The book and film versions of Rhonda Byrnes’s The Secret, which promoted the Law of Attraction, made an impression on author J.M. Jones. As a Christian, she wondered, “Does the Bible support it? Did Jesus really teach the law of attraction?” In this guidebook, she argues that the answer to both questions is “Yes.”
The Secret explains its core instruction as: “Ask. Believe. Receive.” To support these directives, Jones provides a passage from the Gospel of Matthew (“Ask and it will be given you….”), one from the Gospel of Mark (“You must have faith….”), and another from the Gospel of John (“I am come that they might have life and they might have it more abundantly”), among other Bible verses. She adds a fourth instruction, Act, citing the woman who touched Jesus’s garment and heard from him, “Your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
The author encourages readers to ask themselves: “Do you believe and accept that Jesus died that YOU might have life and have it more abundantly?” She reiterates Byrnes’s methods of clarifying exactly what one wants, visualizing it as reality, repeating affirmations, etc. She provides a 12-day action plan, and more.
Using Scripture to argue the benefits of the Law of Attraction wades into controversy. Jones’s argument that Jesus died so we might live more abundantly contradicts other Bible passages she doesn’t include, such as Matthew 19:21: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”
Rather than providing the actual Bible passage she believes proves her thesis, Jones often offers her own thought, with a related Bible chapter and verse cited in parentheses, expecting readers to recall that text exactly from memory. This is sure to frustrate many. Additionally, the book is repetitive and replete with clichés, including: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”
Overall, Christians seeking a way to live more abundantly will find a thorny path here.
Also available as an ebook.
