Have you ever put in several hours of overtime on the job and no one even bothered to say how much your efforts were appreciated?
We live in a world where we expect to be appreciated; we want a reward for a good performance. We also live in a world where we expect criticism for a bad performance. We are all familiar with words that show both rewards and punishment. It is the way that the system works and we are used to it.
Jesus, when He was here on earth turned that familiar system upside down. Instead of emphasizing the value of performance, He affirmed the value of the person.
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman He already knew she had a colorful past. In fact He shocked her by telling her about her five husbands as well as the man she was living with who was not her spouse at the time. In spite of her history, Jesus looked beyond her performance and zeroed in on her person. He offered her living water knowing her unquenchable thirst for a meaningful life. (John 4)
Although Zacchaeus’s was a despised citizen, Jesus cut through his disgusting performance to the hidden person that He wanted to love into the kingdom of God. (Luke 19:5)
Jesus was silent for a period of time and spoke when the woman was caught in adultery and should have been stoned according to Jewish law. (John 8:7) He looked beyond her performance to see the person who, in her poverty of soul and overwhelming shame needed His compassion.
Is anyone good enough for God? The point is that no one is! If our behavior doesn’t condemn us then our thought life will. God knows that and looks beyond our imperfect performance. He loves and receives us anyway. Jesus made that kind of grace possible on the cross by dying for the sin that inspires bad performances. It is that simple.
There is nothing more liberating than embracing this extravagant truth. When we admit to the core of our being that our performance will never measure up to God’s standard, then we can quit trying to make ourselves good enough and concentrate instead on having a relationship with Him. Everything, absolutely everything from our tendency to be selfish to why the snails won’t leave our potted plants alone is acceptable to talk to God in prayer about. Everything, yes absolutely everything is reason to give Him our thanks and praise.
A relationship based on love for who we are and grace in spite of what we do should cause us to melt in gratitude, humility and tenderness. Knowing that God looks beyond our performance to who we are and loves us anyway, should make us sink into His embrace and recognize that this is what we should thirst for.
Rom 3:10 – There is not one righteous, not even one.
Dear Father God Almighty I come to you in prayer today asking that You give us Your wisdom to not judge others by their performance so that we will see them for who they are and not judge them on them on who we think they should be. I ask Father, God that You help us to have Your heart of love, gratitude, humility, tenderness and compassion towards others. Please Father, God help us to have a relationship with You so Your light will shine through us and onto others for Your glory. We give you all praise and honor today Father, God, Amen.
“Most people live their lives as if they are going to be graded once a year by a God who stands there frowning with His hands stuck in the pockets of His robe”. Chuck Swindoll
Lyrics to Lord You Are By Mark Schultz
Lord, You are the King of all creation
You know my name
Lord, You are the hope of every nation
You never change
So I stand, I stand before You now
And raise my hands
(Chorus)
And I sing to You
For You alone are worthy
And Your word is truth
And I sing to You
You are the song within me
And I long for You
Lord, You are…
Lord, Your word is written deep within me
Spelled out by grace
Lord, You are the rock of all the ages
My help and strength
So I stand, stand before you now
And raise my hands
(Chorus)
The Living One, the Holy Lamb
The Son of God, the Son of Man
Who always is, who always was
Who’s always gonna be
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