Are We Trying to Hard to be Holy and Godly?

Is it possible for people to try to hard to be holy and Godly? People say it is hard being a believer but it’s worth working at. Folks the Christian life is impossible to live by working hard to attain it and we can never work hard enough to be Godly!

I know that probably goes against what has been taught to us in the religious realm. Relationship with the Living God cannot be earned by human effort, even extensive human effort. And sometimes our trying harder to make it happen, distances us further from it. Religion never tires of telling us to try harder and giving us an increasing array of tasks to 'help' us find God.

Our self-effort still focuses on meism, and we end up missing Jesus, who is right there longing  to lead us into relationship with His loving Father. This is something He does at our invitation, not something we can do by our diligence in keeping regulatory rules and regulations of the established religions.

There are many leaders who have entered the ministry with an honest heart. But, after years of Bible study, prayer, teaching, preaching and local congregational leadership, trying to do whatever they knew to please God, became frustrated and disillusioned at how fruitless it had been.

Folks the “believers walk” is about learning to live in Father's affection and love, rather than trying to earn it. We need to relax in our walk with Jesus, give up trying to control it and simply let Jesus take us on the journey of our lives. I know that is easier said than done. Religion has taught us that our relationship with God depends on our diligence, our commitment and our effort. It robs us of true relationship while piling on obligations that wear us out because the religious life is based on performance in that we must produce the things that Jesus wants to see in us.

All the things people do that are considered spiritual (more religious, actually) needs to be overhauled into a new dynamic. Our days ought to be filled more with fellowship with Him and people, and that the things we do to get close to Him need to be woven into our relationship as we live as the His “Church” each day. 

The problem with religion is that we have viewed the Scripture from the perspective of performance, “must do” , “must make happen” , “must go to Sunday service”, “must go to mid-week service”, “ must pray, “must witness”, must love”, “must do what the preacher asks”, etc. Folks, the Bible is more dynamic when viewed from the perspective of discovery of who Jesus is and who we are and all God has for us and intends to work in us but only in the context His of relationship with us as He works through us.

As believers we need to experience our sense sonship with our Father who lives in us, instead of viewing Him as the big boss in the sky who keeps a scorecard as to how well we perform religious duties.!