@gabriel
Self improvement through effort is the lie.

The disconnect for your mainstream Christian, is they think self improvement is their duty. And, that God will exalt them in the next life.

I see people on fedi every day, that cannot figure out why their hard-work and effort, are not producing results.

There are only two paths to improving your life. One is to work with the demons, and suddenly, when you are being helped instead of opposed, you are able to make progress.

But, if you don't want to work with demons, then Jesus is your only hope. And, Jesus doesn't follow this wisdom of the world. The path without God, requires working harder. The path with Jesus, is all about resting better.

The Garden of Eden is the paradigm that Jesus came to restore. And, in Eden, God does the protecting, the providing, the problem solving.

Self improvement? Better habits? The problem is, men cannot turn an intellectual desire, into a desire that comes out of your heart. And, if your desire doesn't come from your heart, then you have to fight, to spend will power to do what you intellectually desire.

Real improvement, looks like Jesus changing your heart, so that your desires and habits, now match your intellectual desires. Then, doing what you want, does not require will power, it becomes effortless and fun.

Real progress, or life improvement, looks like Jesus filling you with inspiration, energy, and protecting your mind from bad thoughts, and your surroundings from bad people. And, providing you with opportunities.

It is about what Jesus has done, and will do, and not about what you have done or should do, in anyway at all.