“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Colossians 2:8
Gratitude journals, vision boards, daily affirmations—if you’ve spent any time reading books or watching videos on self-development, you’ve probably come across these practices.
But many Christians don’t recognize that these seemingly harmless exercises usually rest upon a philosophy that has permeated the world of self-development. It is a philosophy that runs contrary to what God’s Word says and contains spiritually dangerous teachings. Still, many believers seeking to pursue self-development have adopted its practices without realizing what they are getting into.
I’m talking about the philosophy manifestation.
What Is Manifestation?
Manifestation is the idea that people can bring about positive outcomes simply by “claiming” them. This is done by visualizing what one wants, repeating affirmations of one’s desired state, and practicing gratitude to attract more good things from the universe, among other practices.
History of Manifestation
Manifestation has origins that can be traced back to ancient pagan religious practices like those of Hermes Trismegistus, but were popularized in modern times by the Christian Science and New Thought movements of the 19th century. Figures such as Phineas Quimby and Mary Baker Eddy taught that our thoughts and spiritual understanding effect our present reality in regard to health, wealth, and happiness.
Modern versions of manifestation often reference what they call “The Law of Attraction,” which says that a person’s positive or negative thoughts attract positive or negative experiences to them, respectively. You can find this taught in books like Napoleon Hill’s classic workThink And Grow Rich and Wallace Wattles’s The Science of Getting Rich. I frequently see these titles recommended today especially among the entrepreneur community. But it was Rhonda Byrne’s 2006 mega-best-seller, The Secret, that catapulted manifestation and the law of attraction into the zeitgeist in the 21st century.
Manifestation and its attendant teachings continue to be popularized by people like Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, and Oprah Winfrey.
In Christian circles, a form of manifestation is taught in the so-called “prosperity gospel,” which synthesizes Christianity with New Age thought and has deceived countless peoples through popular ministries like Kenneth Hagin, Creflo Dollar, Joel Osteen, and others.
The Attraction of the Law of Attraction
It’s not hard to understand why this teaching is so popular. There is something very optimistic and inspiring about the idea that you can create the life you want simply by changing your thoughts.
But one of the reasons this teaching continues to be popular is because it does lead to good results. Practically speaking, optimism does produce better outcomes, as does visualizing a goal. It’s simply a fact of life that people with a more positive outlook tend to try harder, persist longer on a goal, and resist the urge to give up.
But understand this: this teaching isn’t merely practical. Manifestation claims to offer a spiritual path toward the life you want. For Christians, this is fraught with problems.
The Problem with Manifestation
Whatever form it takes, the problem with the philosophy of manifestation is that it is out of step with how God tells believers His world works and how we are to live in it.
Manifestation Is Primarily Self-Focused
First, the philosophy of manifestation is primarily self-focused. It is built on the premise that your purpose in life is to fulfill your own dreams. No respect is paid to the Maker of all things or the duty we owe to Him and our neighbors. It’s about my happiness, my wealth, my aspirations.
Manifestation Dishonors God
Second, manifestation dishonors God. Secular versions teach to trust in the “Universe,” refusing to glorify God as God (Romans 1:21). And even when it is given a Christian veneer as in the Prosperity Gospel, manifestation treats God like a genie instead of a loving Father. It perverts the motivation for serving Him into a kind of quid-pro-quo arrangement.
This is more akin to pagan idolatry, wherein worshippers appease a false god in order to obtain a blessing. Biblical Christianity, however, recognizes that God blesses us based on His love toward us and our right standing before Him, which He secured for us in the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. It’s grace, not quid-pro-quo. We don’t manipulate God to get what we want; we serve Him to do what He wants.
Manifestation Is a Form of Witchcraft
Third, manifestation is a form of witchcraft. It is an attempt to manipulate supernatural forces for personal gain, which is not only spiritually perilous but wholly displeasing to God. Under Mosaic Law, those who practiced witchcraft were sentenced to death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27). That’s how seriously God takes these things.
Critics of manifestation may be tempted to dismiss it merely on the grounds that it is pseudoscientific, but believers understand that there is true spiritual power in the world. And that power only comes from two sources. Those who apply to occultic practices to achieve their desires are not merely wasting their time, they are putting themselves in spiritual danger.
Redeeming Manifestation
Even as we condemn these general practices as a product of the New Age movement, we should take it one step further. Many perversions taught in manifestation have a proper form in Christian thought and behavior. The best lies contain a seed of truth, and that’s true when it comes to manifestation.
Those believers who may be tempted to practice manifestation out of a God-glorifying desire to see growth in their lives should understand what the Bible teaches positively about vision, gratitude, affirmations, and living wisely.
What the Bible Says About Visualization
The proper form of visualization within a Christian worldview is to see with the eyes of faith. What we see is not the future we want and try to claim for ourselves via imagination practices. Instead, we look with the eyes of faith at the explicit promises of God. Faith in these promises compels us through even the darkest valleys of life (2 Corinthians 5:7).
There is also a kind of wisdom that looks ahead at a desired outcome and creates a plan to get there, akin to what manifestation teaches about visualization. But James warns against a kind of planning that makes its plans irrespective of God (James 2:12–14) while it still commends planning that submits itself to the will of God and walks by faith, entrusting the outcome to the Lord (James 2:15–17).
What the Bible Says About Gratitude
What could be wrong with gratitude? Well, if you’re practicing gratitude to send “positive vibes” into the universe so you can get the life you want, you aren’t thinking about thanksgiving like a Christian.
Gratitude has a proper object, and it isn’t “the Universe.” Gratitude is the zenith of Christian worship and belongs to the God of providence from whom descends every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). Gratitude directed generally toward the “universe” is a form of idolatry.
Christians should practice gratitude in their prayers and their hearts before God. Thanksgiving should always be on our lips (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). And God indeed delights in blessing those who receive His blessings with a heart of gratitude. But gratitude that pleases God is not an incantation performed to obtain selfish desires; it’s the genuine overflow of a heart of thanksgiving toward a deserving God.
What the Bible Says About Affirmations
Christians should affirm what is true. But there is no indication in Scripture that the way to get what we want is to simply repeat it. God creates ex nihilo, speaking things into existence. But our words do not have the same creative power because we aren’t God.
Instead, we are called to use our speech to make our requests known to God and affirm what is true in His Word. This is why we are encouraged to “hide God’s Word in my heart” and to meditate on things that are proper, pure, noble, and lovely (Psalm 119:11; Philippians 4:8). These are truths we should affirm and affirm often.
We affirm these truths not just to ourselves but to our brothers and sisters in Christ through mutual encouragement (Romans 15:14) and singing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another (Ephesians 5:19). We are a forgetful people and need constant reminding and affirmation of what is true; God’s commands, character, and promises.
What the Bible Says About Wisdom
The general experience of people throughout all times and places is that when you do good, good things tend to follow. But this is not due to some pagan law of the universe such as manifestation teaches, but rather because God’s creation, though marred by sin, still follows certain patterns.
Believers who operate within the natural laws of God’s world tend to often (but not always) find success. This is simply living according to biblical wisdom. The Scriptures testify to this reality through the Proverbs and other Wisdom Literature. And Christians would do well to follow these wisdom principles from a heart submitted to God.
Conclusion
It is good for Christians to want to grow, first in their faith but also in excellence in every domain God has given them to steward. But we must be discerning about the methods we employ to pursue growth. Every teaching on self-development is built on a philosophy. And the teachings of manifestation have pervaded the self-help world.
Let us take care to pursue growth, but to pursue it God’s way, “taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
