The clock read 7:30 a.m., and I was already behind. I raced around my house—re-washing a load of sour towels, worrying about the e-mails pinging my inbox, and urging my kids to hurry up because we were late.
I glanced at my unopened Bible on my nightstand, another reminder of how I was falling short. Time with God felt less like a sacred rhythm and more like a test I was constantly failing.
I promised myself (and God) I would get to my quiet time later.
Deep down, though, I knew I would be swept away with meal prep, work deadlines, and sibling squabbles. That night, I would fall into bed, once again feeling like I had failed God, once again wondering how God could love and accept someone so inconsistent, so imperfect.
Spiritual Disciplines: Pressure to Perform vs. Rhythms of Grace
For years, my spiritual life felt like one big to-do list—go to church, complete my Bible reading plan, share my faith, etc. If I didn’t check every box perfectly, I worried God would be disappointed in me. I imagined the Lord sitting on His throne in the heavenly clouds with a clipboard, grading my performance for Him.
When culture tells us our value is found in what we do, we wrongly assume God’s love works the same way. Even Christians who believe we’re saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) can still live as if God’s goodness depends on our good performance. We’re tempted to measure our spiritual worth by our prayer lives, ministry impact, or personal holiness.
It’s no wonder the spiritual rhythms intended to give us rest can become another burden for us to carry.
But when we slow down long enough to notice what’s happening inside our hearts, we begin to see that much of our exhaustion comes not from the practices themselves but from the pressure we attach to them. We turn spiritual disciplines into spiritual performance.
God isn’t scanning our lives for perfection—He’s drawing near to us with compassion.
We Can Rest in Christ’s Righteous Work for Us
Jesus never intended for us to carry the burden of quiet times, family discipleship, and church service on our own. He knew we could never fulfill God’s righteous standards in our finite strength and merit. Therefore, He left the glories of Heaven to live the perfect life we couldn’t live and die the death we deserved.
He came to bear the burden for us and with us.
Instead of constantly striving to prove our worth, Jesus invites us to rest in His perfect work on our behalf: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28–30).
There’s nothing we must do to make God love us any more, and there’s nothing we could do to make Him love us any less. We can rest in the security of Christ’s righteousness, which He freely gives us through His perfect sacrifice.
We Can Live Out Christ’s Righteous Work in Us
When we read Jesus’ words in Matthew 11, we can miss how Jesus doesn’t remove the yoke entirely. He doesn’t beckon us to come to Him and throw off pursuing holiness and spiritual growth altogether.
Instead, Jesus gives us a new yoke.
Rather than calling us to strive harder, He invites us into a new way of living where He bears the weight with us.
Paul tells us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12–13, emphasis added).
Christ invites us to spend time with Him, grow in holiness, and serve those around us. But we don’t have to do it out of our failing willpower or feeble self-discipline. Instead, we can rest in the Holy Spirit’s powerful work within us. Just as we can restin Christ’s righteous work on our behalf, we can also live out the righteous work He’s doing inside of us through His Spirit.
We Can Rest in Rhythms of Grace
On those chaotic mornings when nothing goes as planned and “quiet time” is anything but quiet, Jesus invites me to lay down my guilt and confess my need for Him. I don’t have to be ashamed because I’m already secure in Christ.
Freed from striving, I can now approach spiritual growth with joy.
I practice rhythms of grace—prayer, meditation, silence, etc.—out of delight in God’s love, not fear of failing Him.
These spiritual disciplines don’t have to be another addition to an already overloaded day. Instead of draining us, they can nourish and renew us as we abide in Christ, remembering that apart from Him we can do nothing (Jn 15:5).
Reading God’s Word isn’t a litmus test for being a good Christian; it’s an opportunity to set our minds on Christ in a world full of lies.
Prayer isn’t an elaborate performance we must perfect; it’s an invitation to allow the Spirit to breathe His strength into every moment of our day.
Time with God’s people isn’t a burden on our schedule; it’s the chance to share our burden with brothers and sisters in Christ.
The rhythms of grace God offers to us in Scripture aren’t a checklist to see whether we’re perfect, but an invitation to rest in His perfect love and faithfulness.
Whether you begin your day with a full hour of deep study or just a few whispered breath prayers, you can rest in Christ because nothing, even your performance, can separate you from His love (Rom 8:38–39).
If your spiritual life feels more like a performance than a relationship, Jesus invites you to stop striving and start resting—in His work for you and in His Spirit at work within you.
Because God desires transformed hearts, not completed checklists.
Bethany Broderick
Bethany Broderick encourages women to embrace gospel truth in the everyday moments of life. She’s the author of Perfected: Trading Shame and Striving for Wholeness in Christ and shares regularly through speaking and writing. Bethany lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband and their three young children. You can connect with her on Instagram (@bethanygbroderick) and at bethanybroderick.com.
