Hey Friends,
The whole idea of personal growth gets me all fired up – no joke. I love reading, researching, and brainstorming ways to become a better version of myself. One of my favorite times of the year is in December and early January when I plan out all my goals for the coming New Year.
It’s incredible when we realize how much control we actually have over our life, our decisions, and our lifestyle.
Obviously as Christians, God and His Word play a huge part in our “self-improvement” and personal growth. Without God we are nothing. If we strive to improve upon our lives without considering God’s will for our lives, then we are going to set ourselves up for failure and a life of un-fulfillment.
However, when we seek God’s will for our lives, when we live by Biblical principle, and obey God’s Word, we are naturally going to grow and want to continue growing – spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally…
Even the Bible talks about “personal growth” and “self-improvement”. Check out these verses from Proverbs:
“The heart of him that hath understanding, seeketh knowledge…” Proverbs 15:14 (This refers to personal growth in terms of seeking knowledge, applying oneself to learning and growing mentally.)
“The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge: and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” Proverbs 18:15 (A wise person is continually learning and growing! He is actively seeking growth.)
“Apply thine heart unto instruction and thine ears to words of knowledge.” Proverbs 23:12 (Here we read that we ought to apply our hearts to God’s instruction and words of knowledge – spiritual and mental growth.)
“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness: but of everyone that is hasty only to want.” Proverbs 21:5 (The thoughts and ideas of a diligent person will reap bountiful rewards and blessings whereas the hasty/lazy person only thinks about immediate gratification.)
“She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.” Proverbs 31:17 (Even the Proverbs 31 woman seeks to improve upon her physical strength!)
Throughout Proverbs and other passages of Scripture, we see the need to grow and improve spiritually as well as mentally, emotionally, physically, etc.
There is nothing wrong with personal growth as long as the things we strive for are pleasing to the Lord and in line with His Word and will for our lives.
With all that being said, today I want to share some of my favorite book on self-improvement and personal growth. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to find books on this topic for Christians. Many books on personal growth come with a very secular and humanistic perspective.
All the books I am about to share do come from a “Christian perspective” (some more than others). However, please remember that every book we read needs to judged according to the perfect and holy standard of God’s Word, none of these books are perfect (except Proverbs, which is on this list!) so please read these books with a discerning heart and mind.
Now, let’s dive into my favorite books on personal growth!
10 Life-Changing Books on Personal Growth
The Book of Proverbs
I have to include Proverbs in my list. Seriously, where would we be without the Bible and where would we be without the wonderful wisdom found in the book of Proverbs?
If you haven’t read the book of Proverbs very much in the past, then you need to do something about that!
Start by reading one Proverb a day – there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs so read the chapter that corresponds with the day of the month. (For example: read the the first chapter of Proverbs on the first day of the month.)
Proverbs is so chock-full of biblical wisdom and nuggets of knowledge and instruction. As Christians would all be so much wiser if we truly lived by the book of Proverbs!
→ Sometimes the book of Proverbs can be a little difficult to understand. If you need some help, check out these resources to help you better understand the book of Proverbs:
- Life Application Study Bible
- Be Skillful: Commentary on the Book of Proverbs
- Those Kids in Proverbsville (this book is great for teaching Proverb truths to children!)
Small Changes for a Better Life
In Small Changes for a Better Life, Elizabeth George talks about 18 small and simple changes that women should implement to have a better life. From asking for wisdom, to pursuing spiritual growth, to managing your home, your appearance and the food you eat… this book covers all the important areas of a woman’s life, starting with her walk with God.
This book resonates with me so much because I love the idea of small (but do-able) changes for a better life. I would highly recommend this book!
This is actually a series of four books – and I love them because I’m such a HUGE “list person” myself. 😉 I haven’t been able to add the second and fourth books to my collection yet, but I love the first and third book. They are such wonderful books to pick up and read. Some of the topics in these books are:
Success
- Friendship
- Virtue
- Marriage and Romance
- Home and Finances
- Health
- Contentment
- Family Life
- and more!
Each topic/chapter is filled with lists and inspirational lists that fall under that particular category. Here are some of the lists from book one:
- How to Become a Lifelong Learner
- Taking Control of Your Time
- What Keeps a Marriage Strong?
- Eight Questions to Ask Before Saying Yes
- Make Your Old Home Feel Like New
Here is where you can find all four books:
- Lists to Live By (Book One)
- Lists to Live By (Book Two)
- Lists to Live By (Books Three)
- Lists to Live By (Book Four)
I would highly recommend this book for any Christian, and especially for those who help in any aspect of ministry (from nursery to Sunday School).
This is one of my favorite books. ever. I try to read and review this book a little bit every year. The whole concept of choosing one word to focus on for the year both fascinates and inspires me. I’ve written more about my one word(s) and how you can change your year by using just one word. You can read that post here.
Of all the books on this list, My One Word is probably my favorite. 🙂
Many of us would be a lot more productive and more inclined to personal growth, except we can never seem to get a good start on our day, and there never seems to be enough time. In Hello Mornings, Kat Lee shares a 3-minute morning routine that anyone can do (we all can find three minutes to spare in the morning!). In this book you will also find lots of ideas to build on your three minute morning routine and personalize it to fit you and your lifestyle so that you create a morning routine that you love.
Honorable Mentions:
Here are some other personal growth books that I’ve read and learned from. These are not written from a Christian perspective so please keep that in mind.
I Would Love to Know
Do you enjoy reading books on personal growth? What is your favorite book on personal growth? Please tell me in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out these related posts:
10 Books Every Christian Young Woman Should Read
Over 15 Great Books on the Home
With Love,
Thank you for this post!! It was an encouragement💖
You are so welcome!!
You have recommended Elizabeth George so much that I’m going to have to keep an eye out for her books at thrift stores! That’s where I usually get any books I have, thrift stores or borrowing them…haha!
Yes, they are all so good!! You can usually find some at thrift shops… And Amazon has them fairly cheap too! 👍
Rebekah, thank you for writing this post! Personal growth has been a goal of mine this year, and I had planned on reading books on that subject during the summertime (although I admit I didn’t do well at that goal). But quite honestly, I really didn’t know where to start, so it will be very helpful to have these book recommendations — especially ones that come from a Christian perspective!
Keep up the good work!
~Noel~
Hi Noel,
You are welcome! I hope you find some new favorites among this list! Have fun reading and learning 😊
Rebekah