Why God Should Be Part of Any Law of Attraction Teaching

Many people have learned about the Law of Attraction since Rhonda Byrne's book and subsequent movie, The Secret, swept the consciousness of self-improvement seekers worldwide. Oprah even jumped onto the Law of Attraction bandwagon. So what is the Law of Attraction, and why bring God, with all the terrible baggage that one three-letter word brings with it, into the discussion?

Simply put, the Law of Attraction is based on the idea that our thoughts create or manifest things. Modern spins on the Law of Attraction simplify it to three steps:

1. Think
2. Believe
3. Achieve

The idea is that if you think a positive thought, such as an affirmation about obtaining a job or money, believe with all your heart and mind that it will be so, and are willing to open your arms to accept the abundance, you will manifest the desired object in your life.

Everyone wishes for health, happiness, prosperity and good things in their lives. Do you remember as a child standing outside on a cold winter's night, spying the first evening star twinkling in the sky, and saying the magic words, "I wish I may, I wish I might, I wish for - " and inserting your desired object? A new bicycle, a pony, a doll, what did you wish for?

What is different from the Law of Attraction, as simplified by modern day teachers, and wishing upon a star?

Both put their faith in something nebulous. Both put their faith in the human mind. The original New Though teachers of the 19th century who rediscovered the ancient teachings of the world's religions on prosperity knew the truth.

The source of all abundance is God (or Spirit, or whatever word you can tolerate); the Divine.

What is so strange about the modern sterile emphasis on omitting any mention of Deity, Spirit or Omnipresence from the Law of Attraction teachings espoused by many so-called prosperity coaches is how far they've pulled away from the original New Thought leaders' philosophies. New Thought grew out of the Transcendentalist movement, the world of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thoreau. Phineas Quimby of New England was one of the first major New Thought leaders. While Dr. Quimby focused on healing rather than prosperity, many in the New Thought movement quickly realized that if healing could be manifested, so could wealth and prosperity.

Yet every single New Thought leader up until the modern day placed his belief on God. He may have defined God differently from his fellow teachers, and he may have defined God in a way that would anger many who believe strongly in a particular doctrine or religious movement.  But each believed that the ultimate source of prosperity was a Supreme Being, an Omnipresence that created the world and man. In fact, the original New Thought movement split into two subsequent movements - Christian Science and New Thought, with Christian Science emphasizing Jesus Christ as the healer. Many original New Thought teachers whose work greatly influences the modern day Law of Attraction coaches freely spoke about the Christ Spirit, not referring to the person of Jesus but to his divinity. Many modern day New Thought churches still teach this today.

Another tenant of New Thought philosophy lost among the urge to visualize great riches is that what you give is what you get.  We may say colloquially "what goes around comes around" but in reality, what this means is that good things given freely - love, patient, time, talent, whatever - manifest as positive things later on in our lives. We may not get tit for tat. Giving a donation to a charity of $20 may not mean that you will find a twenty dollar bill on the street tomorrow. But many years down the road, someone may in fact give you something worth that much.  Some may call this karma but it is simpler than true karma. 

What will you give when you conceive, believe and achieve? I read many blogs, articles and rah-rah statements from so-called Law of Attraction coaches. They emphasize greed above all else. "Think yourself rich!" "Get this and get that."  We get what we give. 

What will you give? You may ask for great  riches, but something must be given in return. If you are trying to attract more customers into your business, give the very best service you can give. Bless every customer with love mentally.  Pray for them. Wish them well even when they are crabby with you.  Your positive energy and thoughts will eventually manifest into good things.