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I hope the title of this workbook does not suggest that I am anti-church. I have been a member of a church all my life, so please understand I am one of the church folk for which I speak. My maternal grandfather was an elder in the Church of God in Christ denomination. I have been a member of a Baptist church, a Missionary Baptist church, an African Methodist Episcopal church, an Assemblies of God church, a non-Denominational church and currently a New Thought church. I believe God put some questions in my heart because He trusted me to discover the answer, and then to share it with others.
According to a 2010 Gallup poll. poverty and religious devotion are linked worldwide. According to a 2014 Pew Research Center study, 56 percent of Americans who attended a religious service at least once a week had an annual household income of less than $50,000. Unfortunately, many middle-class Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, with no emergency savings and no money to take much needed vacations. They might not live in poverty, but they are poor. According to the Oxford Dictionary, poor is defined as “lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable.” Poor is also synonymous with unsatisfactory, inadequate, and unhappy. Being poor is not just about the amount of money you have.
I doubt I am the only person who was raised in the church to ask why people who love God, believe in the Bible, and attend church are poor. More importantly, I want to know why other people are prospering. These questions led me to learn more about the “secret” that people outside of the church were buzzing about. I researched the Laws of Attraction, and read books, like Ask and It is Given, written by Esther and Jerry Hicks as taught by Esther’s spiritual guide, Abraham. I discovered that the Laws of Attraction were simply principles I had learned in church. Even the title of the Hicks’ book is found in the Bible in the book of Matthew, the seventh chapter and seventh verse. The scripture reads, “Ask, and it shall be given you.”
The Law of Attraction, in a nutshell, states that whatever you think about will be drawn to you, positive and negative alike. The Bible teaches in the book of Proverbs chapter twenty-three and verse seven, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Law of Attraction practitioners caution to keep your thoughts aligned to the outcome you desire. The Bible teaches us the same thing in the book of Philippians chapter four and verse eight, “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I do not understand why the Law of Attraction has been called a “secret,” when we in the church have been taught these principles for forever. I do find it interesting that the world is using Biblical principles, and reaping harvests, while many people in church are not. The thing about the principles of God is that they work for whoever uses them.
Let me be clear, I am not suggesting that all church folk are poor. Nevertheless, if you are tired of watching others prosper while you rely on a miracle from God every month just to make your ends meet, then you need to read this book. It will help you elevate your thoughts and exercise your faith. This book will also help you decide what an abundant life looks like for YOU.
Love and Light
Raykel