It's all a trap.

I've been reflecting a lot lately on something that used to weigh me down—and maybe it's weighed on many of you too: the tormenting mindset that we must perform in order to get God’s approval. After all, He is an omnicient judge just waiting to pounce on us with a judgement. He is righteous after all, correct?

For me, growing up in a Catholic church I was always striving to just pray more, serve harder, avoid the big mistakes, or rack up enough "good Christian brownie" points, then maybe—just maybe—God will finally be pleased with me.

From vacuuming the church every Saturday afternoon, to going through the ritual of lighting candles for loved ones, and telling a man with a collar behind a door, all of my “sins” in hopes of earning some time out of purgatory.

Don’t laugh. If you’re not Catholic, I know “your” religion has some interesting rituals as well. Isn’t performance the basis of religion after all?

For me, at least the Catholic church was overt about it. Many churches involved in most denominations are covert and use subtle manipulations to feel like you are living up to what God expects from you.  

Either way, it’s all a trap. Don't fall into it.

It sounds spiritual on the surface, but it turns faith into a performance job interview where we're always one slip-up away from disapproval or being fired.

The beautiful truth Jesus brings, flips that entire mindset. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."

Salvation, acceptance, favor—none of it is something we manufacture through effort no matter how hard you try. It's a gift, freely given because of what Christ has already done. He lived the perfect life we couldn't, took our failures on the cross, and rose to make us right with God. When we trust Him, we step into a relationship that's secure from the start—not because we've earned it, but because He's already paid for it in full.

That mindset shift changes everything about how we live day to day. Instead of waking up stressing out about whether yesterday's mess disqualified us, (don’t we all get messy at times?) we start from a place of being deeply loved and fully accepted.

Jesus doesn't stand back with a checklist, waiting for us to live up to who He says we should be or. His Spirit moves in, empowering us from the inside out.

But didn’t James say, faith without works is dead? Absolutely.

Good works is an outworking of your life committed to God—not as a way to earn favor, but as a natural process of being connected to Him. We love more freely, forgive quicker, pursue what's right because we're secure, not scared. And when we make a mistake (because we have and we will again), grace doesn't shame us away; it draws us closer, reminding us we're still His.

This is the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." It's not a life of constant striving or manipulation to look spiritual like the Pharisees two thousand years ago—it's freedom. Real freedom to laugh deeply, love without keeping score, chase dreams without the nagging fear of not measuring up.

No more being manipulated to gain people's approval or even God's. Just rest in the truth that you're already wanted, already empowered, already home. Ahhhh…true freedom.

If you're tired of the performance game, take a breath today and receive what's already yours. Jesus isn't waiting for you to get it together—He's inviting you right now into the joy of living fully in His grace just as you are.

You see, it's not about what you do to deserve it; it's about what He's already done so you can truly live.

And once you taste that freedom, everything else starts to feel lighter, brighter, and more alive than before. God’s got this.

You've got this—because He's got you.