You Don't Have to Perform for God

I have been stuck in the performance trap.

Years ago in ministry I hit a wall. I was praying, but it did not feel like enough. I was preaching, but it did not feel hard enough or long enough. I was trying to earn the favor of God by what I was doing for God. I was digging a grave for myself.

Marie and I sat down this week to talk about that. It does not only live in the pulpit. It shows up in parenting. It shows up in marriage. It shows up when sitting at Jesus' feet starts to feel like a punishment.

Here is the shift. I do not serve God for something. I serve God because of something.

You already know you cannot earn your salvation. We forget we also cannot earn His smile. You are accepted in Christ outside of anything you ever did for Him. That is Ephesians 1:6. That is grace.

Excellence is not the enemy. Perfectionism is. When your best gets tied to your identity, you will never be done. You will keep score. You will please people. You will treat ministry like a prison. Paul said if he pleased men, he should not be the servant of Christ.

The gospel breaks the trap. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Separate your worth from your performance. Your value is in the Lord Jesus Christ, not in how hard you ran the race.

If you are exhausted from trying to be enough, watch this one. Then rest.

Watch the episode:
https://youtu.be/pxKtxBs-gZo

Ephesians 2:8-9. Galatians 1:10. Ephesians 1:6. Galatians 2:20. Romans 8:1.

If this helped, send it to someone who is tired of performing. Not as a lecture. As rest