Can you keep The Secret?
Have you heard about the movie The Secret? Rhonda Byrne wrote a companion book of the same title that was recently featured on Oprah. According to this book the secret is the law of attraction, the idea that you can control what happens to you by putting out into the universe what you want to come back to you. Sounds a bit like kharma.
Oprah did a follow-up show a week later with guests James Arthur Ray and the Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith. On her site it says, “The Secret is defined as the law of attraction, which states that like attracts like. The concept says that the energy you put into the world—both good and bad—is exactly what comes back to you. This means you create the circumstances of your life with the choices you make every day.???
Her guest, James Arthur Ray claims science backs up the secret. He says, “Science tells us that everything is energy, and so your thoughts are energy. Your body, your cash, your car—everything you think is solid . . . it’s just a field of energy and a rate of vibration.”
It is an interesting idea to think that a person has total control over their own destiny, I guess you wouldn’t need God in a world like that. But what about people that have had horrible things happen to them? Is this book suggesting that they brought it on themselves? A world where I am completely in control might sound safe, but I’m not convinced. If it’s all up to me, what happens when I am not enough? It doesn’t leave any room for grace. Between grace and power, I’ll take grace. I’m not sure I’m up to the task of running the world.
Does The Secret offer hope for change as the author suggests?
5 Responses to “Can you keep The Secret?”
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Kristal,
I completely agree with your interpretation of the message that “The Secret” posesses. I could not have said it better myself. I too am a Christian and believe it is important for us to be able to discern the spirit of the message and not deny it because it has never been preached from a pulpit. The spirit of the message lines up with the Bible perfectly!
Teresa
Cassie,
I appreciate and understand what you are trying to say. However, I don’t think you are really understanding what I am trying to say. First of all, I’m not the person to lecture on pain. In a 3 month period, I lost my uncle and my youngest brother in tragic accidents. And that is not the half of it. My family knows pain. I know pain. I can honestly say that a lot of the pain in my life I brought on myself. But all of the pain I have experienced and continue to experience, I use to grow and build character. Character is built in the trences of life — in taking action and responsibility for my life. I’m very curious, have you even seen the movie or read/listened to the book? I find it difficult to swallow that someone would condemn something if they had not seen or read it themselves. Now, in the devotional book, The Prayer of Jabez, he quotes “Oh Lord, keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.” Also, other translations state that Jabez is asking that God keep EVIL from causing him pain — similar to “lead us not into tempation, but deliver us from evil”!!! Do you not pray for a hedge of protection around your family? I do DAILY!!!! Our prayer should be protection from evil, not the happenings of life!!!
If you had watched the movie, you would know that there are MANY references of people who have dibilitating diseases and near death accidents which have COMPLETELY shaped thier lives and their character. The Secret speaks more of our RESPONSE to pain and tragedy. Everyone has trials, but how we think on them and what we learn from them, is what shapes our future. I own two wellness companies. I have a BS in Psychology and I am in the process of getting my wellness and nutrition certification. I have done extensive research into health and prevention and wellness. You mention “Do people get sick because they were not claiming their blessing the right way? Personally I don’t think so.” I would love to agree, but isn’t interesting that the majority of diseases (all of them ranking in the top ten killers of Americans) are called “lifestyle diseases”. As far as I know, lifestyle is a CHOICE!!!! So many Americans ignore the statistics and believe they can eat fast food on a weekly basis, drink soft drinks daily, take medication constantly and be healthy. Now there are cases of individuals who eat extremely healthy, exercise regularly and practice a life of total wellnes and still fall victim to disease. However, these cases are extremely rare!! What The Secret is teaching is that we have a HUGE responsibility in our lives. We are not just blobs sitting around waiting for God to do something. He gave us free will for a reason. He wants us to actively seek Him and His blessings. But we have to take action! Also, we cannot continue to tell ourselves how “fat”, “stupid”, “broke”, “unworthy”, “tired” we are and think that life is going to change. “As a man thinkith, so shall he be!” What we think about and focus on is what we bring into our life. If you took the time to watch the movie, you would understand this. There have been several studies done that have hooked people up to biofeedback equipment and had them “vividly imagine” or “visualize” an activity. The same muscles fired, and the same physical reactions occurred as if the individual was actually doing the activity. This is the basis of The Secret. Our minds are POWERFUL, God made them that way!! All I am trying to say is that we can’t continue to surround ourselves with negativity and expect a positive result.
As for your comment on worthiessness, we agree! But I don’t think I stated myself well. I have heard from the pulpit and from Christians from all denomonations say things like, “We are not worthy of God’s grace”, “We are not worthy of His blessings”, “We are not worthy of His sacrifice”. I have a very hard time with this. I am shocked that you have never heard these statements. My belief is that most people suffer dearly from poor self-esteem, feelings of unworthiness and such. To constantly be reminded of our lack of worth is detrimental. That was the point I was trying to make. I’m afraid that a lot of people don’t want to take responsibility for their lives and their destiny. They can use God as a crutch to remain uninvolved. I do not believe this is God’s plan.
Finally, I am trying not to be offended at your final comment about this philosophy teaching that we need God less!! If we are communicating with Him by asking and continually believing in His ability and then receiving His blessings, how is that needing Him less??? He is the key to The Secret!! He created it!!! I am closer to God now than ever because I am actually asking Him and believing in His power. And I am much more productive in my life, my business and my relationships because I am no longer bombarding myself with self-talk of my shortcomings!! I have claimed victory in my life in the name of Jesus and His ability to work through me!! I hope this opens your mind. It breaks my heart that so many will reject this concept and not try to better their lives because of a few disagreements with the content of the movie. I challenge you to actually watch the movie or read the book before you continue to make judgements about it.
Make it a GREAT day!!!
All My Best,
Kristal
Pain in itself is a very interesting discussion.
Pain is a warning — our body is made to feel it to protect ourselves. Example – you feel pain if you touch something hot…and that feeling makes you pull away. Pain can also remind you that maybe you should go to the doctor…something isn’t quite right. So you get a check up, take some tests, do the blood work.
Pain can be ‘correcting’ if you will. You discipline a child and there can sometimes be emotional pain (such as ‘your grounded for a week!”) and physical pain (such as a controlled spanking – dare I say the word).
Pain can also draw us closer to God and to someone else experiencing the same event or situation. Sometimes pain makes us uncover something about ourselves or something new about God that we didn’t previously understand.
Spiritually, pain can be involved in all three aspects. God places things in our lives that are there to both protect us and sometimes discipline us, and sometimes ‘grow us’ – with the associated pain. Coping with pain can build character, resilience and trust.
Grab a good study bible and look up some of the references on pain, suffering, persecution and problems. Think about some of the prophets of the old testament, and some of the disciples in the New. They had more than their fair share of trouble and pain. Read Hebrews 11 and 12…how did these folks earn recognition in the great “faith hall of fame”? P-A-I-N in every imaginable way.
The point of pain is that it is a common human condition that allows us to relate to each other in a way that constant good times cannot. Scripture always balances scripture…so while there is a place for blessing, there is also a place for the ‘desert’.
Hi Kristal,
Your comment is really interesting. A couple of things really stood out to me. You wrote, “We are reminded our whole life how “worthless??? we are. Do we really need to hear it in church?” I have not had that experience of being told that I am worthless in the church. I think you’d agree with me that that is not what the Bible teaches. As you said, we are made in the image of God — a far cry from worthlessness.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting blessing but no life is wall to wall puppies and rainbows. I think there’s a lot of potential for hurt and frustration in a book that tells people they can have everything they want if they want it badly enough and if bad things happen it’s their own fault. Do people get sick because they were not claiming their blessing the right way? Personally I don’t think so.
In the Prayer of Jabez, much lauded, I know, there is a little phrase that I would not pray for myself — ‘so that I will be free from pain’. Pain is not good, but the abscence of pain is much worse. Have you ever seen photographs of someone with leprosy? Often they are missing parts of their body, are horribly disfigured, and covered in sores. It turns out that it’s not leprosy itself that causes much of the disfigurement, it only that leprosy destroys the body’s ability to feel pain. Without pain a person is almost defenseless to protect themselves. If you step on something sharp you will quickly pull away, but someone who cannot feel pain will step down, keep walking and damage their foot.
In a book like The Secret, how do you deal with a verse like John 16:33b “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” I wonder if a philosophy like The Secret makes us need God less?
Cassie
I had a funny feeling that this movie would make the top of the list. I own and have watched the movie more than 10 times. I also have the book on CD. I am a Christian and I have been a Christian most of my life. I love this movie and strongly believe in what it teaches. Think about it, how many Christians do you know that are in financial and physical despair, depressed, lonely and very negative? What non-Christian wants to sign up for that class. My belief is, what does it hurt to began visualizing a prosperous and fullfilling life. Now — I also believe that God in His infinate wisdom and power, made us much more amazing than we think. Where the movie says “the Universe”, I say GOD!!!! There are a couple of points of the movie that I don’t completely agree with, but I refuse to throw out such a great message because there are some people in the movie who don’t understand or believe in the sacrifice of Christ. If you read the book (or listen to it on CD), you will find that the majority of her teaching and information comes from the New Testement. She quotes scripture thoughout the book. I just don’t see what the problem is with wanting people to think in terms of abundance and prosperity. We are reminded our whole life how “worthless” we are. Do we really need to hear it in church? God believed we were worthy of saving. I don’t buy into this belief that we are to sit around and “let” life “happen”. In all of the miracles I have found in the Bible, God or Christ required action on behalf of humanity. Does that mean the God “needed” us — ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! However, He engaged us and is still wanting us to do that today. Read the “Prayer of Jabez”, it says nearly the same thing. Why do we believe that we can remain negative, constantly verbalize our problems, pray to God without REALLY believing He will answer and live some fullfilling life.
Didn’t Christ say “I have come that you may have life and you may have it more abundantly!”– How about we are “made in the image of God” — Matthew 21:22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”Proverbs 8:18 “With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.”1 Chronicles 4:10 “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.”
These are just a few verses that directly support the theme of “The Secret”. We have all come to believe that we don’t “deserve” prosperity, abundance, happiness… Does it really make us more holy and Godly to be poor, sick, depressed or distraught? God WANTS us to ASK!!!! Do we not want to give our children the things they ask for? Doesn’t God love us more than we love our own children? I am not suggesting that GRACE is not a powerful force that has changed and continues to change my life! I am eternally grateful for God’s grace. In addition, I am actively seeking His blessings in my life. I do find it sad that some will learn to ask and will receive the desires of their heart, but not know Christ. So isn’t it our job as Christians to share our faith? Supporting a movie like The Secret while sharing the gospel seems like a win-win to me. What are we hurting by learning to ask and believe and receive God’s blessings? Let’s not get caught up in our own conservative fears and reject something that can ultimately make our lives fuller and better!!!
Thank you,
Kristal!
PS Remember to ASK!!!!