Lately, I’ve heard some pastors preaching against “self-improvement” or “personal development”. They claim that putting in work or effort is “fleshly”, “boastful”, “works are like filthy rags in God’s eyes” and “offensive to what Jesus did for us on the cross”. It got me questioning where they get this narrative from and does it line up with what Jesus actually taught?
I’m not sure what these pastors’ definitions of self-improvement are but to me it means self-reflection, journaling, working through traumas, striving after knowledge, reading, researching, growing, learning, discovering & developing one’s own unique gifts and talents, removing sin, repenting, meditating on God’s word, Praying, eating a healthy diet, exercising, sobriety etc. So how could anyone be against this?
First, let’s examine some of Jesus’ words regarding Effort:
“exert every effort to enter through the narrow door” – Luke 13:24
“unless you repent, you will all perish as well” – Luke 13:3
“if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.” – Mthw 5:30
These are just a few out of many quotes on the amount of effort Jesus’ tells us to put in. Repentance is an action word meaning to Change our ways. It may also take a large amount of Self-Reflection and Journaling aka “Self-Improvement” to understand how & why we went astray. Putting in all our effort combined with Prayer is where miracles happen, Not in Faith alone as James says:
“For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so also Faith without Works is dead” – James 2:26
Second, let’s look at the “filthy rags” verse Isaiah 64:6. The key to understanding it is putting it in context with the preceding verse 64:5. The beginning of verse 5 says:
“You assist those who delight in doing what is right, who observe your commandments” – Isaiah 64:5
So the first half of that verse says God assists those who Do what is Right (Works) And keep his Laws. The second half of 64:5 says:
“Look, you were angry because we violated them continually. How then can we be saved?” – Isaiah 64:5
Here is the missing context, people who violate God’s Laws continually and do Not do what is right. These are the ones in 64:6 who’s “so-called righteous” acts are like filthy rags in God’s eyes. It’s Not a blanket statement condemning Everyone’s acts, works or strivings and that one shouldn’t even try as a justification for Faith-Alone doctrine.
“We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a filthy rag in your sight.” – Isaiah 64:6
Finally, So where do they get the idea that effort and works are “fleshly” and “boastful”? The answer is from Paul, Not from Jesus.
“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is Not from works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8 – 9
Does this line up with Jesus’ teachings, Isaiah or James? I think not.
