“Are you familiar with this book?” my client asked as he pushed it across the table. “It’s been very impactful for me.”
“No, I haven’t seen it before.”
I opened the cover as he continued. “It’s about the power of our words and speaking with positivity. This has really affected our relationships and attitudes around here in a good way.”
My heart sank as I scanned the index and flipped through the pages. My client found a book that went far beyond healthy optimism. A phrase in the introduction caught my attention: “Doesn’t the human race know that we have the power to verbally command our future into what we really want?” Other terms caught my attention. Vibrations, frequency, manifesting, all hallmarks of what I recognized as the “law of attraction,” the belief that we create our reality by what we speak.
My mind raced. There were many ideas I agreed with. A positive mindset is incredibly valuable. In fact, as Christians who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, we have more reason than anyone to live in hope. But this message was something different. It was subtle and seductive, echoing the original lie Satan told Eve: “You will be like God.” This was about the power we supposedly hold within ourselves. We manifest our reality with our words.
This deception, now wrapped in the language of self-help and success, was repackaged in the 19th century as New Thought. Writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, a leader of the transcendentalist movement, popularized these ideas: follow your truth, find power within your authentic self, and believe in your own divinity. Later figures like Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, and Norman Vincent Peale helped spread these ideas through best-selling books that reshaped the way we think about business, success, and self.
But how could I share my concern lovingly? I didn’t want to crush his enthusiasm, yet I knew I had to speak the truth.
“I see some things that concern me,” I told him. “It is good to have a positive mindset. But this book is more than just that.”
He listened thoughtfully as I gave a brief explanation of the New Thought premise. I was encouraged by his sincerity and openness. I then offered to share one of my own books—one that had helped me understand this issue more clearly. The book I shared with him was Happy Lies written by Melissa Dougherty.
A Review of Happy Lies
Although Happy Lies isn’t written as a business book, it offers vital insight for Christian leaders. It equips readers to recognize the language and assumptions of New Thought philosophy, ideas that have quietly infiltrated much of today’s self-help and leadership content.
The book unfolds in an intuitive sequence: it begins by tracing the historical roots of New Thought, then explains its core beliefs, examines its impact on modern self-help culture, and finally explores how these ideas are influencing the church today.
What Is New Thought?
New Thought is a spiritual philosophy that teaches people can shape their reality through positive thinking, affirmations, and spoken words. It often claims that humans are inherently good and possess inner divinity. Though it borrows Christian language and uses Bible verses (out of context), its core message departs from Scripture by placing the source of transformation within the self rather than in Christ.
When Melissa Dougherty was still immersed in New Thought, her reasoning seemed perfectly logical: God is good, and God dwells in us. Therefore, we are good. If we’re good, then we must be divine. And if we’re divine, then we can define our own truth, reality, and morality. But over time, she began to see the cracks in this thinking. Subjective truth left no room for the biblical gospel, and it ultimately placed self above God.
While her personal story brings vulnerability and depth to the book, it’s her research and insight that make it a powerful resource. She writes with an engaging manner and a mix of subtle humor that makes it enjoyable to read but doesn’t diminish the seriousness of the topic.
Importantly, Dougherty emphasizes that optimism isn’t the problem—self-deification is. The issue isn’t about setting goals or speaking with confidence, but about where we anchor our hope and whose voice we ultimately trust.
Why This Matters for Christian Entrepreneurs
Chapter 6, Loving Ourselves to Death, is especially essential for anyone in business. It shows how New Thought ideas have deeply shaped the self-help movement and rebranded Christianity as a tool for personal success. Prominent business thinkers like Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill didn’t just promote confidence; they preached a gospel of self-reliance. A message that sounds Christian but centers entirely on the self.
Dougherty doesn’t deny the value of discipline, leadership, or positivity. But she draws a clear line: the Gospel doesn’t promise success, wealth, and control over our future. It promises surrender, trust, and transformation through Christ. That’s a radically different foundation for leadership.
If you’re pressed for time or not inclined to read the entire book, I recommend at least reading the Introduction, the first two chapters, and Chapter 6. These sections offer a clear overview of New Thought, its appeal, and its dangers for Christian business leaders.
Melissa’s Caution to Business Leaders
I reached out and asked Melissa what she believes is the most deceptive aspect of New Thought for Christian entrepreneurs. Her response was striking:
“It tricks people into turning off their critical thinking in order to attain success, power, and money. We are more willing to compromise our Christian beliefs for money and power without even realizing that that’s what we’re doing. New Thought creates a God that always wants you to be successful, rich, powerful, and healthy. This is not the God of the Bible.”
She added that many business-minded believers adopt self-help language and ideas without realizing they are absorbing a completely different spiritual worldview. And that worldview subtly changes how we lead, relate, and define success.
A Final Word
For any believer trying to lead a team or run a company with integrity, Happy Lies is a timely and necessary read. Dougherty’s book is a call to biblical discernment.
It leaves us with questions worth wrestling with:
- Have I unknowingly embraced ideas that elevate self over Christ?
- Do I use Scripture to pursue success or to pursue holiness?
- Am I leading others toward truth or toward self-empowerment?
In a culture that sells positivity as a product, Happy Lies reminds us that only the gospel brings lasting truth, identity, and hope.
Disclaimer: Many of the books being reviewed in this section are written by authors who may not share our Anabaptist values. While the books contain beneficial and constructive principles for business management, you may occasionally encounter terminology that is not endorsed by the Anabaptist reader. Please read with discretion.