Today, I ate chips and guac for breakfast.
Am I having a nervous breakdown or mid-life crisis?
Nope. This is a picture of my freedom!
For so much of my 20’s and 30’s, I lived by an EXHAUSTING list of rules that I thought would help me be happy, healthy and a good Christian.
I had rules about breakfast foods, how the groceries should be unloaded at checkout or how the laundry should be sorted. I lived by religious rules like avoid the three M’s: malt liquor, booty-shaking music and most movies.
Rather than freedom, those rules only increased fear in my life. What happened if I accidentally broke a rule? Would I mess up my life, my kids’ lived or would God punish me?
Freedom came into my life once I realized this powerful principle:
God’s faithfulness to me is based on His promises not my performance.
Once I began living from that truth, I stopped believing that I had to perform a certain way in order to gain God’s protection, favor or blessing.
Rather than performance, I could praise God – meaning, give thanks to Him for power, protection and provision.
This is what this precious gift of freedom looks like for me:
In my daily life, I listen for God’s voice of guidance with confidence that He will help me.
When I mess up, I turn back to God for restoration instead of running from God out of guilt.
As I navigate hard times, I trust that God is with me and for me, even if I’m having a bad day.
Here is today’s truth for you: God’s faithfulness to you is based on His promises and not your performance.
You don’t have to earn God’s love.
You can mess up God’s love.
Take a deep breath and exhale out your fears!
If you long for this type of freedom, check out my newest Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ Bible study so that you can let go of religious rules and discover freedom in Christ!