Freedom From Performance: You Don’t Have to Earn It
For most of my life, I lived with a scoreboard in my head. It was as if I was always being graded…constantly evaluated, compared, and measured. That mindset kept me striving for worth instead of resting in it. Life became less about living freely and faithfully and more about proving myself.
I first noticed it while serving in the military. Every promotion, every award, every medal felt like proof that I mattered. The problem was the feeling never lasted. The moment I checked one box, another appeared. I had to dig deeper, work harder, push further because the applause of yesterday didn’t carry into today.
On paper, I looked like I was winning. But inside, I was exhausted.
And the truth is, my choice to keep chasing performance didn’t just cost me energy it cost me my first marriage. I poured everything into work because that’s where I felt important, valued, and needed. At home, I felt unsure and insecure. Instead of leaning in, I ran toward the place where the scoreboard said I was enough. But eventually, the scoreboard demanded more than I could give, and it all came crashing down.
That’s the thing about performance: it promises life, but it only leaves you stuck or worse, broken.
The Gospel Tells a Different Story
Paul writes in Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
For me, that yoke was performance. For you, maybe it’s something else…achievements, perfection, people-pleasing, or proving you’re good enough. Whatever it is, Jesus says: You don’t have to carry that anymore.
Grace means God’s love and acceptance aren’t something you achieve they’re something you receive. And that changes everything.
Dallas Willard once said, “Grace is opposed to earning, not effort.” Earning says, “Work harder so you’ll be loved.” Effort says, “Because I’m already loved, I can live differently.”
That’s the difference. Following Jesus doesn’t mean coasting. It means living from love instead of for love with a strength that isn’t your own.
When my life fell apart, I thought God was done with me. I thought I’d failed too badly to recover. But grace didn’t just show up as an idea…it showed up in people. Not in judgment or shame, but in friends who reminded me of God’s love and walked with me through the mess.
Grace didn’t erase the pain or magically fix my mistakes. But it gave me something better: a new foundation. I didn’t have to earn back God’s approval. I didn’t have to achieve my way into worth. Through Jesus, I already had it.
And little by little, that truth began to rewire my heart. I could show up in relationships without pretending. I could admit weakness without fear of being disqualified. I could work hard…not to prove something, but because I was already secure in Christ.
That’s what freedom feels like.
So, let me ask you: What scoreboard have you been chasing? Where have you been trying to prove your worth?
Maybe, like me, it’s been your career. Maybe it’s the image you put online. Maybe it’s even the way you’ve treated faith…checking boxes, hoping God is impressed.
Here’s the invitation: You don’t have to keep running that race. Jesus already finished it for you.
Ephesians 2:8–9 says it this way: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Grace frees us from proving. But it also invites us into a new way of living one shaped by trust, surrender, and love. That’s effort rooted in freedom, not fear.
I don’t know where this lands for you, but maybe today is your chance to stop chasing the scoreboard and start stepping into grace.
If you’ve already put your faith in Jesus, remind yourself: you are free. Not free to coast, but free to live with purpose, not pressure.
And if you’re not sure what you believe yet, maybe ask yourself: What if the peace and freedom I’ve been searching for isn’t found in achieving more, but in receiving what Jesus already did for me?
Freedom isn’t about what you earn. It’s about who you belong to. And in Christ, you are already His.
If this encouraged you, check out more articles from our Flatirons Spiritual Formation Team for practical tools, encouragement, and ways to grow in your faith and leadership. Click here.