Zechariah 4:6

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”

Most Christians today are attracted by the thought of self-improvement. Go to your average book store whether it be secular of Christian and you will be amazed at how many titles make incredible promises of self-improvement.  We can learn how to win friends, get out of debt, break habits, develop discipline, communicate more effectively, heal our marriages and get that promotion we’ve always wanted, not to mention loose fifty pounds while watching TV. The question we must ask ourselves as Christians is, did God send his son so we could improve or be transformed?  God certainly is interested in us improving, but more importantly he wants us to be transformed into sons and daughters.  That will only happen as we spend much time with him, imitating him by doing everything he tells us. Lasting change will come by his spirit, not merely self-effort.