Over the past year or so, I’ve developed a passion for personal development. I’ve had the opportunity to read many books on the subject, and one thing in particular has struck me: there are very few Christian works that talk about it (directly), even though it’s a subject that’s becoming increasingly important in our society. So I’m going to start writing a series of articles on the subject.
Not all non-Christian work is bad. It’s even obvious that a non-Christian doctor or teacher can do a better job than a Christian (we’ll probably come back to this in another article). This means that, in the field of personal development, non-Christian books can sometimes be very edifying. However, we must be careful not to absorb all the elements put forward in these works. Indeed, some of the things put forward are more in keeping with pantheistic, atheistic or other philosophies. That’s why we’re going to work together to flush out the non-biblical visions of these works. We’ll also be able to see everything that’s true and therefore good for us.
A problem of purpose, yes!
One of the first personal development books I read was called Miracle Morning, everything happens before 8am by Hal Helrod. One of the key concepts in his book is that we lack purpose. here’s what he writes:
« If you ask the average person what their life’s purpose is, you’ll get an amused look or an « I don’t know » response. What if I asked you? What would you say? The average person isn’t able to articulate their life’s purpose – the irresistible « why » that drives them to get up every day and do whatever it takes to fulfill their mission in life… Most people are content to get through the day, taking the path of least resistance and seeking short-lived, fleeting pleasures along the way, while avoiding any pain or discomfort that might make them grow. (…) to overcome this cause of mediocrity, you need a life with purpose. »1
This is one point where personal development is absolutely right. Because we have nowhere to go, we often choose to stay put. Unfortunately, many churches find themselves in this situation. They maintain the life that already exists (services, preaching, Bible studies, pastoral visits…) but can’t envisage going any further because they have no vision or goals. They don’t know what their Christian life should look like, or what the Church should be striving for. The first time I read that paragraph, it made me sad, because once you know where you want to go, everything becomes much simpler. Christians should be examples of developed spiritual lives, but instead they’re content to live average lives with no clarity about what they’re called to. Because the Christian life is a meaningful life, we should live a « better » life than non-Christians who have no meaning to their lives. The fact that there isn’t so much difference between non-Christians and Christians proves that we forget what our meaning is, the one God has given us. Proverbs states that « When there is no vision, the people are forsaken » (Prov. 29:18).
… But
Hal Elrod is absolutely right: we lack vision and clarity of purpose. As a result, we do almost nothing, or at least not the life we’re meant to have. Personal development coaches, however, go too far in accepting a rather modern idea: « you have to create/choose your meaning in life ». Here, for example, is what Hal Elrod writes:
« keep in mind that you’re not supposed to « discover » your goals, you have to invent them, create them, decide what you want them to be. « 2
In saying this, the author indirectly echoes most modern philosophers who maintain that we are only animals and therefore have no purpose in life other than to follow our primal instincts. The Bible teaches us something quite different. In the book of Genesis, it says that we are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26). This verse means many things, not least that we were created to be in relationship with God (and with others, since we were created in the image of a relational God). So we have a clear meaning to our lives: to live for God. Jesus explains this by saying that the Law is to love « the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…. You shall love your neighbor as yourself » (Mt 22:38-39). This, then, is the meaning of our lives. We don’t have to invent one, because otherwise we’re doing something other than what we were created to do, and that hurts us.
That said, loving God with all one’s heart and loving one’s neighbor as oneself can be achieved in different ways. God has created us in a certain way, with certain specific gifts, given us a specific history, placed us in a specific place so that we can live out this meaning in a personalized way that differs according to context. So… why has God placed you in this specific place? In this family? In this job? Why has He given you these particular gifts? What does it mean to love God and neighbor in these contexts? When you understand this, you’ll finally have a clear vision of what you’re meant to do, what your purpose is, and you’ll be able to live an extraordinary life under God’s watchful eye.
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