prevent you from experiencing the abundant life promised in John 10:10.
3)How to replace self-defeating thinking with truth that brings life and hope.
4)How to live out your renewed beliefs in your relationships with God, yourself, and others.
Now, I will also say that I am a firm believer in “the secret” as well. If we refer to the above points that I just mentioned, they are all things that LoA talks about as well. In the DVD, the steps to the secret are (in a nutshell) ask for what you want, believe that it will happen, be thankful for what you have, and feel good about yourself.
First off, that sounds like a prayer to me! Thank God, ask him for something that you want (from I want a new bike to help me be more like you), and be greatful for what you have thus far. Sounds like every prayer I’ve ever heard.
Secondly, those points from the class and what LoA says can mesh. Let me see if I can explain, and the numbers will correspond to their counterparts above.
1) Negative thinking will attract negative expereiences into your life, so think positively for a change!
2) Life is abundant, and each of us has the potential to experience a much fuller life if we can change our thoughts and actions.
3) Getting rid of negative thoughts and substituting positive ones gives one hope for a better tomorrow
4) Making your postive thoughts and feelings a habit will help you in your interactions with others.
I don’t see much difference between these 2 philosophies.
Now, I’m not big on the Secret using the terms “Universe” and such, but I truly believe that they used a broad term to encompass as many different religions as possible. It’s capitalized to infer reverance in whatever higher being you like,whether it be Jesus, Allah, Buddha, etc.
It all comes down to the individual. Some folks say that if God wills it, it will be done. That’s true, but God does his work through people who have the free will to listen to him or not. Priests and ministers aren’t running around like puppets on strings. They have an inspired thought to do good things, feel that its the right thing to do, act upon it, and feel good about doing it.
It all comes down to this: We all have the power to do what we want in life. What people who struggle with the whole Jesus/LoA thing is that LoA has nothing to do with religion. All it says is that our thoughts and actions create our life experience. If you choose to feel positively in love with Jesus, and you want a better relationship with him, it will happen. If you want to do harm to others and feel bad about yourself, that will happen too! And it happens because God gives us the power to create our lives as we see fit. You just have to live with the consequences of what you decide to focus on.
I have seen LoA work in my life many times now, from simple things like coffee, to big things like getting checks in the mail. I have also seen God take care of my life and save me when I probably shouldn’t have been.
But hey,Jon Stewart said to Jim Cramer, don’t just take someones word as truth, go out and figure it out and understand it for yourself!
And BTW, I saw a stack of LoA books, not in the Metaphysics section, but in the Christian section at my local Borders. Go figure!
March 21st, 2009 at 4:10 pmJesus said Ask and believe in your heart that you have it, and it will be given to you. This is not saying it has to be God’s will. However, James does mention that we ask and do not recieve because our heart is all wrong. Truth is, manifestation ONLY works when your heart is in the right place, and that place is Christ…or at least the Mind Of God (if you are not a Christian)
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:14 pmIt’s true, the secret does not speak about the heart and where it has to be in order to utilize this law correctly. Dr. Wayne Dyer speaks a lot more about spirituality relating to this law than most other law of attraction books do. I’ll be writing a lot on this subject on my blog that I’ve just started because The Lord has laid it on my heart heavily. The Lord does not want us blaming it on HIS will when stuff does not go the way we’d like. He wants us to understand His Will…however impossible it may seem to us narrowminded Christians. We must expand ourselves beyond our minds, for He is BEYOND our mind.
thanks for this.when i first read the “the secret”..i was really confused if its against my being Christian..i was about to stop reading but after reading this, now i know how to make the most out of it without any conflicts..i can apply the law of attraction in a very nice way, the “Universe” refers to Heavenly Father..being positive, so enjoy life to the fullest.at the end of the day, be grateful of everything you have..i wont take it to a deeper level..basic knowledge is enough for me to appreciate the beauty of life..
April 11th, 2009 at 10:26 pmIs there an actual book that addresses this subject? Your article is a good one, but my wife wants something to read about this in more detail and is more of a book person than a computer person.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:57 pmThanks for anything you can tell me about this
James
hey
June 4th, 2009 at 11:06 amit seems that Jack Canfield(who share LoA in the film “The Secret”) also admitted his view concerning about LoA and God. He said: “It took me a lot of year before I could understand this secret.” He also said that he should have some purpose of life, or else God won’t be happy to me.
hello
I have a question that really disturbed my mind.
I am a christian but after watching the secret, I am worry that I might loose my salvation, because of believing in and practicing this secret. Will God be unhappy if I believe in and practice this secret?
Can Someone help me please?
June 4th, 2009 at 11:15 amHi, i was just googling ‘LoA and Christianity after watching The Secret DVD and i found your article.
Well, my two cents, the fact of the matter is, a matured or at least a rooted Christian would feel uneasy listening to the deeper section of LoA. The surface though is good and makes sense but not when ‘you are your god’ or ‘you’re wish is my command’. Therefore, young or new Christians may lost sight of the fine line between the two.
alex,
June 14th, 2009 at 5:37 amI felt just how you feel but not to the point of losing salvation :) It’s something like yoga, you practise it but you claim that you don’t do anything with the spiritual part. If you are truly practicing the secret you should repent only because you must realize that you practice it out of self sufficiency. Many new world teachings rely on our self sufficiency (e.g. inner chi, self healing) and deny God’s kingship in our life. Sin is just that, denying God has a main part in our life.
John, you say “Simple: You can have all the faith in the world, but the Christian God isn’t granting your wish unless it’s His will. This does not completely undermine the principles of faith advocated by LoA, but does apply limits to them.”
But then you don’t back this statement up scripturally. In fact, scripture seems to completely disagree with your statement.
Matthew 17:20
Mark 11:24
Matthew 7:7-11
There probably is scripture that backs you up, but I’d really like to see it. I haven’t been able to find it myself.
Thanks for your article and the discussion that has continued from it.
June 28th, 2009 at 10:09 amWhat a great article and the discussion is good. I actually felt I needed to write much more in-depth — I collected 40 Scripture that needed to be put into greater context.
I think the Law of Attraction does, in fact, miss some aspects of the way a Christian lives…one aspect which I write about is that we must first not “conform to the world” and should “renew our mind” (Romans). This sets our thinking apart from the typical things someone may be trying to attract who isn’t Christian.
Second, in James, it says that if you ask, you may not receive, because your motives are wrong…if it is for selfish pleasure it may not be answered. That aspect is not in the discussion on law of attraction, either.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:02 pm