Thoughts on "The Secret"
Friday, August 24, 2007
There's been a lot of hub-bub this year about Rhonda Byrne's new book, "The Secret." When Oprah endorsed the positive thinking philosophy on her show, catapulting the book into the hands of millions, I was sick. I worried that readers would mis-understand Byrne's ideas about "like" attracting "like," believing her message to mean "you can be rich, if you just visualize your way into a Ferrari, mansion, or celebrity marriage". It seems our obssession with getting ahead in life handicaps our ability to think beyond tangible riches.
Friends at work proved my worries true. After the Oprah show aired, there was a circle of women who showed up to work telling everyone it was their last day because they were going to win the Powerball that evening. One woman went to the extent of saying "goodbye" to all of us, and turning down plans to spend the weekend with friends because, "I'll be busy with media interviews." She was muscling faith, trying to believe that the Powerball was hers and that it was God's desire to give it. Not to me, or to anyone else, or to (paradoxically) the other "Secret" believers, but to her.
When she didn't win, she told everyone that the money would be hers "next" week, and--you guessed it--the next week, and the next, and the next. Almost six months later, she continues to hang on, looking for and believing all these signs that it's going to happen.
I think the most troubling thing for me is that she is a Christian, and "The Secret" is a twist on a biblical truth.
Jesus says, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). Which can make one wonder why we're not ALL overcoming obstacles in our lives with earth-moving, self-satisfying, success-full results. Because a mustard seed is pretty small. Which makes one wonder if Byrne is right, and we just haven't focused our faith enough, or prayed the right prayers, or persevered with the positive thinking over enough time. And if this is true, maybe my friend is more faith-filled than most of us and she IS in fact a powerball winner. . . . just not today.
It's easy to get confused.
But today I read another woman's blog about this subject. And she said so eloquently what I've been struggling to articulate myself:
". . .I missed God's presence in the "The Secret," and the sense of humility a creator inspires in me. I wish and work for good things to appear in my life. But I'm not arrogant enough to believe I'm the sole architect of my good fortune."
I love that. . . "sole architect." She made me realize the fundamental question that in my mind sets the Bible apart from Byrne's book: Faith in what? If we have faith in ourselves, and an independent ability to direct our own course in life, then the whole "Secret" concept reeks of pride.
If we have faith in God as a co-creator in our lives, don't we need an ounce of humililty when it comes to the paths he might choose? We can pray and ask for the desires of our heart, and then work hard towards such ends. But there's a huge difference between believing difficult circumstances will all be "fixed" in the exact way we want, or believing all of our dreams will come true vs. believing God remains good, merciful and graceful in the midst of hard times. I believe everything works out for good in our lives, eventually, but that doesn't always equate living the American Dream.
When did Christians start to confuse the two? God's blessing and goodness = the American dream?
Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord. . .
Lord, I confess that like my co-worker, in my own way I can be driven by a false sense of deprivation, striving to make my life's circumstances line up with culturally-driven dreams. Help me to trust YOU with my life, and to celebrate every good thing you choose to bring my way.
Friends at work proved my worries true. After the Oprah show aired, there was a circle of women who showed up to work telling everyone it was their last day because they were going to win the Powerball that evening. One woman went to the extent of saying "goodbye" to all of us, and turning down plans to spend the weekend with friends because, "I'll be busy with media interviews." She was muscling faith, trying to believe that the Powerball was hers and that it was God's desire to give it. Not to me, or to anyone else, or to (paradoxically) the other "Secret" believers, but to her.
When she didn't win, she told everyone that the money would be hers "next" week, and--you guessed it--the next week, and the next, and the next. Almost six months later, she continues to hang on, looking for and believing all these signs that it's going to happen.
I think the most troubling thing for me is that she is a Christian, and "The Secret" is a twist on a biblical truth.
Jesus says, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). Which can make one wonder why we're not ALL overcoming obstacles in our lives with earth-moving, self-satisfying, success-full results. Because a mustard seed is pretty small. Which makes one wonder if Byrne is right, and we just haven't focused our faith enough, or prayed the right prayers, or persevered with the positive thinking over enough time. And if this is true, maybe my friend is more faith-filled than most of us and she IS in fact a powerball winner. . . . just not today.
It's easy to get confused.
But today I read another woman's blog about this subject. And she said so eloquently what I've been struggling to articulate myself:
". . .I missed God's presence in the "The Secret," and the sense of humility a creator inspires in me. I wish and work for good things to appear in my life. But I'm not arrogant enough to believe I'm the sole architect of my good fortune."
I love that. . . "sole architect." She made me realize the fundamental question that in my mind sets the Bible apart from Byrne's book: Faith in what? If we have faith in ourselves, and an independent ability to direct our own course in life, then the whole "Secret" concept reeks of pride.
If we have faith in God as a co-creator in our lives, don't we need an ounce of humililty when it comes to the paths he might choose? We can pray and ask for the desires of our heart, and then work hard towards such ends. But there's a huge difference between believing difficult circumstances will all be "fixed" in the exact way we want, or believing all of our dreams will come true vs. believing God remains good, merciful and graceful in the midst of hard times. I believe everything works out for good in our lives, eventually, but that doesn't always equate living the American Dream.
When did Christians start to confuse the two? God's blessing and goodness = the American dream?
Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord. . .
Lord, I confess that like my co-worker, in my own way I can be driven by a false sense of deprivation, striving to make my life's circumstances line up with culturally-driven dreams. Help me to trust YOU with my life, and to celebrate every good thing you choose to bring my way.
