I believe that there is power in positive thinking. However, I don’t believe that I can just think positively about something (I want to be a NYT bestselling author; I believe I can be a NYT bestselling author), and it will happen. It might happen if I turn that desire into motivation to work hard and apply myself to my craft, etc.
Anyway, there is a bestselling book, The Secret, that seems to promise (from what I’ve heard and read about it; I have not read the book myself) that we can be gods of our own little universes, controlling our destinies for good and bad with our good and bad thoughts. Hmm. Sounds a lot like what happened in the garden of Eden, doesn’t it?
Anyway, there’s a book due out in early September from Dr. Henry Cloud (of Boundaries fame) that looks like a much better choice of reading material. Here’s the description:
The Secret Things of God: Unlocking the Treasures Reserved for You
Dr. Henry Cloud, Howard BooksA powerful attraction exists in the universe, an attraction between the
Creator of the universe and the creation whom He loves. A positive,
Christian alternative to Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret, this book reveals
twenty age-old secrets of God, some of which have been true since before
Creation and others that were revealed 2000 years ago when the Creator
of the Universe became one of us.Dr.
Henry Cloud brings his insights as both a psychologist and as a student
of spiritual life to explore the eternal principles in the universe
that govern our goals, desires, relationships, and lives. These same
truths, if activated in our lives, are guaranteed to fill them with
security, hope, and relationship with our eternal Creator. Cloud also
reveals how these truths, found in Judaeo-Christian teachings,
intersect and interface with the spiritual longings expressed in the
principles found in The Secret and similar books. Recognizing and
applauding the search for truth and a connection with a power beyond
the human, Cloud leads readers into relationship with a God who loves
them and has given all to save them.Many Christians have
believed in God all their lives and claim Jesus as their Savior, but
continue to live a joyless, defeated life. They are no better able to
weather the inevitable pains of life than those who claim no faith at
all. The secret to true joy, inner peace, sustaining hope, powerful
purpose, and more is locked in their minds but has not been activated
in their hearts and lives. The Secret Things of God reveals twenty
profoundly simple secrets and gently guides readers in how to unlock
the power of these truths and activate them in their lives.The
book’s title is based on the Bible passage, 1 Corinthians 4:1-2: Regard
us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things
of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must
prove faithful.
I’ve added The Secret Things of God to my To Be Read list.
-rlh-
