The Lodestar

The Paradox of Human Effort

Human nature is often misunderstood. Many assume goodness is a matter of willpower and discipline. Yet, the harder one strives for moral perfection, the more evident personal shortcomings become. The apostle Paul expressed this struggle: “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Rom 7:19). This passage reflects an experience familiar to those who sincerely attempt moral reform. They encounter an unexpected resistance—a tendency towards selfishness, pride, and failure. The paradox lies in the realisation that one’s moral weakness is only fully exposed through sincere effort.

Self-Deception and the Illusion of Goodness

People often assume they are good because they have never seriously tested their moral limits. Those who live passively, avoiding serious ethical challenges, maintain an illusion of righteousness. They compare themselves with others, drawing confidence from external behaviour rather than internal purity. However, true goodness demands more than outward conformity; it requires a transformation of the heart (Jeremiah 17:9). When individuals genuinely strive for goodness, they face hidden motives—pride in acts of kindness, resentment in self-denial, and reluctance in sacrifice. This exposure of self-deception demonstrates the depth of human corruption.

Moral Failure and the Need for External Help

Mere effort is insufficient to produce true goodness. History illustrates this in legalistic religious movements and in philosophical moralists who sought righteousness through self-discipline. The Pharisees, for example, meticulously observed religious laws yet lacked genuine love and humility (Matthew 23:23—28). Their example shows that external obedience without internal change results in hypocrisy. Similarly, moral philosophers such as Immanuel Kant advocated rational morality, but reason alone is insufficient to overcome selfish impulses. If human effort alone could achieve moral perfection, history would not be marked by repeated ethical failures.

The Role of Grace In Overcoming Moral Weakness

Recognising moral failure is the first step towards transformation. Effort alone exposes weakness, but it does not provide the strength to change. The realisation of one’s inability to be good is meant to lead to dependence on an external source. Just as a sick person acknowledges the need for medicine, a morally weak person must seek renewal beyond personal effort. The apostle Paul declared, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). True transformation is not a self-improvement project but a renewal of the heart that leads to lasting moral change.

A Journey Towards True Goodness

The attempt to be good reveals the depth of human failure. Those who strive hardest see most clearly how far they fall short. This realisation is not intended to lead to despair but to highlight the need for external transformation. True goodness is not achieved through sheer effort but through renewal that reaches beyond human limitations.

(Haunu resides in Dorcas Veng, New Lamka. Alongside her role as a financial steward in the Baptist Youth Fellowship, she is an avid writer, finding joy in crafting narratives in her spare time.)