Let’s be honest about something we usually only whisper: Trying to be a “good Christian” is probably the very thing keeping you from actually knowing Jesus.
The Sunday Afternoon Crash
We’ve all been there. You sit through the service, you nod at the right parts of the sermon, and you drive home feeling like a total fraud. You’ve spent years “behavior-modifying” yourself until you look the part. You look “biblical” to your small group. You look “godly” on Instagram.
But behind closed doors? You’re hitting a wall of bone-deep exhaustion.
You’re wondering why the “yoke” Jesus promised was easy feels like a 50-pound lead weight dragging you toward a breakdown. The truth is, we’ve traded a messy, life-giving relationship for the sterile safety of religious performance. We’ve turned the Bible into a self-improvement checklist instead of a mirror of grace.
If you’re sick of the “try harder” cycle, you aren’t backsliding. You’re finally waking up to the fact that the performance was never real to begin with.
You Can’t Fix What’s Already Been Replaced
Most of our spiritual burnout comes from a massive identity crisis. We treat our faith like a fixer-upper house. We think if we just slap on a fresh coat of paint and fix the porch, God might finally want to move in.
But the Gospel isn’t a renovation project. It’s a replacement.
Scripture says we didn’t just get a “tune-up”. We died with Christ and were raised as something entirely new. The end of “you” is the beginning of Him.
The Night Everything Changed for MeWhen I first met Jesus, everything changed. I wasn’t just “cleaned up”; I was made new. God delivered me from a cycle of sexual addiction that had dominated my life. I went from seeking validation through sex multiple times a day to finding total peace in Christ.
People often ask, “How did you just stop?” The answer isn’t willpower. It’s because God changed the way I saw myself.
For years, I believed God had written me off. I never imagined He had a purpose for me, or that He had been pursuing me all along. This is the scandal of grace: He knew every wrong choice I would ever make, yet He still chose the cross to ensure I could know Him. When that kind of love hits you, your “likes” start to change. I’d honestly rather spend an evening studying the Word or getting lost in a good book than going back to the chaos of my past. It’s not that I’m “boring” now, it’s that I’m finally free.
The Plastic Religion Problem
We’re living in a weird time. There’s a lot of “religion” out there, but not a lot of power. You see it in the way we treat each other online, slandering people from behind a screen while our own lives are falling apart.
You see the symptoms of this “dead religion” everywhere:
- The “Cancel” Reflex: We block and polarize instead of forgiving.
- The Sunday Mask: Hiding our struggles behind a fake smile because we’re scared of being “found out.”
- The Pride Pivot: Calling our judgment “discernment” so we can feel superior.
That performance is a heavy mask. It’s a full-time job that pays zero peace. Jesus didn’t come for the people who have it all figured out. He came for the burnt-out believers who are ready to admit they’re done trying.
Stop Being Haunted by Your Own Graveyard
Shame is what keeps the religious treadmill running. We think, “If they knew the real me, they’d walk away.” We let our past act as a ceiling on how close we get to God.
But here’s the paradox: You have to lose your “goodness” to find His grace.
If you’re still trying to earn your way into His favor, your past will always haunt you. But when you’re in Christ, your past isn’t a definition. It’s a graveyard. You aren’t a “recovering addict” walking on eggshells. You’re a beloved child who is exactly where you need to be for a fresh start.
Relationship vs. Performance
Does holiness matter? Of course. But holiness isn’t the price of God’s love; it’s the result of it.
This journey is not easy. Good relationships take effort. You have to show up. You have to choose Him over the noise. But it’s the effort of “tending to a fire,” not “paying off a debt.” We don’t change so He’ll love us. We change because His love is better than anything else we’ve ever tasted.
The Bottom Line: The “good Christian” life is a treadmill. The Jesus life is a seat at the table.
One Small Step Today: Sit in silence for three minutes. Don’t try to pray a “holy” prayer. Just be real. Tell Him, “I’m tired of performing.” Ask Him to show you what it looks like to just be His child today.
If this hit home, don’t ignore it. That’s the Spirit starting something new in you.
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