Resting From The Performance Trap

I was talking with my neighbor the other day and she said her kindergarten son is just beginning to experience the love/hate relationship with learning. He puts immense pressure on himself to get schoolwork right, breaking down in tears yesterday because he couldn't remember how to spell a word. I spoke with him about giving himself grace and understanding that his performance at school has no bearing on how loved or intelligent he is. It's shocking how quickly the performance lie takes root in a child.There seems to be something innate in us humans that makes us think we must perform for those around us, and for God. We feel we must clean up and act right, especially with God, convinced He won't love us if we mess up. This often starts with our parents - some tie love to performance, driving their kids relentlessly, while others withhold love altogether, causing kids to assume perfection will earn them affection. We strive endlessly to perform, entertain, impress, or outdo others so they'll view us with love and acceptance. But the trick is, you have to do it all over again the next day - it's not a lasting acceptance. And we transfer all of this to God, assuming we must jump through hoops for Him too. All that performing is utterly exhausting.But this mindset is rooted in a lie. Scripture clearly teaches we cannot earn salvation. I will never work hard enough or perform well enough to deserve Jesus dying for me. In fact, Romans 5:8 says that while we were sinners (doing nothing right or holy), He still sent Jesus to die for us. That's crazy love! Yet after accepting this gift of Jesus' life, we turn right back to trying to keep God happy again.Organized religion has definitely contributed to this mess. Look at the religious people of Jesus' day - they just kept piling on more and more responsibilities for the people. Everything was about what I did for God and how I fixed my wrongs by trying to placate Him. I've been so stuck in this performance trap that I worked myself to the point of illness, exhaustion, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts because I thought there was a standard I had to reach but could never quite get there. I was never enough, no matter how hard I worked.But the Bible doesn't teach this performance! Jesus likens our relationship with Him to a branch on the Vine. A branch doesn't strain and strive - it rests in the Vine and the Vine's life flows through it to produce fruit. A branch's job is to stay put and let the Vine be all that it is.That doesn't mean we do nothing. It means our source for doing is a Source much bigger than our own willpower or guilt. It means that as I remain in Jesus, the natural outflow of His Life will be good things.So, no more performing today. It doesn't bring the desired result. Instead, be a branch. Rest. Remain. Bear fruit. Breathe a little and let the performance go. It doesn't define you before God, and it doesn't make you loved.