PERFORMANCE PRESSURE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Titus 3:5

He (GOD) came to save us. It’s not that we earned it by DOING good works or righteous deeds; He came because He is merciful.

We live in a performance driven culture.

And sadly that “performance mentality” seeps to our relationship with GOD.  It even can block one’s ability to see GOD or to accept Him.

I was recently sharing with a friend the challenge another friend was having with “accepting Jesus”.  My friend was convinced that he hadn’t lived up to GOD’s standards and that until he “did” some more, performed more righteously, made the right choices more often or cleaned up his act, GOD would not allow him “in” as were.

I am sure he isn’t the only one to feel that way from time to time.

But GOD doesn’t approach us in the same way that we often approach Him.  GOD isn’t about our “performance”.  In fact try as we may, our performance regardless how “flawless” in the face of GOD is still, well flawed.

But we are often tricked into thinking that GOD’s acceptance of us, His love for us is somehow tied to today’s performance.

“We think His love rises and falls with our performance. It doesn't”  as Lucado points out.

GOD’s love and grace for us, His acceptance of us and His desire to “be with us” has “nothing to do” with “what we do”.

Ephesians 2:8

For it’s by God’s grace that you have been saved. You receive it through faith. It was not our plan or our effort. It is God’s gift, pure and simple. You didn’t earn it, not one of us did...

God’s grace, God’s love for us is not predicated nor tied to performance.  The mercy GOD shows us is not in correlation to how “good or bad” we have been in recent days or weeks.  Rather GOD forgives GOD grants grace and GOD offers mercy to all of us because that is HIS NATURE it is HIS desire for us!

Yet so many of us struggle with "performance pressure" and its subsequent anxiety. 

And why?

As I said, in almost every aspect of life, others evaluate us by our performance. Are we successful in our careers, fit, and attractive? How much wealth do we possess? It's easy to believe God judges us in a similar way–based on our behavior.

I want to help you change that.

If you are like my friend and are bogged down or blocked from the blessings of GOD, consumed by your performance anxiety, drop the curtain on the show, close the door to the theater, put a sign out front that the show has wrapped.

End the "performance".

Instead, wake up today in the wonderful gift that is GOD’s grace. Walk in that grace.  Listen for GOD’s voice as to “what and how to do” life today. Get in tune with His spirit within you! He will guide you as to what needs done. 

Then DO your best to carry it out.  

That is all He asks.

2 Corinthians 9:13

…live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient…

That is a wrap!

 

Have a blessed day!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney