Do you ever do something because you feel like you have to? Or, feel guilty over something you didn’t do because you felt like you were supposed to? Or, because you think someone else thought you should have?
Things like–
- You didn’t contribute or volunteer for something that is a good cause?
- You didn’t go to a particular event or party?
- You didn’t sign up to bring anything for the class party, to the church pot luck, or to the person who just had a baby?
- You passed on participating in the fundraiser for your kid’s sport/activity?
Well, guess what? The Apostle Paul had some strong words for this.
Oh foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?… Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?… Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
Anything we base our standing on apart from the gospel of grace is law. And in any way we look to perfect ourselves according to our own work is slavery to the law. So in the context of the examples above if we live under guilt thinking we have to do certain things (or because we didn’t) we need to ask ourselves why.
– Are we looking to our performance as the basis of our worthiness?
– Do we feel better about ourselves if we do them?
– Who are we doing them for?
– Are we looking to them as sort of achievement salvation?
– Could it be we are doing good things for sinful reasons?
– Do we fear we will look bad or be judged if we don’t do them?
– Do we judge others because they didn’t perform in a way we thought they should?
Even subscribing to a theology of grace these are real struggles of mine. Maybe not so much to gain God’s favor, but the favor of man. I don’t want to disappointment people, have them judge me or think poorly of me. Even if they aren’t, I can conjure up a narrative in my mind that says they are. So the temptation is to do all the things.
As a pastor’s wife, a mom of three kids in various activities, a writer, and member of various boards/committees there is a lot that comes at me. And I’m sure for you too. But in doing so for these reasons I’m seeing how I’m trying to gain acceptance, and justify my existence according to what I do. Oh, the ways law-living subtly creeps back in and robs us of resting in Jesus’ finished work.
Living enslaved to others’ expectations and our own false saviors is exhausting. Doesn’t it sound freeing to untangle from the “having to do XYZ” mentality?
I thought I already had, and in some areas that’s true. But the more I pull at the string, like you would a tangled mess of Christmas lights, the more clearly I see my need again and again for Jesus to help me know his worth and work is enough. May we have the courage to keep tugging away and find freedom from the entanglement of law.
