January 18th 2024. The first time I heard a Christian comment on this was at London Bible College where a fellow-student mentioned in his Morning Chapel talk that a Christian group he knew of was poorly-served by living on a teaching diet of Positive Thinking. The second comment came to my ears a few years later at a Christian conference, called “Camps Farthest Out”, when one of the leaders testified to being mentally-healed through using a book of Bible meditations written by the author, Norman Vincent Peale. A prolific writer in the 1950s, the Rev. Peale was the Minister of a church in New York, and “The Power of Positive Thinking” became his iconic work and a best-seller.
If you ‘Google’ his name you will find that his writings and pastoral approach were not universally appreciated, not least among whom were Bible-believing Christians, who thought that he manipulated Bible texts to support his homely advice on how to cope with everyday problems. And, certainly, in his book “Inspiring Messages for Daily Living” (which had helped the mentally-ill man), the occasional scripture text seems to be detached from its context to serve his message. This, however, is rather churlish, I believe, because in most of his work he is bringing the Scripture alive in the context of ordinary people’s everyday problems.
We need to make a careful distinction between ‘Positive Thinking’ and Autosuggestion. The latter is when you tell yourself something – like “Every day and in every way I am getting better and better” – enough times until you are convinced that you have got better. It has no basis in truth. Peale’s approach may smack of Popular psychology, but he is basing his exhortations on the Scriptures – whether comforting promises, awesome affirmations of truth, or words of Biblical Wisdom – because he believes in the power and authority of God’s Word. I have used his “Inspiring Messages” in pastoral work over many years, and recently I based my third book “Biblical Meditation – your Spiritual Medication” upon Peale’s approach, but taking care to root each scriptural text in its original context.
I was delighted to find that my most recent Baptist pastorate is making fresh use of the “Freedom in Christ” course, based on the work of a more recent American writer, Neil Anderson. As a pastor, I found it more helpful than any other of the many Christian programmes that emanated, mostly, from the USA. Based on Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel: “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free”. it has introduced the Truth Encounter, in place of the Power Encounter advocated by some Pentecostal teachers. It is a greatly liberating experience once you discover and realize what God declares you to be, through his grace and your faith. Your Mind comes to take its proper place as the director of your Emotions and your Bodily Behaviour. So, ‘Mind over Matter’- another popular phrase used in the past to discredit true Faith, fulfils God’s Creative Purpose for our Mind, when instructed by Biblical Truth, to direct our Body to serve the Kingdom of God in today’s world.
Healing in Jesus' Name 