Performance

You Are Worth It.

/ Jana / 1 Comment

I know you know this. But, I am saying it again. As long as you are trying to “do” something to get your worth, you will be miserable, exhausted, disappointed.  And worse, you will be demanding. Demanding on you and the people in your life.

You know why? Because you demand that they “do” for you to make you happy, pleased, satisfied. Performance is really a subtle form of pride, because the lie is you somehow “add” to your status by your own works.

Worth is a fact. No, better, worth is a truth. Fact is something we humans have figured out through science or study. Truth is divine. It is originates in heaven and smells of heaven. Truth is a person.

So when you talk about “your worth,” what you actually need is for Truth (Jesus) to make known what He values. Your response? Faith to believe what He says.

You cannot have worth apart from Christ. Can a clay pot, or field, or piece of gold, have any value apart from the shaper of the clay, the planter of the field, the finder and refiner of the gold?

Your actions do not determine your worth. Quite the contrary. The more you soak in just how much God values you, just how much Jesus paid to be with you, just how much the Spirit is working with you, in you, the more you see that your definiton is quite “apart” from your efforts.

You is. You have. You are. You don’t have to “do” to prove anything because Jesus “did” already. He’s already proved who you are and your worth.

He is already happy, pleased, and satisfied with you. Right now. No matter what you have done or will do. It is settled in His mind. And, unlike humans, He is not swayed.

“There is no shadow of turning with Thee.”

Performance is not the answer. Jesus the person is your definition, your solace and ultimately your freedom. Once you get that you have the Heavenly Worth of Christ, no one can take it from you. THIS truth is what changes what you do, how you do, why you do.

The Master of mastery

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Have you seen the new Karate Kid? There is a scene where  the Kung Fu master tells the boy, “Hang up your coat, take off your coat, drop your coat, pick up your coat.” And repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Not until many days and hours of repetition later did the kid realize the brilliance of the master’s strength, discipline, and character building.

When you are working on mastery, praise and criticism are inevitable. But also irrelevant.

Look to the Master. Let His voice alone be your teacher. Walk through your circumstances with an eye on what He is training in you. Don’t aim for a gold star. Aim for being like the Master. That’s sure His goal…

“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”  Luke 6:40

Lord, I want You to be my first and foremost teacher. I want to submit to Your training, I want to work for Your loving praise alone. Thank You that You are working all things to make me more like you. Amen


Performance vs. Mastery

/ Jana / 4 Comments

Tuesday night in WGR class we talked about Performance vs. Mastery.

Performance always drives us to be approved, by means of pleasing others. At all costs. Even at the expense of our own desires and often at the expense of following God. Performance always wants a grade, a score, pat on the back. When you have to get it right all the time, any criticism becomes an enemy that produces shame. There is no room for growth, experimentation, or lessons learned through  trial and error because there is pending doom of a “hand” hovering over your every move, ready to swat you if you fail. Not fun.

Criticism is usually fatal to the performer’s growth.  However, praise does not offer a much better prognosis. As performers, we have this deep, empty pit in our heart needing to be filled with God’s significance. Apart from His definition of worth, we try to fill this hole with the praise of others. Thus praise becomes the ever-out-of-reach gold ring that the performer continuously strives to get more and more of.  Performance is not so good for our soul.

Mastery however, is the slow, strenuous journey of Learning.

Learning requires the right ingredients, the right recipe, the right goal, and the right teacher. Mastery is having your eye on the right model and then accepting that the “master” is using all circumstances to teach you how to do as she does. Over time. With repetition.

Mastery is not about proving value. That fact is established. Done. Settled. Mastery is literally about refining, unveiling, conditioning the valued person to walk in the master’s footsteps. One life experience at a time. One day at a time with new mercies every morning so that we begin with a clean slate to try again, to learn more, to practice, to improve, even to fail and get back up again.

When Jesus picked the disciples, “performance” would have them trying to validate His selection of them. Instead, He chose them out of His goodness, His significance. Just like He chose us. He said to them, follow in My footsteps, do like I do, and you will see the Father like I do. He says the same to us.

You being valued isn’t the question. You doing life like Jesus does is the life long journey The Master is after. And in.

Need a visual? This is the result of my fourth and fifth batch of bread. See the difference? Flat, heavy, “squished” vs. light, airy and yummy. Performance would have quit after ruined loaf number one. Mastery is continuing to learn, grow and try, try again. Only trying with more wisdom each time. My family is loving my journey into mastery. Smile.