Barriers to Self-Improvement

Self-improvement is at the heart of spiritual life in the New Christian tradition. The Lord’s call is not simply to adopt outwardly moral behaviours, but to engage in real inner work, examining ourselves through the light of the Word, humbly acknowledging our errors, and turning to Him for regeneration. Yet, anyone who attempts this path quickly discovers deep and persistent obstacles. Why is it so difficult for us to put effort into self-improvement, or even to acknowledge that we might be wrong, spiritually unhealthy, or in need of change?

Drawing from the Bible and the teachings of the New Church, this article explores these barriers, both psychological and spiritual, and presents practices for overcoming them.

The Proprium’s Defensiveness and Love of Self

At our core, we each have a “proprium”—a term in the teachings of the New Church that means our native selfhood or sense of life. The proprium is not naturally inclined to humility, self-correction, or repentance. Rather, it fiercely protects its own sense of rightness, innocence, and control. The teaching of the New Church says that the proprium loves itself above all things and thus prefers its own intelligence and desires (AC n.5660). When faced with evidence of fault or error, the proprium’s instinct is to deny, justify, or shift blame—anything rather than confront its own inadequacy (AC n.8551).

This resistance serves a psychological purpose: it shields us from the pain of admitting imperfection. But spiritually, it is a profound barrier to regeneration.

Attachment to Appearances and External Life

Before regeneration, the natural mind is focused on external things—habits, traditions, pleasures, social status. We derive comfort and security from what is familiar and pleasing. Self-examination threatens that comfort. Swedenborg writes that, left to itself, the natural mind does not wish to understand what is true or to do what is good, but wishes only to believe what is pleasant to the senses and memory (AC n.3207).

People resist change because it feels like an existential threat: acknowledging that “my ways are in error” means unsettling one’s foundation. Thus, clinging to what is known, even if unhealthy or untrue, is often preferred over the risk of spiritual discovery.

Fear of Pain, Shame, or Change

True self-observation, guided by the Lord’s Word, shines a light on our inadequacies, self-deceptions, and flaws. This inevitably brings up uncomfortable emotions: shame, fear of judgment, insecurity, and a sense of failure—not just before others, but before the Lord and our own conscience.

There’s also a hidden fear: if I let go of these ingrained habits or beliefs, who will I be? Even healthy habits, once they become central to identity, can become difficult to relinquish for fear of “losing oneself” (AC n.3207).

Lack of Real Encounter with the Word

Another barrier is that many people simply have not experienced the Word of God as living and transformative, as the Lord’s own presence. If religion is only about external conformity, or the scriptures are read merely for knowledge or habit, they will not challenge old patterns. The power of the Word to expose and heal remains dormant unless we invite its light deeply into our interior life. Until the false heavens of historical faith are exposed, you aren’t going anywhere. Only real and reverent engagement with the Lord in His Word exposes us to what must change and opens us to true spiritual motivation.

Influence of Evil Spirits and Spiritual Influx

The Writings teach that everyone is influenced by both good and evil spirits, who work through our thoughts and feelings (AC n.761). Evil spirits reinforce our justifications, numb our conscience, or turn self-reflection into false shame and despair. As long as we are unconscious of these influences, mistaking their thoughts for our own, we are kept in spiritual inertia.

Only by conscious spiritual practice of turning deliberately to the Lord in the Word, observing our reactions, asking for His light, do we begin to discern what is from heaven and what is not.

Belief That External Goodness Is Enough

A final and very common barrier is spiritual complacency: the belief that “I am already a good person.” When we measure ourselves by external standards or compare ourselves to others, we can easily conclude that no deep inspection or change is necessary. But the Lord calls us to measure ourselves not by external appearances but by His Divine standard as revealed in the Word (TCR n.530; NJHD n.4). It is precisely this attitude of feeling “good enough” that prevents deeper regeneration.

Practices for Overcoming These Barriers

The difficulties above are not insurmountable, but they do require conscious, spiritually grounded effort:

• Engage the Word as Living and Divine: Approach the scriptures seeking the Lord’s direct presence, not just knowledge. Read with prayerful openness for illumination, correction, and healing.

• Self-observe Without Condemnation: Notice defensive reactions, rationalisations, and reluctance, not as truth, but as signals of the proprium at work. Bring these reactions into the Lord’s light with humility.

• Pray for Willingness and Courage: Ask for the courage to see oneself honestly, and for the willingness to undergo change, trusting the Lord’s mercy rather than one’s own sufficiency.

• Remember: Acknowledgement is Liberation: The freeing is in the seeing. Simply acknowledging an error or unhealthy habit and entrusting it to the Lord is more important than striving for perfection (Life n.86-90).

Conclusion

The greatest adversary to self-improvement and honest self-examination is not external circumstance, but the internal workings of the proprium, its self-love, fear, defensiveness, attachment to appearances, comfort, and spiritual inertia (a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged). The antidote is not self-criticism or human willpower alone, but rather daily turning to the Lord in His Word, opening ourselves to His searching presence, and admitting that we truly need Him for genuine change. In this, we find not condemnation, but liberation, genuine spiritual growth and healing.

Enquire about joining Logopraxis Life Groups, in person at Carmel New Church or online from anywhere. Life Groups support you in moving forward to engage in real inner work, examining yourself through the light of the Word.

The next season of Life Groups starts in November 2025.

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