We are the most self-tracked, self-analysed generation in history. You can monitor your VO2 max, sleep quality, habit streaks, macros, social media usage, heart rate, even how many breaths you take per minute.
We don’t just live our lives – we measure them, analyse them and compare them. Statistics show that gym use has skyrocketed, as has plastic surgery and use of health apps. At the same time, other studies are showing an increase in church attendance, Bible sales and openness to spirituality. It makes me wonder– how do we disciple those who are coming to faith through the lens of self-improvement – those seeking to become the best them they can be, and seeing church as part of that? As this is the dominant narrative in culture, this will be a discipleship issue within our churches whether we’re aware of it or not, so we should all consider how we help new believers in a world of self-obsession.
It’s worth saying: people have always come to Jesus with mixed motives. We see this throughout the Gospels, people drawing close to Jesus for healing, to see a miracle, or because they’re drawn to a crowd. If you think back on your story, as I do mine, we all came to Jesus with all sorts of baggage and motives, and God met us in that place. So this isn’t a new phenomenon. But the types of questions people are asking today, and the cultural assumptions behind them, have shifted. The water people are swimming in demands us to have an increased cultural awareness and to respond with intentional discipleship.
How do we disciple those who are coming to faith through the lens of self-improvement – those seeking to become the best them they can be, and seeing church as part of that?
In a self-obsessed culture, faith can easily be reduced to just another self-help strategy. Another thing to add to the list: drink more water, take more steps, read the Bible. It becomes about personal development, measurable results, emotions and convenience. Faith stuck in this cultural storyline becomes something we curate, picking the parts of Jesus we like and ignoring the rest – pasting the ‘live your truth’ narrative onto the truth of scripture. It means that when you stop seeing ‘results’ – when church becomes inconvenient, or you’re confronted with the cost of following Jesus – you try something new, maybe a new church, a new practice, or a totally new spirituality all together.
That’s why discipleship matters so much in this time. The transformation that people long for, the flourishing they’re seeking, the life they desire, can’t be found in health, experience or within themselves. It can only be found in Jesus. The gospel does bring about transformation, but not on our own terms. It’s not a self-help plan but a rescue plan, taking us from darkness to light, making us totally new creations. This transformation doesn’t come through our good habits or personal development. It comes through repentance and faith.
In a self-obsessed culture, faith can easily be reduced to just another self-help strategy.
In a culture oriented around the self, new believers don’t need more self-help talks, quick fixes, or entertainment. They need the gospel. They need mature Christians walking alongside them, helping them discover who Jesus is, helping them see He’s worth giving up everything for – even attention on ourselves. Discipleship isn’t about people becoming better, behaving better or living better; it’s about reorienting our lives around God and who He is. One of the most important pieces in the discipleship journey today is about helping people think less of themselves and more of Christ.
Jo and Peter explore this in more depth on the Being Human podcast, unpacking how to disciple effectively in light of the cultural narratives shaping our generation. You can listen to that episode now.