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The concept of the “Law of Attraction” was made famous by the book “The Secret” which was published in 2006, and its material has garnered quite a bit of attention over the last decade. This “law” is based on the idea that the things we release as far as our hopes, dreams, goals, and most specifically our inner intentions go out into the universe where they will then be reflected back upon us with the things that we desire. The term most often used for this is “manifesting”, where someone releases an intention into the universe and “manifests” their will. While the concepts in it are usually applied to money or possessions, and are not new ideas even among the New Age where it is primarily marketed and targeted, it certainly can be confusing to a reader who feels like the information resonates in some way but isn’t sure how this “Law of Attraction” fits in with biblical principles. Let’s take a look at the answer to the question, “Is The Law of Attraction in the Bible?”
The simple answer is “No . . . and Yes.” So, really, not so simple after all.
The Law of Attraction as it is usually touted is based on the concept of a benevolent and intelligent Universe that keeps track of our thoughts and intentions and reflects them back upon us. Keep in mind that “universe” is always capitalized in this context because it is treated not as an inanimate existence, but a benevolent force with a mind of its own. In fact, this Universe sounds SO benevolent that it almost could be mistaken for God. And that’s really where it fails the Biblical sniff-test. This teaching takes the created universe and elevates it to the level of God, something that believers were warned about pretty clearly in Romans 1:18-23. The passage is actually pretty enlightening regarding this subject, so let’s read the whole thing then continue:
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.”
While the focus of the verse is on the wrath of God, let’s skip that part and look at the why of the wrath. It says that God has made His nature plain to everyone because of what? The creation. God’s creation displays His invisible qualities, such as His eternal power and divine nature. Furthermore, it goes on to explain that because this is all clearly visible in creation, everyone is without excuse.
Here’s where this connects with The Law of Attraction and “The Secret”: In verse 20 it says, “for since the creation of the world. . . ” That word for “world” isn’t actually the word world, but the Greek word “kosmos” (Strongs G2889), which is, unsurprisingly, the English word “cosmos.” Another word for the “cosmos” is the “universe.” If we read it with that in mind, it tells us that the Universe spoken of in the Law of Attraction is 1) a created thing and 2) that it points directly to God’s power and divinity, so we are without an excuse to deny His existence.
The New Age has taken the universe as a created entity and done what the rest of the passage speaks of—turned it into what is essentially an idol to worship. This is where the New Age concept of the Law of Attraction isn’t just not-biblical, but is actually fairly anti-christ in nature, putting the focus on created beings instead of the One True God.
There’s more to the story however, because as I said before, it is both unbiblical and biblical. Let’s look at the other side of the equation, but before we do that, let’s ask ourselves the question, “Why is the Law of Attraction so attractive?”
What makes this idea so attractive are actually two primary things:
1) It has a positive feeling connected to it.
2) It works.
If it was just that someone gets good feels related to the idea, that wouldn’t really be enough to keep people on board long-term, but the fact that it actually works is why this idea is propagated and is partly why people are, dare I say, attracted to the Law of Attraction. People like things that work and people tend to tell others about things they have tried that work. In other words, the Law of Attraction gets a lot of word-of-mouth advertising when people find it effective. Since that’s the case, let’s take a peek at what about it is scriptural, and how we can put that to use in our own lives.
There are two primary verses that can be used to explain the Law of Attraction in Scripture. The first is Luke 6:37-38 which says, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
It’s quite simple—what we put out, we get back, whether it is judgments, condemnation, forgiveness, or anything else at all. Furthermore, when we put it out, we get it back in a greater degree than we put it out, so there is a wisdom-nugget in there to be wise about what and how we act and think because “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
The second passage that expresses this concept is Galatians 6:7-9 which states:
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
This passage shows us another aspect of this Law—that really, the Law of Attraction is simply the Law of Sowing and Reaping by a different name. It makes a mockery of God to think we can sow without reaping, because whatever we sow, we are guaranteed to reap. Galatians 6 has two tidbits of wisdom for us as well in this regard. The first is to pay attention to what we sow, because everything either brings death or life with it in return. The second nugget of wisdom is that we must persevere in our sowing because while things do not always appear immediately, as long as we persist, we will receive our harvest. Hebrews 6:12 explains that concept by saying, “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” Faith and patience are primary keys to reaping what we have sown.
To answer the “Yes” side of “is the Law of Attraction biblical, it is literally just a repackaging of the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping. It says that whatever we put out, we will get back . . in good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.
One key point to remember here is that our prayers, our thoughts, our words, and even our actions all play a role in sowing and reaping. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The last part, thoughts and intents of the heart means exactly what it sounds like—the things we think and our intentions and expectations for things. That’s why Proverbs 23:7a says, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” The things we think, we become—sowing and reaping yet again.
There are other ways of expressing this concept, such as “what you behold, you become” but at the end of the day whether we call it “Beholding”, “the Law of Focus”, “the Law of Attraction”, “Sowing and Reaping”, or something else entirely, it is all just various ways of expressing the well-supported biblical concept that what we put out, we will receive back in like kind. Even Jesus taught on this subject. However, regardless of what one reads and what tools someone decides to use related to intention, manifestation, faith, and attraction, please let us always keep in mind that we aren’t sowing it out to a benevolent and sentient Universe, but a benevolent and sentient God who created that universe. And let us always remember what Psalm 37:4 says, which is that as we delight in Him, this benevolent and sentient God of the cosmos will give us the desires of our hearts.
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