Striving

[Pancho]

Howdy Worthy Family

How do I stop striving for God's love and approval?

I realise I can never earn anything from God and that everything I receive from God is Grace. Yet there's this 'thing' in me that is constantly working to get his approval via my performance. In the world that is how we're conditioned so it makes sense.

But believers are no longer in the world. So how do I quit striving; If I don't read my bible today or don't pray, how can I be approved of God? So I 'work' to do these things but it's a pressure rather than a joy.

Is this making sense to anyone... is it a faith issue?

I feel like I'm missing a big piece of the puzzle. I can't relax because I'm constantly worrying that what I'm doing isn't good enough.

Thanks for reading this far guys... any replies are gratefully appreciated.

Dwayne

[other one]

I find it kind of odd that you would think praying is a struggle. Maybe we are praying differently. My prayers are off and on all day long and are very seldom formal things. It's somethimes just a conversation during the normal daily things much like you'd have a good talk with your wife while you're doing "whatever".

As for reading the bible, it might depend on how many times you've read it. It seems to me that the more I read it when I was younger, the more of a relationship I developed with God. I will admit that after 25 or 30 times it does at times get rather boring, but about the time I think I've read it all, something new will pop up out of it and I get excited all over again.

did you know that at one time the Lord went out looking for Moses to kill him. Seems that Moses had failed to circumcise his own son. It it hadn't been for quick thinking by his wife, who knows how history would have changed.

Poncho, from my personal experiences, there seems to be something in your relationship with God that I haven't experienced. I wouldn't know what to tell you without some long talks, and we're about to leave for a trip.

So if no one else can give you some insight, I'll be back in a week or two and we might discuss it.

[Fez]

You are not alone in this Dwayne.

What we have to realize is that these feelings, and they can often be defined as a feeling of unworthiness, are a lie from the pit of hell.

We are worthy of His love and grace because He made it so.

But.

We have to learn what total surrender in Him is. When we keep a piece of ourselves for ourself, it is that part we try and feed. And it is insatiable. And all the enemy has to do is remind us that we are hungry from time to time. We are trying to feed our faith but we are feeding our failure. (no judgment brother, I suffer from the same feelings often).

And here on Worthy, I have seen it time and again, it is often the part of us that we feed, that we try and justify through scripture. Thats often what leads us down the wrong path, makes us argumentative, unwilling to listen to others opinions, and fail to admit we were mistaken when we actually were.

What is it about us that we want to keep some of ourselves for ourselves, and give what is comfortable to Jesus? I am not sure. Perhaps it is pride?

Amazing thing is, the moment we give our all to Jesus, these feelings fall away, and we simply just want to work for Him, knowing that it pleases Him, but that it means no more to our salvation than that, the joy of working for Him.

Thats when living under Grace really begins to have meaning.

Blessings

[nebula]

How do I stop striving for God's love and approval?

First, you have to believe the words of Scripture:

Romans 8

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Remember the old Sunday school song? "Jesus loves me when I'm good, when I do the things I should. Jesus loves me when I'm bad, though it makes Him very sad."

You see, God's love is not dependent upon our actions. God is love. He would have to un-nature Himself in order to stop loving you.

In other words, you can't strive for God's love, because He loves you already.

He is jealous for me

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy . . .

Oh howHe loves us! <<--Click on the link

I realise I can never earn anything from God and that everything I receive from God is Grace. Yet there's this 'thing' in me that is constantly working to get his approval via my performance. In the world that is how we're conditioned so it makes sense.

I have a question for you - do you love yourself?

I have a problem with this myself. I am learning that my "striving to please the Lord" is actually my striving to be something that makes me happy with who I am and what I do.

But believers are no longer in the world. So how do I quit striving; If I don't read my bible today or don't pray, how can I be approved of God? So I 'work' to do these things but it's a pressure rather than a joy.

We are in the world, but not of the world.

Sin and the pleasures of life are temptations that beset us all.

Reading the Bible and prayer is about your personal growth and developing your walk with the Lord. But again, you can't do these things to win God's love and approval - because His love and approval are already there.

Is this making sense to anyone... is it a faith issue?

I feel like I'm missing a big piece of the puzzle. I can't relax because I'm constantly worrying that what I'm doing isn't good enough.

Seeking God should be about responding to God's love, not about striving to achieve anything. That is the piece you are missing.

I speak as one who has been struggling with this as well. Ask the Father to reveal His love to you.

[Jos4]

Hi Dwayne, I experienced this for a long time and I think you're right, it is a faith issue to am extent. I was so worried about God not accepting me, and even though I knew all the right answers in my head it wasn't until I gave up and just started believing that he had done it all until I had a breakthrough. I know it's easy to say and if someone had explained it to me before I'm not sure I would have got it. He really has done it all for us through Jesus. The part in Galations is worth reading "you foolish Galations, who has bewitched you...".

You actually need to choose to believe that it's not up to us to do anything to gain his approval but believe. Try not to put the pressure on yourself because it won't work and turns it into a religion. Praying works best for me when it's just short conversations in my head whenever, not feeling pressure to have to pray all the right things all the time.

There are some great books on grace out there. I hope that you really do find his grace so you can be free

Edited October 26, 2010 by Jos4

[Rick-Parker]

If you follow Jesus, you already have God's love and approval. Jesus is where your focus should be. Satan can't fool you if you have the Holy Spirit within you and you listen to him.

[~Shalhevet~]

Howdy Worthy Family

How do I stop striving for God's love and approval?

I realise I can never earn anything from God and that everything I receive from God is Grace. Yet there's this 'thing' in me that is constantly working to get his approval via my performance. In the world that is how we're conditioned so it makes sense.

But believers are no longer in the world. So how do I quit striving; If I don't read my bible today or don't pray, how can I be approved of God? So I 'work' to do these things but it's a pressure rather than a joy.

Is this making sense to anyone... is it a faith issue?

I feel like I'm missing a big piece of the puzzle. I can't relax because I'm constantly worrying that what I'm doing isn't good enough.

Thanks for reading this far guys... any replies are gratefully appreciated.

Dwayne

I struggle with the exact same thing.