Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 6, 2016
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
Are you a performance-driven Christian? Deep down, do you believe you have to work to earn God’s love or His favor? If so, there is good news! As a daughter or a son of Christ, you have been set free from the pressure and burden to perform. Here’s why.
I once heard someone say, “The only way to think about anything is the way Jesus thinks about it.” I instantly thought that the only way that Jesus thinks about me and everything concerning me, is within the context of the cross. It’s always within context of the unbreakable covenant of grace that He made with me and all who belong to Him. If you have accepted Christ, how He thinks about you and responds to you isn’t motivated by your good behavior. It’s motivated by His love and righteousness. He never thinks of you as a child who can be easily thrown away based on your performance. When God thinks about you, He thinks about you within the context of adoption, because that’s what the cross did for you. . . it made you forever His. You are His Son. You are His daughter.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
When you are living in the Lord’s love, and your heart is filled with the reality of the depth of sacrifice He made for you by dying on the cross, you will be motivated to do good works—not because you can earn His favor or love—but in response to the favor and love you have already received. You’ll be motivated out of gratitude and joy to serve Him. In this there is such freedom! Trying to earn favor through works is death. But doing good works from a place of gratitude is life and joy! You will be able to tell when you start to live like an orphan, rather than a son or daughter, because you will begin to strive and panic. You will feel enslaved as if you aren’t doing enough for the Lord. But life with Christ and a knowledge of His love is liberating! If you feel you must work to earn the Lord’s love, He wants you to know the joy that comes from serving Him with the right motives. That happens when you are convinced that His love is unchanging.
If you are performance-driven, your natural response may be to make a plan or do something to get free from the trap of performance and striving. Maybe you want to read a book or try harder. But you can’t be set free from being performance driven by performing! You can’t work your way out of it. You can only be set free from being performance driven by being delivered. You must be rescued by Love. Jesus Christ will do for you what you can’t do for yourself. This is His grace. Call out to Him today and ask Him to help you. He will answer.
“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth (Psalm 145:18).
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your gift of grace and your unchanging love. Praise you that I don’t have to work to earn your love or favor. You have already given me both. Amen.Application
Ask the Lord to reveal to you if you are performance driven, then ask Him to reveal His perspective to you, thanking Him for His unconditional love.Related Reading
John 15:11; John 15:5; Romans 14:17Post/Tweet today
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Having a performance driven personality I find myself constantly seeking the self gratification of the visible results of my hard labor. Visible results allow me the opportunity to pat myself on the back and say “Look what I did”. However, God has recently shown me that there are results for all my actions, positive and/or negative. This realization has had a somewhat humbling affect on me. It seems the less I focus on what I have done I am able to see more clearly the bigger picture of what God has done and is doing. I am slowly but surely learning how to become more of a team player than a attention seeking ball hog. It is nice to have discovered how liberating it is to say “God, whatever it is, I am here to for your service today” and allow him to work out the details. I am convinced that removing pride from our lives would allow us to live somewhat stress free.
Dear Cody,
Thank you, friend! You summed up many important life lessons that all of us can learn from! Your personal lessons learned complimented Shana’s devotional, “Why You Can Be Set Free from Being Performance Driven” beautifully. Thank you for that!
Your statements: “This realization has had a somewhat humbling affect on me. It seems the less I focus on what I have done I am able to see more clearly the bigger picture of what God has done and is doing.” echoes the bible verse “He must become greater: I must become less.” (John 3: 30) Many of us (me included) needed that reminder, so again, friend, I thank you.
And Cody when you acknowledge that you are ready to serve Him whatever He asks of you and then, letting Him work out the details, I can only say: “WAY TO GO, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!!!” Please do us a favor, and let us know from time to time what He has planned for your obedience and willingness to serve. We would love to hear where He leads you.
We are grateful for you, Cody, and look forward to hearing back from you.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
“Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3: 23-24
Great devotional on Sept 13, but couldn’t share it in Facebook, because it kept coming up with Sept 6th link. I would also like to be able to choose to e-mail a devotional to someone & also printer friendly copy of certain devotionals. I use them in sympathy cards or other cards a lot of times. I would not give one out without putting where it came from. Our Daily Bread is easy to save under certain topics. I really like your devotionals.
I don’t know what notify me of new posts means below. I already get your devotionals.