In 2004, I accepted Jesus into my heart. There was no mistaking that His love had flooded my soul and that His joy was in me, but instead of taking on my new identity and new nature, I still clung to the "old self."
You see, I was a perfectionist, and ( as a result) I approached Jesus with a legalistic nature. I knew that Grace alone had saved me. I knew that His love couldn't be earned—because scripture revealed it to me. But yet my perfectionist mentality still fueled a notion that I needed to receive His approval and forgiveness through performance and rule-keeping. And when I couldn't measure up to what I thought was God's expectations of me, I was left feeling inadequate and frustrated.
When we approach God with a legalistic/ perfectionist mindset, that's what happens: We try to earn His approval with our imperfect actions. We have a belief that our salvation depends on how well we perform and how well we uphold all the rules. We become judgmental and critical of others. Legalism/perfectionism, therefore, robs us of our peace and joy, because it emphasizes the external to the neglect of the internal.
Jesus' message clearly illustrates this in Luke 11:37-54. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law had become more concerned with their traditions and human-made rules than the Word of God. They had burdened others and left them feeling ashamed and condemned when they didn't quite measure up. They taught that the only path to the knowledge of God was through the gates of legalism, yet, they didn't enter these gates—themselves. Instead, they had a heart that desired power rather than equality for God's people. Their self-righteous desires blinded them from seeing the Son of Man as nothing more than a threat to their power, as opposed to a grace offering for the sins of all humanity.
Someone once said to me: "We shouldn't abuse God's grace in our lives or use it as a means to continue in sin." And I agree. We no doubt need to have a balance between grace and the law, and that's where the Holy Spirit comes in: Christ left a beacon of light in our heart so that we may know which way to turn; a means to prayerfully grasp the grace of His forgiveness so that we can move forward and fulfill His purpose. Grace, therefore, is an unmerited favor that sets us free from a legalistic mindset. It doesn't have to be earned or worked by performance. It's freely given. All we have to do is show up and receive it—and once we do—it opens up a whole new world of Christ's knowledge in our lives.
Christ's transforming truth and power not only continues to refine me today, setting me free to extend His grace and forgiveness to others as He so freely gives to me, but it's also teaching me two of life's most important lessons: Humility and Love.
How about you?
Are you struggling with perfectionism?
Is legalism suffocating your faith?
If so, why not allow Grace to cover you with this affirmation: "My child. It's okay that you are not perfect. I love you in spite of your imperfections. I love you not based on any performance that you do. I love you simply because you are my unique, one-of-a-kind child, whom I chose as a work in progress."
You see, I was a perfectionist, and ( as a result) I approached Jesus with a legalistic nature. I knew that Grace alone had saved me. I knew that His love couldn't be earned—because scripture revealed it to me. But yet my perfectionist mentality still fueled a notion that I needed to receive His approval and forgiveness through performance and rule-keeping. And when I couldn't measure up to what I thought was God's expectations of me, I was left feeling inadequate and frustrated.
When we approach God with a legalistic/ perfectionist mindset, that's what happens: We try to earn His approval with our imperfect actions. We have a belief that our salvation depends on how well we perform and how well we uphold all the rules. We become judgmental and critical of others. Legalism/perfectionism, therefore, robs us of our peace and joy, because it emphasizes the external to the neglect of the internal.
Jesus' message clearly illustrates this in Luke 11:37-54. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law had become more concerned with their traditions and human-made rules than the Word of God. They had burdened others and left them feeling ashamed and condemned when they didn't quite measure up. They taught that the only path to the knowledge of God was through the gates of legalism, yet, they didn't enter these gates—themselves. Instead, they had a heart that desired power rather than equality for God's people. Their self-righteous desires blinded them from seeing the Son of Man as nothing more than a threat to their power, as opposed to a grace offering for the sins of all humanity.
Someone once said to me: "We shouldn't abuse God's grace in our lives or use it as a means to continue in sin." And I agree. We no doubt need to have a balance between grace and the law, and that's where the Holy Spirit comes in: Christ left a beacon of light in our heart so that we may know which way to turn; a means to prayerfully grasp the grace of His forgiveness so that we can move forward and fulfill His purpose. Grace, therefore, is an unmerited favor that sets us free from a legalistic mindset. It doesn't have to be earned or worked by performance. It's freely given. All we have to do is show up and receive it—and once we do—it opens up a whole new world of Christ's knowledge in our lives.
Christ's transforming truth and power not only continues to refine me today, setting me free to extend His grace and forgiveness to others as He so freely gives to me, but it's also teaching me two of life's most important lessons: Humility and Love.
How about you?
Are you struggling with perfectionism?
Is legalism suffocating your faith?
If so, why not allow Grace to cover you with this affirmation: "My child. It's okay that you are not perfect. I love you in spite of your imperfections. I love you not based on any performance that you do. I love you simply because you are my unique, one-of-a-kind child, whom I chose as a work in progress."
