Reflection: Beyond the Self-Help Industry

Broadcast on Nevis Radio.

I’ll admit it. I have in my time bought quite a few self help books. From the classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People” to Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, I’ve pondered their sometimes wonderful advice. With, honestly, limited impact on my life. 

The self-improvement industry is worth about three billion pounds in the UK. We’re buying books, downloading apps, and following TikTok influencers all promising transformation. Yet rates of anxiety and stress continue to rise. Perhaps we’re looking for change in the wrong places.

One of my biblical heroes is St. Paul. Paul was the ultimate religious overachiever. He was what we’d call today an ‘influencer’ in the religious community. If LinkedIn had existed in first-century Jerusalem, his CV would have been immaculate.

But, while travelling, in what must have been the ultimate disruption to his carefully planned life, Paul encountered Jesus. In that moment, all his carefully constructed achievements crumbled. 

The man who once thought he could be his best through sheer effort and determination came to understand true change comes through surrender, not striving. He wrote that all his achievements were ‘rubbish’ compared to knowing Jesus.

We’re told, if we just try hard enough, follow the right program, or adopt the right habits, we’ll finally become the person we’re meant to be.

What if transformation isn’t about becoming a better version of yourself, but about becoming who God already knows you to be?

Paul’s experience suggests a radically different path. He discovered that true transformation comes not through gritting our teeth and trying harder, but through opening ourselves to a power beyond ourselves.

Prayer is about connecting with a God who loves you as you are while inviting you into something greater. When Instagram influencers tell you to “live your best life,” prayer offers something more profound: the chance to live a life connected to its very source.

As Paul puts it in Galatians 2:20, ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’