Last week, I met a young new mum.

She shared that she was feeling off-track in her walk with God because she wasn’t able to read the Bible for one hour a day like she used to.

This led to feelings of guilt, unworthiness, and the sense that God had pulled back from her because she was no longer "meeting the standards."

The first question I asked her was: "Who set up the track?"

In other words: who set up these apparent standards that you feel you must meet to stay on track with God?

She looked at me with wide eyes.

Here’s what I explained to her, and it might resonate with some of you as well…

Many times, we create a list of behaviors or routines that we believe are necessary to determine our position with God.

When we’re checking off that list, we feel on-track.

But the moment we're not, we feel off-track and invite negative emotions like guilt, unworthiness, and the fear that God has distanced Himself from us.

But none of that is true.

It has never been about our performance or our works. It has always been about His perfect performance and His finished work.

The routines, structures, and ways we relate to God can serve us well in one season, but if we’re not careful, they can become the very things that condemn us in the next.

Routines, structures, and tools are valuable, but they should never replace simple and intimate fellowship with Him.

So I told her:

“Relax, it’s okay. Give yourself some grace. You’re in a new season, and God can meet you right where you are, regardless of what it looks like right now.”

“Maybe you can’t read your Bible like you did last season. But as you care for your baby, God is right there with you, delighting in your new journey. And even if you only get a minute of reading, God can speak to you in that minute because He’s not limited by what we do or don’t do.”

"It’s not about your performance but His. And you get to rest, enjoy, and flow in that."

She burst into tears, and you could visibly see the weight of self-imposed religion fall off her.

It was a beautiful moment.

The feelings of guilt, distance from God, and being off track come from our own religious thinking. That’s what was condemning this young new mum: self-imposed religion, not God. God has never pulled away from us – He’s the one who reached out to us in the first place (Rom 5:8).

Maintaining a right standing with God doesn’t depend on our goodness or performance. It’s about His goodness and His perfect performance. We simply get to respond, receive, and enjoy it by believing.

This is the power of the simple Gospel that transforms any of us.

So relax, rest in His grace, trust in His perfect work, and you’ll find it easier to flow with Him in every season.

Questions for reflection:

1. What standards, routines, or structures worked well for me in the last season but are no longer serving me in this season? It's time for change.

2. Am I unnecessarily condemning myself due to self-imposed religion, and do I need to give myself more grace?

3. What helps me to be more aware of God’s unconditional love for me? (eg, being in nature, singing, being with family/friends, etc) Go and enjoy that with Him.

He's with you, always.

Bless you,

Lee