“For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Would someone call you a hard worker? Who is the hardest worker you know? I have seen my dad work hard my whole life, and that is just at home! He is always working on projects around our house. It’s taken some effort for him to learn to stop and rest. I learned a lot from my Dad just by observing. I appreciate his example. 

Being a hard-worker is highly valued in many cultures, and certainly in American culture. Being referred to as a hard worker is considered a high compliment in the workforce. Hard work is valued and praised. Rest is not.  People don’t cheer you on when you stop and rest. “Keep pressing forward and reach your goals!”

It is easy to transfer that idea to God’s kingdom as well. In the church, we often praise those who are there whenever the doors open or honor the person who serves in multiple areas or allow families to spread themselves thinly and take away from family time by planning events every night of the week. Why? Jesus said that He would give rest to those who come to Him. (Matthew 11:28) Is this trusting in what Christ has done for us or giving ourselves stuff to do to make us feel more valuable? 

Dear Friend, have you been working hard for God, but feel like your efforts have fallen short? Do you feel like you need to do more? Do you question if you are good enough for God?

The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus did all that was necessary to make you and me good enough for God. We don’t have to work hard to prove our worth to Him. We don’t have to rely on our own efforts to be valuable to Him. All you and I have to do is to rely on what He has done, but how?

Worship by the Spirit. To worship by the Spirit is to follow His lead in giving God what pleases Him. The Spirit is God, knows the mind of God, and operates with God’s motivation. Why do we work hard? What is our motivation? On the positive side, it could be that we value excellence and service. That certainly honors God! But, on the negative side, we often work hard because we have an unconscious need to prove our own value. For me, it came down to proving that I had a right to exist. I always felt like whatever I did had to be perfect, from grades in school to tasks on the job to parenting. I feared correction and was horrified of making any mistakes. A mistake meant I was shameful and unworthy of the right to exist. 

It is deeply ingrained in our culture that our value is completely based on our productivity. It is all about the results. It wasn’t always this way, but nowadays the elderly are not valued because they are no longer productive. We struggle with being sick or injured because we are not able to produce. We score ourselves based on our performance or on the results of our efforts. Do you see yourself in any of that? I have come a long way, but I still need to steer myself away from the trap of performance-based value. 

To live a life of worship by the Spirit of God is to live a life of knowing that I am loved regardless of what I do, regardless of the results. If I am evaluating myself based on results and productivity, then if my kids stray from the path, if I don’t finish everything on my to-do list, if I don’t check all the boxes on the list of activities I am supposed to do for God, I see myself as a failure. Are you there, Dear Friend? Are you seeing yourself as not good enough?

But a life of worship that is Spirit-led is a life of peace and rest knowing that when I submit my efforts to God as an act of worship He receives them as an acceptable sacrifice. A life of worship is a life of love. I know that I am loved and I offer my life in love, living from a place of being loved rather than trying to deserve God’s love. What a beautiful life that is!

Rely on what Christ has done. How do we put that into practice? Well, let’s start by exploring why we do not rely on Christ. We have already talked about some of that — the need to prove our value, performance and results-driven culture — but, if we put those motivations in the context of God’s Big Story, it goes back to Eden where Adam and Eve chose to decide for themselves what is good or evil. Their choice introduced sin into the human condition and the root of sin is a desire to be God and make the big decisions in life, like what proves a person’s value. To rely on Christ and what He has done is to accept that God’s way is best and I can never be good enough on my own. To accept the work of Christ on the cross as the basis of my worth relieves the tension of trying to earn God’s favor and love, or the right to exist. I recognize that I can’t be good enough. I can’t be perfect enough. Jesus came to lift that burden. Jesus came to make me good enough for God by taking the punishment for my sin. 

An important realization for me dawned when I first began to follow Christ. I realized that I had put the pressure of perfection on myself and that only One perfect person ever walked the earth. I started to understand that perfection was not possible for me, but that I could rely on His perfection. It was a freeing thought, but it has taken years to learn how to walk that out and, I confess, I am still learning. 

Put no confidence in human effort. It can be hard to see the line between working hard to try to earn God’s favor or prove my worth and simply living a life dedicated to God, but, as I evaluate my motivations and allow the Holy Spirit to lead me in a life of worship, He will make my motivations more clear. He will show me if my confidence is in my own efforts, if I am trying to earn God’s favor by what I do. 

Here’s a test for your motivation: How do you feel as you are doing your work for God? Are you experiencing joy and a sense of connection with Him or do you feel pressured toward perfection and afraid of failing? It can be hard to stop and check your heart when you believe you are working for God, but it really is worth it. Here is a prayer I pray to help me with my motivation: “Lord, help me to do this with You, not just for You.” I want my service, including the way I handle my personal relationships, to be about connecting with Him and expressing love to Him. I don’t want my motivation to be trying to prove my value with hard work and perfect efforts anymore. 

What about you, Dear Friend? Have you been feeling discouraged lately? Do you feel like you are failing at the things that matter most, the things you do to please God? If you are, then you may need to ask yourself some hard questions, questions I have had to ask myself, too. 

Am I working hard to prove my own worth or am I living in the value Christ gave me when He took my place on the cross? 

Am I holding myself to a standard of perfection that is based on my own efforts and not the work of Christ? 

Am I living a life of worship truly led by the Spirit, or based on my own ideas of what pleases God? 

Where am I placing my confidence, in my productivity and results or in Christ?

Dear Friend, these are hard questions that you don’t need to consider alone. Really, you shouldn’t consider them alone. Prayerfully ponder them with the Holy Spirit, but also with a trusted confidant, maybe even a professional counselor. What I want most for you is for you to know that you are good enough for God right now regardless of the results of your efforts. Worship by the Spirit, rely on what Christ has done, put no confidence in your own efforts. In that you will find rest for your soul. You really are good enough for God. 

Key Thought:  Jesus did the most important work so that I can rest in Him.

A Scripture to Consider: “For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A YES Challenge: Take a look at your calendar and ask yourself why it is or isn’t full. Why do you do certain activities and not do others? What is your goal when it comes to service? Spend some time in prayer and commit your activities to the Lord. Determine to depend on His work rather than your own. 

Prayer: Lord, I really want to please You. I have tried hard to do what pleases You, but I feel like I am falling short. Help me to recognize where I might be relying on my own efforts instead of what Christ has done. Help me to truly be Spirit-led as I endeavor to live a life of worship. Help me to put my confidence in You and not the results of my own efforts. I need the rest that only You can give me. I want to live in Your love, knowing that I really am good enough for You, not because of what I do, but because of what You have done. Amen.