Stop Trying to Earn What's Already Yours

I have talked about God a long time. I have been a pastor, a missionary in the mountains of Peru, a mentor to young leaders, and a student of the Word. Yet, for a huge chunk of that time, I found myself caught in a trap that I didn’t even realize I had stepped into. I was trying to earn what God had already given me.

You might know the feeling. It is that quiet, nagging voice in the back of your head that says you are behind. It is the feeling that God is currently looking at a ledger of your life, tapping His pen, and waiting for you to get your act together. Consequently, we turn the Christian life into a high-stakes performance. We think that if we pray enough, read enough, and do enough, then, and only then, will the Father be satisfied.

However, I have some news for you today that might just make you want to sit down and take a deep breath. You are not being graded. You are being held.

For twenty years in Peru, I watched people try to climb a spiritual ladder. They were sincere. They were hard-working. But they were exhausted. I realized that many of us view God as a distant judge sitting behind a high desk. We think His primary job is to point out where we missed the mark.

Meanwhile, we miss the heart of the Father entirely. We think we have to build a bridge to Him, but the truth is that He has already built the bridge to us. I learned this most clearly not when things were going well, but when I was at my weakest. When I was battling Stage 4 cancer and later fighting for my life against COVID, I had zero "performance" to offer. I couldn't even hold my Bible, let alone lead a multi-national ministry.

During those dark nights, I realized that rest doesn't come after you fix yourself. Rest comes first.

Recently, I was diving back into the book of Exodus. Most people skip the detailed instructions for the Tabernacle because they feel like a construction manual. But if you look closely, you will find a love story written in gold and wood.

Specifically, I want you to look at the Ark of the Covenant. Inside that box were the tablets of the Law: the very standard we cannot keep. But God did not leave the Law exposed. He commanded a "Mercy Seat" to be placed on top of it.

Think about the significance of that location. God did not say He would meet Moses at the foot of a terrifying mountain. He said He would meet him at the Mercy Seat. The Law is inside the box, but Mercy is the lid.

In Hebrew, the word for "meet" in this verse is ya‘ad. It doesn't mean a chance encounter at the grocery store. It refers to an appointed, on-purpose meeting. God has a set time to be with you. But notice the geography: He meets you above the mercy seat.

This means that when God speaks to you, He isn't looking through the Law to see your failures. He is looking at the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat. He is looking at the finished work of Jesus. Therefore, the commands He gives you aren't a list of requirements to earn His favor. They are directions given to someone who is already loved.

“The Christian life was never meant to be powered by fear, pressure, or performance. It was meant to be lived from being loved first.”

When I finally understood this, it changed everything about how I led Alignment Ministries. It changed how I mentored young men. I stopped leading by the "tablets" and started leading from the Mercy Seat. If you lead only by rules and expectations, you will eventually crush the people you are trying to help. But if you lead with Grace and Mercy, you create a space where people can actually grow.

A lot of folks talk about "faith-based development," but they treat it like a corporate training seminar. They think they need to "level up" their spiritual life. But real growth is about sinking deeper into the reality of God's unconditional love.

I remember sitting in a hospital room, wondering if I would ever preach again. I felt like I was failing because I wasn't "doing" anything for the Kingdom. But the Lord whispered to my heart that I wasn't a "doer" to Him: I was a son. God is not disappointed in you. He is not measuring your worth by your consistency.

If you are tired of the "ledger" lifestyle, I want to invite you to change your ear. Stop listening for the voice of a drill sergeant and start listening for the voice of a Father who meets you at the Mercy Seat.

How do we practically stop trying to earn what is already ours? It starts by acknowledging that our "best" was never enough to begin with, and that is okay. We don't come to the Mercy Seat because we are good; we come because He is merciful.

In my years as a missionary, I saw that "loved people become loving people." When you realize you don't have to prove yourself, you finally have the energy to actually love others. You aren't constantly checking your own spiritual pulse. Instead, you are looking at the One who already paid the bill.

Whether you are a parent trying to raise your kids in the Lord, a pastor trying to shepherd a flock, or just someone trying to make it through the week, remember this: Mercy is not trailing behind you with conditions. It is running toward you with intention.

I have written a much deeper breakdown of this concept over on my website. We talk about the physical layout of the Tabernacle and why the incense altar matters in your daily prayer life. If you have ever felt like your prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling, you need to read this.

You can find the full article here: Austin Gardner: Why His Commands Start with Mercy.

Let’s stop trying to climb the mountain and start meeting Him where He has already appointed to be: at the place where mercy covers the law. That is where real life begins. That is where we find biblical contentment.

Does focusing on mercy mean I don't have to obey God's commands?
Not at all. It means your motivation for obedience changes. Instead of obeying to get God to love you, you obey because He already does. Relationship-driven obedience is far more powerful than fear-based performance.

What if I feel like I've failed too much to come to the "Mercy Seat"?
The Mercy Seat was specifically designed for people who failed the Law. The Law is inside the box because we couldn't keep it. The lid is Mercy because that is what we actually need. You are exactly who that seat was built for.

How does this change my daily prayer life?
When you pray, you can stop "auditioning" for God. You can be honest about your struggles because you know you are standing in a place of atonement. Prayer becomes a conversation with a Father, not a report to a boss.

#AustinGardner #Grace #Mercy #FaithBasedDevelopment #Exodus2522

About the Author: Austin Gardner has spent over 50 years in ministry as a missionary, pastor, and mentor...