Have you ever been stressed because you felt like you weren’t “doing enough” for God? Have you ever wondered if God was disappointed in you because you weren’t reading your Bible enough, or praying as much as you should be? As Christians, feeling like we aren’t “being good enough” for God is a concept many of us struggle with.
Lately, God has been teaching me that in my relationship with Him, the time I spend stressing about not “doing enough” is completely unnecessary. I simply need to rest in His love.
In many passages of the Bible, God reveals to us that He doesn’t want us to be afraid. In John 14:27, Jesus says:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (NIV)
When we worry about whether or not God is happy with us, our hearts are troubled. Jesus offers us His peace freely, so why should we feel unsettled about our relationship with Him? God is a loving Father who sees us as His children – this is not a title we have earned, or can earn by ourselves. Of course, reading the Bible and praying are crucial to spiritual growth. However, God wants us to spend time with Him because we enjoy it, not because we feel like we have to.
God offers us His love freely every day. Instead of worrying about whether or not we are “right with God,” we should know that thanks to Jesus, we have already been made right with God. Thanks to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, we can simply rest in the love He so graciously gives us.