Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 'Philippians 3: 8-9

If you have ever seen the musical My Fair Lady you might identify with Eliza Doolittle. In defense of herself  in her uncertainty and confusion as Professor Higgins begins concocting his plan to take the flower girl and turn her into a lady, she declares in her low-brow Cockney accent, “I’m a good girl, I am!” She isn’t sure what he is proposing, so she makes it clear that she isn’t going to compromise her understanding of what is good morality to participate in whatever he is planning. Being a good girl was a part of her identity that she wasn’t willing to give up for a more refined way of speaking. 

As a young woman, my inner being would often be declaring, “I’m a good girl, I am!” Being a good girl was a part of my identity that I wasn’t willing to compromise. I had attended religious education classes in my denomination. I believed that there was a God and I had an deep desire to avoid getting in trouble. I didn’t like getting yelled at! So, being a “good girl” wasn’t about loving God or loving what is good. It was about avoiding conflict with authority figures,  like my parents or school officials, or God. Being a good girl meant that I could fly under the radar and basically do what pleased me as long as it didn’t get me in trouble. I did have convictions about what was wrong, but they weren’t solid because they weren’t built on a foundation that was solid. My idea of what was right and wrong was shaped by my religious education, but really built on my own desire to protect myself from shame. My foundation for righteousness was built on ME.

When I came to Christ, He began to reshape my idea of what it means to be a “good girl”. He began to renovate my motivation toward righteousness. I started out trying to avoid conflict with God. Yes, I wanted to please Him, but internally the fear of being shamed was still unknowingly my primary motivation. I tried very hard to do the right thing and to spiritually declare, “I’m a good girl, I am!” But God’s desire for me was,  and is, to be more than a “good girl.” He wants me to know that I am a loved girl, and to rest from striving to be good. He wants me to know that what Jesus did was enough to make me good enough for the God who is abundantly more than enough. 

So, how do I learn to rest in His righteousness? 

Don’t rely on the rule book. It’s not about rules.  Being righteous my own way depends on keeping rules. Even now, I am most insecure when I am not sure of what the rules are. Trying to be a good girl was rooted in rule-keeping. If I don’t know what the rules are, then I don’t know what my goal is. I don’t know how to stay out of trouble! As a young believer, I tried to learn all of God’s rules so that I could keep them, but I’ve learned that resting in His righteousness is not about that. And, on the flip-side, knowing the rules and working hard to keep them is an exercise in futility. Resting in His righteousness is not about that either. What the Jewish people learned in hundreds of years of trying to keep the law perfectly is that it is impossible. That’s the whole reason that Jesus came, to fulfill the law in a way that imperfect people cannot. People like me, and you. 

Rely on His power. Let’s establish that God’s commands are good (…) But God’s standards are not attainable without God’s empowerment.  Every one of us fails to keep them. (Romans 3:23)You and I need power from outside of ourselves in order to meet God’s standards. God goal for us in living righteously is that we would rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. (…)The Holy Spirit is GOD Himself alive and at work within you and me. How amazing! Becoming one with Jesus means that I rely on Him at all times and in all situations. That is the goal. Yeah, it’s easier said than done. 

So, I know that is not easy. Maybe the victory begins simply by acknowledging that I can’t do it without Him. I often find myself praying, “Lord, apart from You I can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Simply coming back to that helps me to make room for His empowering. It takes the pressure off of me and helps me to lean toward relying on Him. 

Resting in Him means I trust Christ in me to live righteously. In the years since I first committed myself to Him, God has helped me to learn that my ultimate goal is not to keep all the rules, but to grow in my relationship with Him and allow His Holy Spirit to fill and guide me through my days. On a really good day, I get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit lead me in my decisions and in my interactions with people. On those good days, it’s His righteousness that shines through.  God’s way of making me righteous is by depending on what He has done. This is the hardest thing for you and I to accept. There are no boxes to check. Just receiving Him and letting Him live through us. 

Resting in His righteousness sets me free from feeling like I have to defend myself and declare, “ I’m a good girl, I am!” Resting in His righteousness means I know that I am not good and never could be good enough. Resting in His reighteousness means that I rely on what Christ has done. 

Key Thought: What Jesus did is enough to make me good enough for the God who is abundantly more than enough.

A Scripture to Consider: I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 'Philippians 3: 9

A YES Challenge: Ask God to reveal your motivation in rule-keeping. Are you trying to avoid shame or are you truly acting out of love for God’s good? 

Prayer: Father , forgive me for all the ways that I rely on my own righteousness. Help me to rest in what Christ has done for me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Do you work in and through me. Amen.