There’s no question that God wants us to think positively. Philippians 4:8 (New International Version) gives us clear direction in this regard: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Having an optimistic approach to life can help us get through the difficult times we’re inevitably going to face. On the other hand, a negative outlook can literally destroy us—emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Unfortunately, humanity often takes biblical concepts and mixes in a lot of false thinking with them. The result is a new ideology that might sound good on the surface, but is actually unbiblical or even dangerous. This has happened with the “think positively” teaching.

In the late 19^th century, mystics and spiritualists started promoting the idea that human beings and their thoughts are composed of a kind of supernatural energy, and this energy supposedly attracts other like energy. Dubbed the law of attraction, this philosophy teaches that if you think positive thoughts, you’ll attract positive energy and good things into your life. But if you think negative thoughts, it will attract negative energy and bad outcomes. The idea is that you can have anything you desire, so long as you think positive thoughts and focus hard enough on it. 

Proponents of this philosophy taught (and still do) that it’s the universe that gives people what their thoughts are focused on. Thoughts, they insist, are magnetic and have various frequencies. So when a person thinks about something, those thoughts are supposedly sent out into the universe, magnetically attracting things that are on the same frequency, and these things are then sent back to the individual who had those thoughts.

In the mid-20^th century, the law of attraction started making inroads into the wider population. In big part, this was due to two books which were published, both of which promoted the law of attraction ideology.

One was the self-help book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, which came out in 1937. In it, he summed up what he saw as the way to becoming wealthy: to have a strong desire for wealth, having “faith” that you will receive it, and then using the mind to transmit thought vibrations to what he called the “Infinite Intelligence.”

The other book was Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking (1952). Rather than focusing on getting rich, Peale, an American pastor, sought to use a more religious approach. Throughout the book, he melded biblical teachings with the law of attraction. For example, he used Mark 9:23 (“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes”) to try to justify his idea that “When you expect the best, you release a magnetic force in your mind which by a law of attraction tends to bring the best to you” (p. 84). He encouraged his readers to recite Philippians 4:13 five times every day and claimed “it will release indomitable power in your mind” (p. 105).

While Hill’s and Peale’s books became bestsellers, in many ways they are more popular today than they were when they were first published, due to the increasing acceptance of the law of attraction ideology.

The Secret Makes Its Debut

It was in 2006 when the law of attraction really became ingrained in mainstream culture. That is the year Rhonda Byrne’s book, The Secret, made its debut. Endorsed by numerous entertainers, the book became an immediate bestseller, sparking a cultural phenomenon.

In the book’s foreward, Byrne asserts that the law of attraction had somehow been hidden from most people in society—that wealthy individuals had long known about it, but purposely kept it from the masses. The Secret was her explanation of what the law of attraction was all about, and her way to inform the public of this “secret.”   

The Secret outlines three basic steps for employing the law of attraction:

First, tell the universe (or “source energy”) what you want. That might mean financial abundance, a new sports car, to win the lottery, career success, true love, being cured of a disease, weight loss, or being able to travel the world.

Next, believe whatever you want is yours. “You must act, speak, and think, as though you are receiving it now,” writes Byrne. “If your thoughts contain noticing you do not have it yet, you will continue to attract not having it yet. You must believe you have it already” (p. 49). She insisted that any unpleasant possibilities must be intentionally repressed.

Last, feel good so you can receive. Byrne refers to this as manifesting. It means deliberately trying to transform an idea into reality. This is primarily done through visualization (creating pictures in your mind of yourself with what you want), repeating positive affirmations (statements that you’ve already achieved your desired results) and posting pictures of what’s desired on “vision boards” so you can study them regularly.  

Today, The Secret is still a top seller, with over 30 million copies sold. In 2020, the book was turned into a movie by the same name, and that, too, has been popular. Byrne’s ideas are being promoted by self-help gurus, success coaches, psychologists, motivational speakers and preachers. Since The Secret was first published, thousands of other books, movies and websites about the law of attraction have been produced, as more and more people become allured to this philosophy.

The law of attraction ideology permeates much of modern society, and even those who haven’t yet heard the term, have still adopted ideas associated with it. They’ve latched onto the notion that we can create pleasant circumstances by wishful thinking, mind control, pumping up our mood, repeating positive affirmations or thinking happy thoughts. Common expressions like “You are what you think,” “Mind over matter, “If you stay positive, good things will be drawn to you” and “Your thoughts create your reality,” are all based on the law of attraction.

How the Law of Attraction Conflicts with the Bible

As was alluded to in the introduction, some aspects of the law of attraction do align with biblical principles. What we allow into our minds can affect our behavior. When we are upbeat, our positive attitudes can draw others to us, leading to improved relationships, career progress, etc. Positive thinking can, to a certain extent, improve our mental and physical health.

It’s all the nonbiblical ideas associated with this philosophy that are the problem, and there are a lot of them. Here are six big ways the law of attraction clashes with the Bible:

1. The law of attraction looks to a false deity.

Those who practice the law of attraction “ask the universe” to provide for them, which in essence is looking to a false god—something the Bible explicitly speaks against (Exodus 20:3). The Bible tells us to look to God for sustenance and blessings (Isaiah 41:10; 2 Corinthians 9:8-9; James 1:17). God is not pleased, if instead we see the universe as our provider.

In her book, Byrne describes the universe this way: “We are one. We are all connected, and we are all part of the One Energy Field, or the One Supreme Mind, or the One Consciousness, or the One Creative Source” (p. 162). The term for this is pantheism—the belief that the universe and all that’s in it, including human beings, collectively comprise God. God is viewed not as a personal, relational being, but rather as a cosmic force or universal energy. This is a core tenet of the New Age movement and Eastern mystical religions—not of biblical Christianity.

2. It centers on pleasing oneself.

When people become interested in the law of attraction, it often takes over their lives. They hang vision boards in their homes of the yachts and sportscars they want, continually repeat self-affirmations to “manifest abundance,” and start dwelling on their own selfish desires. This is in direct opposition to how God calls us to live.

The Bible says we should be concerned about the welfare of others and not just seek our own interests (Philippians 2:4), that life does not consist in the abundance of things (Luke 12:15), that the love of money is the root of evil (1 Timothy 6:10), and that our primary focus should be on the treasures that are above, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).

There’s nothing wrong with having some nice things. But to be constantly thinking about the material “stuff” we want takes our minds away from what has eternal value. We can also become discontent and unhappy when we don’t get what we’re obsessing over. 

3. It sees no purpose in suffering.

The Bible tells us to expect and endure suffering and hardships (2 Timothy 2:3, 4:5; Philippians 1:29; Acts 9:16). If we’re looking at what God is accomplishing in us, we should actually be able to rejoice in our sufferings, as they produce perseverance, which produces character, which produces hope (Romans 5:3-4).

Conversely, proponents of the law of attraction do not believe that people should ever have to suffer—that is, not if they are doing what they believe is in their control to avoid suffering. They falsely believe that people who experience afflictions in life, attract such circumstances by thinking negatively. They reason that if we’re suffering or something bad happens to us, it’s our fault—that we must have created that reality by sending too many “negative vibrations” into the universe.  

4. It rejects God’s guidance and direction.

Those who endorse the law of attraction believe we should be able to have whatever we want, when we want it, no questions asked. They discount or outright reject the biblical teachings that God is our Master Potter who molds and shapes us (Isaiah 64:8, Romans 9:21), and that He directs our paths (Proverbs 3:6, 16:9).

While God has given mankind free will, He reserves the right to intervene in our lives and “close doors” at times. He knows what’s best for us and may not always give us what we want, or when we think we need it. Sometimes that’s because He is protecting us. Or, He may be placing us in a situation that ultimately will be for the best, even though we can’t “see” it now. The law of attraction disregards this concept, envisioning a divine power that is at our beck and call, always ready to give us whatever we desire.

5. Its practices fall within the definition of magic.

In Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America (2009), Barbara Ehrenreich points out that many law of attraction practices resemble traditional folk forms of magic: “A fetish or talisman…is thought to bring about some desired outcome. In the case of positive thinking, the positive thought, or mental image of the desired outcome, serves as a kind of internal fetish to hold in your mind” (p. 63).

Magic is generally defined as the use of special powers or rituals to try to force a desired outcome. Tapping into some supposed “universal energy source” to try to realize certain results would certainly qualify. Repeating certain phrases over and over again to “release positive energies” is basically the same thing as a magic incantation.

The Bible makes it very clear that any form of magic (including divination, sorcery and witchcraft) is detestable to God (see Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Galatians 5:20-21; Revelation 21:8, 22:15). We shouldn’t have anything to do with these practices.

6. It discourages people from acknowledging what’s unpleasant, even if it’s true.

A major precept of the law of attraction is to “erase negative perceptions.” So if you’re sick with a serious illness, adherents to this ideology say you shouldn’t even admit or recognize the reality of your situation, because then you’d be “attracting” more disease into your life. Instead, they say to just “manifest positive thoughts” about being healthy.

In contrast, Proverbs 27:12 says “a prudent man foresees evil.” We need to recognize situations for what they are, even if the facts are “negative.” Our overall mindset should still be to focus on what’s positive as much as possible, as we’re told in Philippians 4:8. But when we’re confronted with a problem or challenge, we need to face the facts—not think we can “wish it away” by forcing happy thoughts.

Acknowledging negative realities about the circumstances we find ourselves in can actually be constructive—motivating us to make important life changes and helping us identify what courses of action need to be taken to address problems.

But we don’t have to rely on our own limited strengths to do this. God will help us face the negatives head-on, guiding us and strengthening us where we fall short, when we seek Him. Knowing God is on our side and trusting Him to lead us is the way to achieve a truly positive outlook—not to pretend that the negatives don’t exist or to seek the help of a mystical “source energy” as the law of attraction suggests.