Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Many religions outside of Christianity teach that if you’re good enough—if you work hard and live well—you can earn a blessed eternity in one form or another. Some even go as far as to say you can achieve perfection here on earth. The idea is that our goodness is the key to ultimate greatness, either now or in the life to come.

I’ve been a follower of Jesus since March of 1986. But let me be honest—I’ve messed up a lot since then. It’s not like I wake up thinking, “Today I’m going to go out and sin!” Not at all. Most days, I wake up with good intentions, hoping to live in a way that honors God. But then life happens. The world hits back hard. Maybe I step in dog poop on the way to the car. That little delay makes me late to work. Then a coworker shows up in a bad mood, and I respond with frustration instead of grace. And just like that, another day of trying to be good ends in a reminder that I’m still deeply flawed.

For years, I tried so hard to be a “good person,” to follow all of God’s commands and live rightly. But what I’ve realized is this: I can’t do it. I’m not good enough. I am, at my core, a sinner. And the truth is—so are you. (You’re welcome for the uplifting news.)

But don’t stop reading yet. There’s hope, and it’s powerful. These words from Romans 3 have changed my life—and even now, they move me to tears:

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:22–24 (NLT)

God loves me—not because of anything I’ve done, but in spite of everything I’ve done. And the same is true for you. Jesus paid the penalty for all sin—past, present, and future. Anyone who puts their faith in Him, believing in His death on the cross and His resurrection, is forgiven. That’s the Good News. That’s Christianity. It’s not about us being good enough for God—it’s about God being gracious enough for us.

I still strive to live a good life. But now it’s not out of fear or obligation. It’s out of love and gratitude to my Savior. Of course, I want to please the One who gave His life for mine! He took the punishment I deserved.

And Romans 3 closes with this beautiful reminder:

“Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.” Romans 3:31 (NLT)

Lord, help me to be a good person and to remember Your love for me is not based on me being a good person.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises? 
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you? 
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.