Is the Law of Attraction Biblical?

In 2006, The Secret was published. The book, written by Rhonda Byrne, has sold over 30 million copies and was turned into a Hollywood movie in 2020. 

The Secret made bold claims that garnered attention. It claimed to unveil an ancient secret that, when tapped into, could bring “health, wealth and happiness.”

The book’s first chapter quickly revealed the secret: “The Secret is the law of attraction!” The author claimed that this supposed law determined “the complete order in the Universe” and is just as universal and powerful as gravity.

The book asserts that this law is found in the sacred writings of nearly all of the world’s religions—including the Bible. 

For Christians, this bold claim naturally begs the question: Is the law of attraction in the Bible? 

What exactly is the law of attraction? 

The concept is based on metaphysical ideas of mystical energies that supposedly reside in all living things. 

In her book, Ms. Byrne says that every person has powerful internal energies that are released through thoughts. She claims that what we think, positive or negative, is released out of us into the universe as positive or negative energy. 

The Secret describes the power of thoughts this way: “Thoughts are magnetic . . . As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the Universe, and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source. And that source is You” (p. 10). 

This is where attraction supposedly comes into play. If you think negatively (about things you don’t want), you will attract negative experiences. If you think positively (about what you desire), you’ll attract positive experiences.

For example, if you constantly worry about failure, you’ll attract negative experiences that will cause you to fail. Conversely, if you think and feel thoughts of joy and gratitude, you’ll attract positive experiences that will result in success. 

The Secret sums up the idea like this: “The law of attraction simply gives you whatever it is you are thinking about” (p. 13). Through the universe’s power, thoughts become things and experiences. The author makes no apologies for the idea sounding self-centered: “You deserve all good things life has to offer . . . All good things are your birthright!” (p. 41). 

How does Ms. Byrne suggest people tap into this universal law? Three basic steps are offered in the book: 

1. Determine exactly what you want, and ask the universe for it. 
2. Believe you will receive it by constantly thinking and speaking about your request. 
3. Manifest the feelings and emotions you will have once you achieve your desire. (This is often done through verbal affirmations expressing gratitude for what you want as if you have already received it.)

According to its advocates, practicing this law will, without exception, lead to success and attainment in all aspects of life—wealth, relationships, careers and personal fulfillment. 

Rational thinkers have looked at these claims and labeled this a pseudoscience. There’s no scientific evidence that thoughts attract energies from the universe. 

The law of attraction is similar to the law of karma. The main difference is that karma focuses on consequences from energy released by actions, while the law of attraction focuses on energy released by thoughts. (To learn more, read “Is Karma in the Bible?”)

The law of attraction’s other forms

When one reads The Secret, it becomes obvious that the book draws heavily from Eastern philosophy and New Age concepts. 

Other literature it draws from is less obvious. However, forms of the law of attraction have been promoted in self-help publications for years. 

Ideas that the mind can mystically extend itself outside of the body are humanly devised fictions in man’s attempt to attain the powers of the spirit realm.  One of the idea’s earlier advocates was Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich (1937). Mr. Hill taught that desires are the key to success. He claimed that, using the subconscious mind, people can attract anything they want if they believe and focus hard enough on it. 

Think and Grow Rich maintains: “POVERTY is attracted to the one whose mind is favorable to it, as money is attracted to him whose mind has been deliberately prepared to attract it” (e-book edition, p. 153). 

Norman Vincent Peale, an American pastor, wrote The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952. Though he used more biblical terminology, his philosophy was similar. He syncretized many of the mystical elements with religious concepts like prayer. For example, his book asserts: “Prayer power is a manifestation of energy” (e-book edition, p. 57) and “the human brain can send off power by thoughts and prayers” (p. 71). He encouraged his readers to repeatedly verbalize motivational scriptures as affirmations to receive power (p. 22). 

Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey and Tony Robbins are among the idea’s modern proponents. Like Norman Vincent Peale in the 1950s, Joel Osteen has syncretized the idea with Christian terminology in books like The Power of I Am and The Abundance Mind-Set. 

The main error of the law of attraction

The law of attraction teaches that the mind emits energy that attracts the powers of the universe. This idea is foreign to the Bible. 

The human mind does have amazing abilities made possible by the spirit in man (1 Corinthians 2:11). These abilities include intellect, creativity and planning. However, the spirit in man does not empower the mind to broadcast energy into the universe. 

According to the Bible, the ability to make things happen by thought alone is reserved only for the spirit realm. Through the power of His Spirit, God can project His will throughout the universe (Psalms 33:9; 139:7). Satan can project sinful thoughts and attitudes through the air (Ephesians 2:2). However, human beings have no such power. 

Ideas that the mind can mystically extend itself outside of the body are humanly devised fictions in man’s attempt to attain the powers of the spirit realm. 

How does the law of attraction contradict the Bible? 

We find several serious conflicts when we examine the idea in the light of the Bible. 

1. The law of attraction attributes divine powers to the universe. The idea that our mind’s energies attract positive or negative consequences from the universe imbues the universe with the power to bless and curse. This ascribes God’s power to the physical universe (see Romans 1:25). Christians seek blessings from God, not the universe (Isaiah 41:10; 2 Corinthians 9:8; James 1:17). 
2. The law of attraction is based on thoughts and feelings—not righteousness. The law of attraction claims that good or bad things happen to us because of our thoughts and feelings. However, the Bible doesn’t promise blessings for merely thinking positively.
   God is concerned with our living righteously. Instead of seeking success through positive thinking and manifestation, we should focus on pleasing God with righteous conduct and thinking (Psalm 15:1-3; Proverbs 16:7; Micah 6:8).
3. The law of attraction ignores God’s will and the realities of this world. The law of attraction claims we can get anything we want by just thinking positively and desiring it. However, this ignores the fact that God has a larger plan for us that may not include everything we desire. God never promised anyone a life without difficulties—no amount of positive thinking will prevent trials and personal failures (Psalm 34:19; John 16:33; James 1:3).
   Proverbs 19:21 assures us that the will of God will always stand regardless of how positively we think about our goals: “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.”
4. The law of attraction centers on the self and promotes covetousness. The law of attraction often encourages people to focus on themselves and their desires. It’s all about how people can achieve what they want. However, the Bible labels self-centered covetousness as a sin (Colossians 3:5).
   Instead, God encourages us to work hard, be content and have an others-first attitude. The desire for physical achievement and gain should never take precedence over the Kingdom of God, righteous living and serving others (Matthew 6:33; Romans 12:13). 

Goal setting and positivity in proper perspective

We are not arguing that setting goals and being positive are wrong. 

Having clear goals is essential to both physical and spiritual success. Without goals, we’ll live aimlessly and end up wherever the winds of life take us. 

The Bible presents planning, or goal setting, as a principle for success (Proverbs 21:5; 24:27). Diligent people map out their life goals and make plans to accomplish them. The benefit of goals (big and small) is that they help us direct our decisions and plans. Successful companies have strategic plans to help them achieve their mission and goals. Likewise, individuals should have goals and make tangible plans to accomplish them. 

There is no mystical secret to success in life. Physical success comes from setting goals, planning, working diligently and being resourceful when problems arise. Of course, for Christians, all of this should be done while seeking guidance and help from the Creator God (Psalm 37:4; Isaiah 55:6).

The Bible also encourages us to think positively. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us to avoid anxious thoughts and lists eight principles for spiritually positive thinking (verses 6 and 8). Wallowing in a cesspool of negativity is not good for our physical, mental or spiritual health. However, the Bible doesn’t teach us to be artificially positive to the point of ignoring the realities of life in this world. 

Instead of ignoring all negativity, the Bible says a wise person “foresees evil and hides himself” (Proverbs 27:12). In order to practice that principle, we have to consider potential negative outcomes or pitfalls and take precautions to avoid them.

The core difference between the Bible and the law of attraction is that the Bible attaches no mystical powers to goal setting or positivity. Goals and spiritually positive thinking should be part of a God-centered life, not self-centered mysticism.

The law of attraction is not biblical and should hold no attraction for Christians.