Why "Just Do Better" isn't enough.

Read Time: 2 Minutes

How are your new year’s resolutions going?

I love the dopamine hit of a new year. New year, new you, right? Honestly, I’ll take the motivation wherever I can get it.

40% of us make resolutions every year. 90% of our earnest ambitions fail by the second week of February. Don’t worry, you still have a month to go. Yet, only 9% of us will achieve these goals.

What’s the deal? I find that mustering more of my effort isn’t sufficient for transformation. Effort is certainly important. Dallas Willard rightly said that “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.” Yet, our efforts are not resolute enough to find the abundant life we long for in Jesus.

Do you struggle with the insufficiency of effort?

Thankfully, I know someone who can help. My friend, author, and fellow pastor Jay Kim came on “But I Tell You” to talk about how prayer, therapy, spiritual direction, friendship, and God’s presence led him to rediscover a more beautiful view of Jesus (and how to follow Him).

I hope this episode can be a huge encouragement to you. That it can help you take off the pressure of the well-intentioned but often undiscerning advice to just “do more” and “be better.” To experience the delight of God’s loving presence with you instead.