By: Rebecca Feere
“If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
Do you ever feel like your life is one long performance? You work hard to measure up, to be enough, to please others—and yet at the end of the day, that same old thought creeps in: I still don’t measure up.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of working for love—believing that our value depends on how flawlessly we perform, how much we achieve, or how well we maintain an image of having it all together. This mindset can quietly shape our thoughts and behaviours in powerful ways. Negative thoughts like ‘I’m not enough’ or ‘God must be disappointed in me’ can fuel anxiety, perfectionism, and even destructive habits.
When we live to please people, we are believing the lie that we must earn love and approval. We strive for perfection because we fear falling behind. We work harder, do more, try to appear stronger—all the while ignoring the truth: we are already loved, already chosen, already accepted.
The Bible calls this kind of performance-driven living slavery. Paul writes in Galatians 3:23 that before faith came, “we were held captive under the law.” And again, in Galatians 4:3, “we were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.”
When we live for love—trying to earn God’s approval or others’ acceptance—we place ourselves under a heavy burden. We chase perfection and are crushed by fear and comparison. Our peace depends on our performance, and our joy rises and falls with our success or failure.
If we succeed, we become prideful. If we fail, we spiral into shame.
This is not the abundant life Jesus died to give us.
From Slavery to Freedom
Through Jesus’ finished work on the cross, everything changes. We are no longer slaves—we are daughters and sons of God. We are redeemed, accepted, chosen, and deeply loved.
Paul reminds us in Galatians 4:5: “God sent His Son to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons [and daughters].”
To live from love means to start each day knowing we are already secure in and because of the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. We are not working to earn God’s love; we are working from His love. Because of Jesus, we are fully and forever loved!
When we rest in the truth of who God says we are, our lives begin to look different.
- Our motivation shifts from fear to love (2 Corinthians 5:14).
- Our hearts find peace and joy in the Lord (Nehemiah 8:10; Philippians 4:6-7).
- We experience freedom from condemnation (Romans 8:1).
- Our security is rooted in a God who never changes (Hebrews 13:8).
- Our comparisons fade, because grace levels the playing field (Romans 3:23–24).
Instead of constantly evaluating ourselves against an invisible, ever-changing standard, we begin to live with humble confidence. We can, by the power of the Spirit, work hard, serve faithfully, and pursue excellence—not to earn approval or applause, but because we are loved.
Knowing God Deeply Changes Everything
The more deeply we know God—not just facts about Him, but His heart and character—the more our souls find rest. The Psalmist writes, “Those who know Your name put their trust in You” (Psalm 9:10). This truth is echoed again in Daniel. “But the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action” (Daniel 11:32b).
This kind of knowing is relational, not academic. It grows as we spend time in His Word, talk to Him in prayer, and walk in community with other believers. Over time, His truth begins to replace the lies that fueled our performance-based behaviours. His love silences our shame. His faithfulness steadies our fears (Psalm 91:4).
We begin to say with quiet confidence:
Because “the Lord is my Shepherd, I have all that I need” (Psalm 23:1 CSB). Therefore, I have nothing to hide. Nothing to lose. Nothing to prove.
That is the freedom of living from love.
When we stumble, we no longer isolate in shame. We confess and turn back to Jesus, trusting that His grace is sufficient. We no longer carry the crushing weight of performing to be accepted—we rest in the finished work of the cross and let the Holy Spirit transform our hearts.
Standing Firm in Truth
This kind of freedom doesn’t grow overnight. It’s cultivated in daily, small decisions: choosing to open Scripture when you feel unworthy, choosing to pray instead of compare, choosing to speak truth to yourself when lies whisper loud.
And it’s sustained in community—with sisters and brothers in Christ who remind us of what’s true when we forget.
In a world chasing surface-level fixes—beauty, success, control—our peace and identity are found in something far deeper: the unchanging truth of Jesus Christ.
Central family, God has placed us right here—in this time in history and in this geographical location, to stand firm in His truth, to live as men and women who are free—free to love, free to serve, free to rest in Him.
Because as Jesus said,
“If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
