For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9)

This is a message I have heard many times. More recently I have realized how often I struggle with accepting this message. So much of my life has been based upon performance, and I bet you can say the same. Everything is a competition-whether you're playing in the Super Bowl, singing a song or baking a cupcake. We love to see people achieve, and especially win. And our favorite winners are the ones we feel "earned it". We love us a Cinderella story. Hasn't everyone said of someone at least once, "He deserved that"? I'm not saying that performing well is a bad thing. The only time this becomes dangerous is when it begins to define how we see ourselves in light of who God is, and what Christ has done for us.

For as long as I can remember, the things I'm most proud of have been won or earned. Every year on dance team meant I had impressed someone at try-outs. Every academic award or A on my report card made my hard work worth it. In college, whenever someone asked, "What are you up to?" there was always a next step to talk about-grad school, an assistantship, things I was working towards and accolades I was earning along the way. I never tried to be a show-off, but I was happy to boast in my achievements along with everyone else, because I felt I'd earned them.

But what does that make of grace? It feels good to bask in your own glory when you've worked really hard and won. But God made us to glorify Him, and only Him. We could work the rest of our lives, and because of sin never be able to stand on our own merit. In the end, we are not saved by great works. We're saved by sacrifice, by Jesus humbling Himself to nothing.

So where does that leave us? Should we just stop trying to do well? Are all of our accomplishments meaningless? Going back to Ephesians, the next verse (10) says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." We're still called to be great, to work with purpose. But we have to know that nothing we do can make God love us. How amazing then that he does? Nothing you or I know, or earn, or win by our own performance can give us eternal life-only faith in Jesus, and even that is a gift from God.

My challenge and prayer for you is to think about who you are in Christ. You're not a statistic, or a grade, or a trophy. You have been bought with a price, the blood of Christ. Let that define you. Boast in that.

(Ashlyn Portero has been at City Church since 2009, and currently serves on staff as the Assistant to the Lead Pastor.) 

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