I learned growing up in a legalistic church that my eternal destiny was determined to a large extent by my performance. I had to be good. I had to do my part. The performance message was reinforced all around me in church and in life.

If you eat your vegetables you can have dessert.
If you are good you get toys at Christmas.
If you get all A’s you will get a monetary reward.
If you behave your parents will be proud of you.

So I learned to perform to get rewards and affirmation. Performance addiction is easy in legalism because you always have someone willing (and extremely happy) to challenge how well you are doing and where you can improve. So I performed. I tried hard. Then harder. Like most performance addicts I got tired and sad and desperate. I was on the verge of accepting that this journey with Jesus is a lot of begrudging compliance. The supposed joy that I was promised was hard to find. Then something hit my heart and mind.

Grace.

I heard a message that I had probably heard before but my heart was prepared this time for the seed of freedom to flourish.

Grace.

I finally realized there is nothing I can personally do to improve my eternal odds. The work of Jesus on the Cross is finished. I am forgiven. The Biblical texts on forgiveness are past tense.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32, NLT

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. Colossians 2:13

I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. 1 John 2:12

Jesus died for past, present and future sins. I used to agonize over unconfessed sin. What if I forgot something? What if I was unaware of some sin? What if I died with unresolved sin? I made it so hard when all along the eternally patient voice of Jesus was saying relax.
“It is finished.”
“My work on the Cross is complete and forever.”
“You are forgiven once and for all.”

I contribute nothing to that except my need for a Savior because of my sin.

The uniqueness of grace for a follower of Christ is that God already knows everything about me (and you) and He loves us exactly the same on our best or worst day. Don’t rush past that truth for Christians.

Read it again.

God knows everything about you, and He loves you exactly the same on your best or worst day.

I don’t have to fight a battle that has already been won. I can relax in the finished work of Christ.

The answer to performance addiction can be found in two simple words.

Jesus. Grace.

Two more words come to mind every time I think of that gift.

Praise God!

When I realize all that I was given when I trusted Jesus as my Savior my entire attitude about serving Him changed. Remember that begrudging obligation I mentioned earlier? Now I serve Jesus out of profound gratitude. God will accomplish His plan on this earth whether I am willing or unwilling to serve Him. But what a joy it is to acknowledge the love and grace of God by willingly seeking to be a part of His plan. That approach to glorify God because of what Jesus did for you completely changes your motivation in the most wonderful way. I don’t have to work my way into His favor like I used to believe. I am already there because of Jesus.

God loves me. I am His child forever. He sent His Son to save me. He gifted me with the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort me. I am actually righteous in the Father’s eyes because of Jesus. Are you telling me those truths don’t change your motivation to want to perform for Jesus? That recognition changed my world completely. Now I want to perform for Him out of love for the eternal hope I now possess.