Were You Discipled into Performance or Personal Relationship?

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Lately, I have been reflecting deeply on this question. I was raised in a liturgical church that had plenty of do’s and don’ts. But it seems that the do’s and don’ts took on a different heaviness when I “became an evangelical.”

When I was a young child, I loved and respected God and His Will and His Ways. But the very things that I often (but not always) did from my heart became a burden, a noose around my neck, a duty, when I became an evangelical. I was discipled into doing to earn: favor with God, closeness to Him, spirituality, His love, and usefulness, and even “daily forgiveness.”

Those heart-driven practices became externally-generated “doings.” They kept me focused on myself and “my spiritual condition.” I joined the “sin management club” who focused more on failures and sins, than on our Perfect Savior and His Finished Work (which in practice, never seemed to be finished).

So for the next few weeks, I would like to share with you my “break-away” from performance-based religiousness. No, it’s not about changing churches…it’s not about religion at all. It’s about living in … actually relaxing in God and depending on Him…dare I say, enjoying Him and His enjoyment of you and me.

May I “disciple” you into resting in your personal relationship with your beautiful Lord? And you will find …
HE DOES the LIVING.
I DO the LETTING.*