“He is not moody or capricious. He knows no seasons of change. He has a single relentless stance towards us: He loves us. But of course, this is to almost too incredible for us to accept.” BRENNAN MANNING
The path towards a performance-driven faith begins with a focus on self; namely, what you have done or are doing. And where there is a focus on self, well, we will MISS seeing and savoring what God has done… what God is doing.
Maybe you can relate with this, but I find it far too easy to focus on myself. Meaning, it’s super easy to look back on past ‘spiritual’ accomplishments or current impressive ‘spiritual’ rhythms and be impressed with myself. Likewise, it’s also super easy to focus on past and/or present sinful and selfish habits and grow overly discouraged and disheartened.
IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU.
I typed that for myself, not for you because when I was lost in the world of a performance-driven faith, I needed that reminder often… like daily.
As one who battled a performance-driven faith for a better part of my walk with God, I’ve wrestled quite a bit with the question of… ‘WHY?’ Meaning, why is it easier to focus on myself (the perceived good or the blatant bad) rather than focus on God and ALL He has done and is doing?
EARN IT!
Anything good coming from God for me, well, I wanted to feel like I earned it… like I deserved it. In other words, the good that God bestowed on me was less about God and more about me being rewarded for my spiritual performance. And when sin and selfishness reared its ugly head (which was and is often), I thoroughly beat myself up long enough so that when it came time to 'receive’ God’s forgiveness, well, I earned that too because of how downtrodden I was in light of my sin.
IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU.
I know, I know, I already said that, but again, I’m saying it to myself because I need that reminder frequently. The beauty of the Ragamuffin Gospel is that we have been set free from focusing on ourselves because there is something better… SOMEONE more beautiful to be focused on.
As mentioned above by Mr. Brennan Manning, God has one relentless unchanging posture towards you: HE LOVES YOU! Nothing you or I will ever do will change that. In other words, our performance, whether good or bad will NEVER change God’s posture towards us.
And herein lies the GLORIOUS NEWS of the Ragamuffin Gospel - God’s unchanging posture towards us will 100% change us. His Gospel (good news) will transform us from no longer focusing on self to becoming men and women who can’t stop thinking about how AMAZING our God is.
