High-Performance Culture

We do love a trophy and a medal! We are a society of aspiring winners, if not always high achievers.

When can we learn to accept the truth that God's love for us is not based on our performance? This understanding runs counter to everything we absorb from our pull-ourselves-up-from-our-own-bootstraps-mindset in American culture. While many may give nominal assent to it, we find it difficult actually to alter our thinking and behavior in response to God's invitation to us. A bedrock belief upon which all other security is built is that God loves us and has redeemed our lives because God loves us -- not because we earned a spot on the list. Call it grace.

The truth of our identity transcends our imperfections and cannot be taken away from us, no matter our circumstances.

What we need as the basis of genuine security comes in this truth: we are accepted and loved! Even if that fundamental need was met imperfectly by others in your life, do not lose heart. We are not dependent at the core of our identity on our record of success or on our accumulated belongings.

Free yourself from this world's shackles to the performance-driven model for life. Let it go. Even if we lose all the stuff of this world, we will not have lost who we are, beloved child of God, beautiful to behold!