God's Standards...

No Condemnation (John 3:17)

We often go through the day feeling as if someone is looking over our shoulder ready to judge our actions. My husband probably wonders why I bought that dress . . . My boss is thinking I’m taking too long with that project . . . The elders don’t understand why I can’t take on that committee . . . This isn’t how Mom would have done it . . . And perhaps the voice we hear the most is our own: Why aren’t you good enough?

Even if others praise us, the pressure we put on ourselves can drown out the latest acclaim. We put pressure on ourselves to do more—and do it better and quicker. How could God be pleased with us, we wonder, when we feel so weak?

Listen to the words in this chapter of John’s Gospel. God wants a relationship with us—not to condemn us, but to free us. He offers redemption through Jesus—not because we have done something to deserve it, but because he loves us.

Though we may read those words again and again, they can be hard to believe. But try to wrap your brain around this truth: God does not condemn you. None of the pressure you feel throughout the day is from God. In truth, you may be trying to please others or achieve your own goals more than you are trying to please God. You may feel guilty because you keep changing the standard.

Richard Foster writes, “The less we are manipulated by the expectations of others, the more we are open to the expectations of God.” Yes, we are weak. Yes, we often fail to meet our own expectations. But what does God expect of us today? To believe in his Son who set us free from sin. To believe that he is stronger than our doubts, fears, pride and ambition. To believe that he does not condemn us for who we were before we met his Son. To discover who we are in the light of his love, freedom and grace.

We may not feel "qualified" but...our God qualifies the called..."