Daily Delight

Lately, I’ve been sucked into stories about Peter. He’s the perfect example of wanting to be the best he can for Jesus, but his intentions get muddied with striving as he constantly tries to prove himself to Jesus.

Peter was the only disciple who walks on the water with Jesus (Matt. 14:28 NASB), he’s the first one to testify that Jesus is the Messiah (Matt. 16:16 NASB), and he is the guy gutsy enough to say that he would die for Him (John 13:37 NASB). I recognize Peter’s passion for the Lord and his bravery to follow Him completely, but I also see an underlying tone through it all. It’s like Peter is always asking, “Look how far I would go for you Jesus, are you proud yet?” And I think most of us echo that same line.

We’re constantly trying to earn God’s acceptance. We desperately want Him to pat us on the head and say, “Good job!"...so much so, that we reach for something in our own strength that He’s already given us in His grace. We’re already accepted! We don’t have to pray more, do more, or prove how devoted we are. Let’s stop taking good things and turning them into manipulations to get God’s approval like Peter. It’s great to do ‘good works’, but when we do them from a wrong motive we don’t reap the true reward.

Jesus is most concerned about being with us! When we busy ourselves by striving to produce for Him we miss the reward of just being in His presence. Peter was with Jesus, he was already good enough and already accepted, all there was to do was to rest in Jesus’ approval (Heb. 4: 9-10 NASB).

All of this has me wondering, what would the Christian life be like if we did good works from a place of acceptance and not from the insecurity that makes us try to prove ourselves? Instead of trying to gain the acceptance we already have we’d gain the exhilarating freedom that comes from co-laboring with God.

We’re already accepted, that’s where the Christian life starts. 

What more can we find in His heart for us as we rest in His approval? 

{photo: @byhannahrose}

About the Author

Sam Jones

@samanthanoellejones

≫ ≫ Sam is a woman with passion for first-love devotion to the Lord who uses creativity to express that devotion and draw others into the same manner of worship. She is fascinated with the God who desires relationship and union and writes openly about this grace. Sam lives in Alabama with her husband and is obsessed with her huge family, finding the perfect latte, and exploring new places.