We live in a world that constantly tells us we need to be a winner, have a finely sculptured body, and drive the latest model luxury car. We are led to believe that people will like us only if we have the right hairstyle, wear the correct brand of jeans, and flash a bright smile.
Often we are our own worst critic, creating unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We dread making a mistake or exposing a personal shortcoming. Our thoughts focus only on ourselves and our perceived inadequacies. Have you ever been involved in any of the following situations?
o A child struggling to please a parent who can’t or won’t give needed praise.
o A young person with an eating disorder who is malnourished but feels overweight.
o A student athlete who feels worthless after failing to make the varsity team.
o A working mother depressed because her house is not always spotless.
o A father working countless hours of overtime to afford the “extras” in life.
If you identify with one or more of the above, you may be pleased to know that we have all been freed from the impossible burden of reaching perfection by our own efforts. We are loved unconditionally by God – no matter what we look like, how much we own, what we have done, or what we have failed to do. God loves us even when we dislike ourselves the most. He even loved us enough to send His Son to take away our sin and guilt through His suffering and death on the cross. Because of God’s grace and mercy, through faith in the saving work of Jesus, we have become perfect in His eyes.
Does this mean we should stop trying to do things that please God and benefit others? On the contrary! We have even more reason to use our God given gifts to do His will. However, our motivation is no longer the fear of God’s punishment or the desire to win God’s approval in order to earn an eternal reward. We can now give our best effort to God purely out of thankfulness, with no thought of getting anything in return. This, I believe, is the essence of being a Christian and what distinguishes Christianity from every other religion that has ever existed.
As St. Paul says in Romans 3: 23,24 (NIV): “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”