Impossible Standard

God loves those who fear Him. His love is not given because we earn it, and He doesn’t withhold it when we don’t measure up. He is not impressed by our skills or our strength. There is nothing we can do to gain an extra portion of His love. He’s not waiting for us to get better, and He’s not watching over us with disappointment, wondering why we can’t seem to figure everything out.

All God asks for is a heart that is devoted to Him. He wants us to put our hope in His unfailing love rather than offering Him the impressiveness of our abilities. He wants us to trust more in His mercy than in our success. We’ve missed the point when we try to clean ourselves up or behave a certain way because we think that means He’ll accept us. God is not swayed by our attempts to impress Him.

There is freedom to be found in understanding the greatness of God’s faithfulness. Trusting in Him allows you to let go of your idea of success and surrender to His purposes. You can loosen your grip on perfection and trust that His ways are higher than your own. You can relax, take a deep breath, and find a sense of belonging in His presence.

God’s steady love and unending grace are not meant to excuse incorrect behavior. Instead, they are meant to free you from striving to meet an impossible standard. There is absolutely no way for you to compare to His perfection. This is why you need Jesus. Through Christ, you are made perfect. Through Christ, you have freedom because you no longer have to uphold all the aspects of the law in order to gain access to God. No matter what your opinion is of yourself, Jesus’ sacrifice is what makes you worthy.

This plan contains devotions from Hearing Jesusby Rachael Groll.