Psssst, the Secret is No Secret
June 6, 2010 
8 Comments
Touted as the book that reveals the answers to achieving everything you have ever wanted, Rhonda Byrne’s “the Secret” attempts to uncover the mystery to attaining unlimited prosperity in every aspect of your life: love, wealth, health and beyond. Acclaimed as a must read by some celebrities who swear by it, it is understandable why “The Secret” is a bestseller. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to know the secret to unleashing victory in every aspect of one’s life.
Curious about this ‘secret’, I went to Barnes and Noble in search of the book. I was not alone in my quest because it was sold out. Furthermore, when the book was in stock, copies were only kept at the register because it had become one of those books that were frequently stolen. Imagine! People in such dire need of finding the secret to life’s unlimited joy, that they feel compelled to steal it. After perusing a copy that I was fortunate to find, I realized that this much talked about secret, was no secret at all!
Byrne’s secret to an infinitely successful life is through a “Believe it, Receive it, Be Thankful” approach to life that must dominate our way of thinking, our attitude and our behavior. The heart of her message emphasizes that the thoughts we harbor and the words we say, influence our feelings and our actions and ultimately, the outcome of our lives. She claims that whatever we want in life, we must attract it to us by positively focusing our thoughts and directing our attitudes and actions toward achieving it. In the midst of doing this, she stresses the importance of always giving thanks if we want to receive our desires. Hmmm, it all sounds very familiar, doesn’t it? Now where have I heard that before?
Matthew 21:21-23 – Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Mark 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 – give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Psssssst…….The secret is no secret. It has been proclaimed for over 2,000 years and assembled in a book that is free and accessible to all. It is the blueprint on which this blessed country was built; contains words of life that breathe fire into our hearts and give us the spirit of victory we need to overcome life’s toughest challenges.
Byrne’s core concepts are accurate in that we are called to remain positive, believing that God will fulfill His promises in spite of the circumstances that surround us. Her key points, though not a revelation, are truthful HOWEVER………… the governing message throughout the book is very misleading because she excludes God and makes us gods in full control of everything that happens in our lives.
Her message is a self-centered, self-deifying doctrine that puts us at the center of our universe. We are gods and the “Universe” does what we want it to do as long as we send it the positive energy that is needed. Do you want to fall in love? Focus on it, and you will find the man (or woman) of your dreams. Are you tired of having financial problems? Think about money and visualize seven figure digits in your bank account and you could be the next Donald Trump. It’s all within your reach because it’s all within your control and only you, stand in the way of achieving your desires.
Excerpts from Byrne’s ‘The Secret’
“You are God in a physical body. You are Spirit in the flesh. You are Eternal Life expressing itself as You. You are a cosmic being. You are all power. You are all wisdom. You are all intelligence. You are perfection. You are magnificence. You are the creator, and you are creating the creation of You on this planet” (page 164) (Note the” Y” in You is capitalized to emphasize that you are god)
“You get to fill the blackboard of your life with whatever you want” (page 184)
“…the secret is within you the more you use the power within you, the more you will draw it to you” (page 182)
The earth turns on its orbit for You. The oceans ebb and flow for You. The birds sing for You. The sun rises and it sets for You. The stars come out for You. None of it can exist, without You. You are the master of the universe.” (page 183)
“You are God in a physical body?” – What Blasphemy! You! You! You! It’s all about you. Even on the cover of her book, the writing that stands out states, “You have the key.” You are basically the solution to every problem in your life. Where does a message like this leave God? Unfortunately it leaves Him out. Your Creator; now a Spectator. Where does a message like this leave you?
Matthew 16:26: For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul.
The fallacy of this message is that regardless of what you believe in, “you” are not in control. Things happen and regardless of what you do or how well you do it, you will never fully control the outcome. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to people with bad thoughts and bad things happen to people with good thoughts.
Matthew 5:45: “…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”
We live in a fallen world and bad things will happen in spite of our best efforts. The beauty of this is that it compels us to recognize that we need God and we need the sacrifice He made for us on the cross. Fighting the good fight builds our faith and allows God to show His glory through us. It gives us a testimony and in so doing, saves more people by bringing them into the Light which ultimately leads them to everlasting life. In the end, regardless of the bad things that happen in spite of our ‘goodness’ ”we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Some of you may ask “If all the answers to our many questions can be found in the Bible, why are there still so many that search; that look to people like Ms. Byrne for guidance?” For some, the contents of the bible are a mystery because their meaning can sometimes be difficult to interpret. As such, the understanding that is needed to successfully apply its life principles, is lost. The real secret lies in being able to gain that understanding and in so doing, to unlock the bible’s deepest treasures. There is only one way to achieve this, and that is through a personal relationship with the only One that holds the key – our God, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2:2-4: “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”
Are you still searching? If you are, I pray that you will come to Him. He eagerly awaits you and in His presence, you will find that He is the only answer to all your questions .
This article is a viewpoint on “The Secret”, a book by author Rhonda Byrne
Rhonda Byrne, The Secret (New York: Atria Books, 2006) 198 pages
WOW! :O0!! This is an awesome review! you hit the nail on point! on point! on point!! Personally I feel the book is totally demonic! and the idea that we are in control is so old, it has been around even before Jesus came to earth and the idea is also in all the eastern religions and is embraced by the new age movement. I cannot believe that you can find this book in Christian book stores and it even sells like hot cake there too!! People are really searching in the wrong places, there is no secret what God can do!
I love what you said here :
Thanks Lowsl! I wanted to add something else – through my relationship with Jesus Christ and the guidance of His Holy Spirit which lives in me, I have reread scriptures that once never made sense and now they do. I remember one day reading something and it was like a light bulb just went off in my head. As I get more entrenched in the Word and develop a closer relationship with Jesus, He reveals more to me. There are still some things that I do not understand and so I rely on the guidance of pastors and others that share the same faith. The important thing is to keep reading, keep praying and keep fellowship with others that can enlighten you.
It’s a day by day journey and you will find that God always stays true to His promises.
I know what you mean, some scriptures have no meaning until the Holy Spirit opens our minds to it, sometimes it is a direct revelation or through His Creation or a brother or sister in Christ. The devil continues to use our ignorance of God’s Word to trip us up, he has been doing it from way back in the garden of Eden. check out Genesis 3:1-5
So you see the similarities in what Byrne said in the ‘The Secret’. We always fall for the same lie, that is one reason the Bible describes us as sheep, if one sheep walks off the cliff all the others follow, that is why the Book is sold out, everyone wants to know “The Secret”. We want to be not only ruler of life and destiny, we want to be God! that is the problem with the human race, we don’t want to function in the role that God has given us, we ultimately want to be in control..it’s all about us!
What kind of rubbish is that!! where were we when the earth was formed? Do we even understand how it was formed? Where were we when the stars and planets were flung into orbit? Can we even count the stars? Our days are numbered and we cannot even escape death! Our only hope is in Jesus the one who conquered death and the grave! Oh God have mercy on us, let us not be lead astray by the lies of the evil one.
Awesome article, very relevant especially in today’s “Me, Me, Me” world. Ever notice how most of the self-help books and even many sermons revolve around “Me”. I think we all need a reminder sometimes that the bible tells us “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)
Cecilia – so true! We all needed that reminder. Thanks for sharing.
Kaleb,
One of your best articles yet – Excellent! I agree with Loswl, you really hit the nail on the head. I find it sad how so many souls are searching when as you so aptly put it – the secret is no secret – Jesus Christ is the only way to achieve what we need in life. Amen to your article, keep up your very good work.
Thank you for such an enlightenment. Reading through your review on “The Secret” it made me realize that the Secret that which Byrne is talking about is the underlying message which I think we’ve all overlooked.
Yes, Bible truth throughout the Old and New Testament’s emphases in based on Prayer yet with Byrne it is in the believe or trust of oneself which throws Christ out of the picture of Him being our redeemer and saviour.
Now in the book of Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” According to Byrne the words Prayer and Christ should be replaced with “I” or “Me” which basically puts all authority on the created being and dismisses God the Alpha.
Byrne is right on the the Secret which is what the devil wanted. Our selfish desire to blind us to such a point that God disappears and the self becomes greater than the Creator – God. We should all pray Byrne and all who have fallen for “The Secret” that they should come to the realization of the truth behind this secret and turn back to God.
@mrsphosha – thank you so much for sharing. What you said “Our selfish desire to blind us to such a point that God disappears and the self becomes greater than the Creator – God” – is so true. That type of thinking is exactly what Satan wants.