By Paul Goeke

There are some places and times in which we have to prove ourselves: job interviews, try-outs, etc.  This is just reality.  But guess what, that’s where it stops.  No more of this proving yourself mess.

Somewhere along the line, we have been taught that we need to prove how smart, good-looking, deep, capable, open-minded, progressive, tough, nice, successful, humble, wealthy, and needed we are.  We have been taught that we have to do this with everybody – friends, family, and even God.   Well…it stops here.  No more.  Not here.

I thank God that The Well is a community where we don’t have to do that stuff.  I am so thankful that people who are wildly different from the people next to them, people who have some good stuff and some messed up stuff in their lives, normal people – I am so glad that they can come to a place and not feel like they have something to prove or something to hide. 

Take a rest.  You don’t have to “be on your game” any more.  You don’t have to impress people.  You don’t have to prove yourself any more – not here at least.  You don’t have to prove yourself to your friends here and you certainly don’t have to impress or prove yourself to God.

Religion makes you do that stuff, Jesus doesn’t.  Religion says, “Prove yourself good enough.”  Religion says, “Get your crap together and then you can maybe come in.”  Religion says, “Offer something really noble and righteous and then you can start climbing the spiritual ladder.”  Religion says, “Offer your Sunday best.”  Guess what – Jesus says, “Offer your life’s worst.”  Jesus says, “Don’t try to climb to me, I’ll come to you.”  Jesus says, “Before you even think about proving yourself to me, let me prove myself to you.”

If you had to prove yourself to Jesus, it would have been absolutely pointless for him to die for you.  He died so that you don’t have to prove yourself any more.  Whether you’re a follower of Jesus or someone just “peeking over the fence” into this whole Jesus thing, I say the same thing to you:  You’re not on a job interview with Jesus – you don’t have to prove yourself, sell yourself, or make yourself sound impressive. 

Forget the religious stuff that says, “Prove yourself and God will tolerate you.”  The true message is this:  Be honest about your brokenness, your flaws, your sin...God won’t just tolerate you, He will embrace you.  He will love you.  He will delight in you. He will sing over you.