Napoleon Hill and the Acts of God: Neville Goddard vs. the “Think (of Some Scam or Swindle) and Grow Rich” Type of Success
Evidence of God is what this is about. I am not interested in judging people. My first major evidence of God was a demon. I figured it could not be here unless there really was a God, and I concluded immediately that I was going the wrong way. About thirty years a Christian, I discovered Neville Goddard through Resurrection, found at a used bookstore. Neville is a solid but esoterically bent Christian. Struggling to understand Neville, I discovered Napoleon Hill's Law of Success. Sounds good, but is different. Neville presents the Law of Assumption, and Hill the Law of Attraction. Mutually exclusive. Yet both work.
Basic difference: Neville is thoroughly theological. You think in a certain way, and leave it. Our purpose is to fulfill scripture, and if our course in doing that has been adequately impregnated, we await our destiny. Hill is thoroughly business. You have value to market, find a way to get paid for it. The "Golden Rule" is to do good to the impression of others to ingratiate them to do good to u$. Wait. What?
It is not an indictment against Hill that he was a scrambler. Then as now, you have got to make a dime. You want to have success. If you think well enough, define your purpose, have a burning desire for it, you can find a way to accomplish it. And with determined effort, you will succeed.
Effort is amazingly absent from Neville's process, though self-control to DO it is challenging for many. Like Hill's definiteness of purpose, you have to know exactly what you want. And like the Law of Attraction, you have to so realistically experience what you want mentally that you feel as though it were really real, to the point of being there (in feeling) and thinking from it (but even this . . . without effort). Having found the assumption that what you desire is real, you drop it. You trust, rather, that God who is your own human imagination has heard your prayer, and you leave the fulfilling of your desire to God's orchestration of natural events and coincidences to coordinate its manifestation. Really hard to quit your day job for this.
Basic difference: Neville, as far as I can tell, was thoroughly ethical. Noble. Spent his time reading the scriptures -- contemplating them, reading about them, breaking through to their meaning. Invited to hear good news for others. Covered his family and left his word in public domain. Hill, as I said, in his scrambling came up with a process that works. It just so happened that his Law of Success struck upon the Law of Assumption. Imagining with definiteness of purpose, with the vividness and emotions of a burning desire, confidence and faith that you deserve it, can do it, and have it -- God, watching over His Word to perform it . . . DOES IT. What does God care if you are a noble man or a conman? God performs His Word to give evidence that He IS. "When it works, you have found Him," Neville often said. God proves He is faithful. But that comes with a warning:
These are [the things that] says the Amen, the Witness, the Faithful, the Truth, the Head* of God's creation:
15. I know of your works that are neither hot nor cold. Wish you were cold or hot.
16. [But] since they are* lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am preparing* to reprimand you.
17. For you say that you are rich and getting richer, and you have no need of anything; but, you do not know that you are confused, demonic, blind and barren.*
18. I advise you to buy from me gold that is forged in fire, that which [truly] enriches, and white clothing to dress you up, and [so as] the shame of your nakedness is not seen [by everyone,] and rub ointment [over] your eyes, so as you may see.
19. To whomever I am merciful I redress and reprove.* Thus, bear [my advice] and repent.
20. Behold, I am before the door knocking. If a human [being] hears my sound and opens the door, I shall enter to them and dine with them, and they with me.
21. And the victor shall be given to be seated with me on my throne*, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on His throne.
22. Whoever has ears, should listen to what the Spirit is telling the churches (Revelation 3:14-22 Alexander, emphasis mine).
Footnotes:
3:14*Lit. Ar. idiom retained. "Chief."
3:16*Lit. Ar. id.: "You have."
*Lit. Ar. idiomatic expression: "Give you of my mouth."
3:17*Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction: "And you do not that you are confused [or lack fortitude] and possessed by demons [or mentally week] and poor and blind and naked."
3:19*Lit. Ar. id.: "Cloth and approve."
3:21*Lit. Ar. id.: "Chair."
_________________________________________
Okay, so God DOES care whether you are a noble person or a conman. In either case you can incite the evidence of God: you HAVE it when it works! Ain't no attraction going to fulfill your desires. When you assume, you traipse upon God. He is not incognizant of it, for he is your very imagination. His actions speak volumes, not the least being, "I AM."
I learned a lot from that demon: there IS a God. That I cannot deny. So I said to myself, "I must find Him." I hope you do, too.
Basic difference: Neville is thoroughly theological. You think in a certain way, and leave it. Our purpose is to fulfill scripture, and if our course in doing that has been adequately impregnated, we await our destiny. Hill is thoroughly business. You have value to market, find a way to get paid for it. The "Golden Rule" is to do good to the impression of others to ingratiate them to do good to u$. Wait. What?
It is not an indictment against Hill that he was a scrambler. Then as now, you have got to make a dime. You want to have success. If you think well enough, define your purpose, have a burning desire for it, you can find a way to accomplish it. And with determined effort, you will succeed.
Effort is amazingly absent from Neville's process, though self-control to DO it is challenging for many. Like Hill's definiteness of purpose, you have to know exactly what you want. And like the Law of Attraction, you have to so realistically experience what you want mentally that you feel as though it were really real, to the point of being there (in feeling) and thinking from it (but even this . . . without effort). Having found the assumption that what you desire is real, you drop it. You trust, rather, that God who is your own human imagination has heard your prayer, and you leave the fulfilling of your desire to God's orchestration of natural events and coincidences to coordinate its manifestation. Really hard to quit your day job for this.
Basic difference: Neville, as far as I can tell, was thoroughly ethical. Noble. Spent his time reading the scriptures -- contemplating them, reading about them, breaking through to their meaning. Invited to hear good news for others. Covered his family and left his word in public domain. Hill, as I said, in his scrambling came up with a process that works. It just so happened that his Law of Success struck upon the Law of Assumption. Imagining with definiteness of purpose, with the vividness and emotions of a burning desire, confidence and faith that you deserve it, can do it, and have it -- God, watching over His Word to perform it . . . DOES IT. What does God care if you are a noble man or a conman? God performs His Word to give evidence that He IS. "When it works, you have found Him," Neville often said. God proves He is faithful. But that comes with a warning:
These are [the things that] says the Amen, the Witness, the Faithful, the Truth, the Head* of God's creation:
15. I know of your works that are neither hot nor cold. Wish you were cold or hot.
16. [But] since they are* lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am preparing* to reprimand you.
17. For you say that you are rich and getting richer, and you have no need of anything; but, you do not know that you are confused, demonic, blind and barren.*
18. I advise you to buy from me gold that is forged in fire, that which [truly] enriches, and white clothing to dress you up, and [so as] the shame of your nakedness is not seen [by everyone,] and rub ointment [over] your eyes, so as you may see.
19. To whomever I am merciful I redress and reprove.* Thus, bear [my advice] and repent.
20. Behold, I am before the door knocking. If a human [being] hears my sound and opens the door, I shall enter to them and dine with them, and they with me.
21. And the victor shall be given to be seated with me on my throne*, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on His throne.
22. Whoever has ears, should listen to what the Spirit is telling the churches (Revelation 3:14-22 Alexander, emphasis mine).
Footnotes:
3:14*Lit. Ar. idiom retained. "Chief."
3:16*Lit. Ar. id.: "You have."
*Lit. Ar. idiomatic expression: "Give you of my mouth."
3:17*Lit. Ar. idiomatic construction: "And you do not that you are confused [or lack fortitude] and possessed by demons [or mentally week] and poor and blind and naked."
3:19*Lit. Ar. id.: "Cloth and approve."
3:21*Lit. Ar. id.: "Chair."
_________________________________________
Okay, so God DOES care whether you are a noble person or a conman. In either case you can incite the evidence of God: you HAVE it when it works! Ain't no attraction going to fulfill your desires. When you assume, you traipse upon God. He is not incognizant of it, for he is your very imagination. His actions speak volumes, not the least being, "I AM."
I learned a lot from that demon: there IS a God. That I cannot deny. So I said to myself, "I must find Him." I hope you do, too.
posted by Daniel C. Branham-Steele at
12:36 AM
1 Comments:
Wow, very good post. I noticed in the Hill book it is all emphasis on doing things and going forward at full steam. Ironically even though Hill has this whole "take massive action" he still comes to a conclusion that I sensed, it is the taking action that shows you have faith and there is another "hidden power" that operates.
Neville I have proved time and time again, you are 100% correct, Hill stumbled apoun "Imagination creates reality" but actually did not know it definitely.
One thing I have learnt from Neville is that you can have all you desires, trust on God, develop a close loving relationship and appreciation for the Creator and you can do it all in absolute love.....and use it to help others, as Neville emphasis "lifting others up" as you lift yourself up as well (Job)
Great write up, thank you.
By
John Peter, at 11:41 PM
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