Am I Trying to Earn God's Favor?
Daily Devotional — Monday, November 9, 2026
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” — Ephesians 2:8–10, NKJV
Heart Change Insight
It's easy to say that salvation is by grace and then spend the rest of our Christian life trying to prove that we deserve it.
We may not say it that way out loud, but the pressure can still be there. We read our Bible, pray, serve, give, try to make better choices, and work hard to obey. Those are good things. The problem begins when those things quietly become a way of trying to make ourselves acceptable to God.
In Releasing God's Life Through the Hearts of Men, Chapter 14, I describe two very different ways of approaching the Christian life. I call them achieve theology and receiving theology.
Achieve theology assumes that if I do the right things well enough, I can somehow work my way into the place I'm supposed to be. Receiving theology begins with the understanding that what I most need from God is something I can't manufacture for myself.
That's what grace means. God supplies what I can't produce.
Am I Trying to Earn God's Favor?
This can become confusing because obedience really does matter. Scripture calls us to follow Christ, make choices, practice what He teaches, and cooperate with what He's doing in us. Grace doesn't mean we become passive.
The question is what our obedience is trying to accomplish -- are we trying to earn God's favor?
Am I obeying because I'm connected to God and responding to Him? Or am I obeying because somewhere inside I'm hoping my performance will persuade Him to love me more, help me more, or finally be pleased with me?
Those can look almost identical from the outside.
That's why religious activity by itself can't tell us what's happening in the heart. In Chapter 14, I talk about spiritual practices as tools that help facilitate connection with God. They aren't a formula. We don't complete enough steps and finally gain access to Him. The purpose of the tools is relationship.
This is one reason a receiving lifestyle is so important. The Christian life isn't something we accomplish for God and then ask Him to approve. We learn to receive from Him and respond to what we've received.
That changes the way we approach spiritual disciplines. Prayer is no longer something I do to earn God's attention. It becomes a place where I turn my attention toward Him. Scripture isn't a box I check so God will be happy with me. It helps me recognize His voice, His character, and what He is doing. Obedience isn't payment for grace. It's my response to grace.
Receiving Still Requires a Response
Paul holds these two truths together beautifully in Ephesians 2. We're saved by grace through faith, not by our works. Then, almost immediately, he tells us that we were created in Christ Jesus for good works.
The works didn't purchase the grace. The grace makes the new life possible.
This is important far beyond salvation. We can begin with grace and then slip back into trying to manage our spiritual growth through performance. We start measuring ourselves by how well we're doing instead of asking whether we're presently connected to God and receiving what He wants to supply.
God doesn't simply give us instructions and then stand back to see whether we can pull them off. As I explain in True Empowerment, He gives us Himself. His life and strength become the source from which obedience grows.
There will still be choices to make, discipline to practice, and responsibilities to fulfill. Receiving isn't the opposite of obedience. Receiving is what keeps obedience from becoming another attempt to earn what God has already chosen to give.
So when I notice myself becoming anxious about whether I'm doing enough for God, it may be worth asking a different question:
Am I trying to achieve His favor, or am I receiving His grace and responding to Him from there?
Heart change begins when we stop trying to make ourselves acceptable and learn to live from what God is already offering.
Reflection
Are there areas in your life where you've begun measuring your relationship with God by how well you're performing? When you pray, read Scripture, serve, or obey, are you responding to what God is doing in you, or trying to become more acceptable to Him?
What might change if you approached those same activities as opportunities to receive from God rather than prove yourself to Him?
Prayer
Father, thank You that Your grace is a gift I don't have to earn. Show me where I've been trying to make myself acceptable through my own performance. Help me recognize what You're offering, receive Your life, and respond in obedience from a place of connection with You. Teach me to live from Your grace rather than striving for Your approval. In Jesus' name, amen.
Today's Step of Obedience
Choose one spiritual practice you regularly engage in, such as prayer, Scripture reading, or serving others. Before you begin, take a moment to reconnect with God. Ask Him what He wants you to receive and how He wants you to respond.
Pay attention to whether you're approaching the activity from pressure and obligation or from connection and obedience.
Grow Deeper
WATCH
True Empowerment
Spirit Deep Dive
Discover why God's grace doesn't eliminate obedience but supplies the life and strength we need to respond to Him.
LISTEN
Audiobook Chapter 14
Pastor David explores the difference between achieve theology and receiving theology, explaining how spiritual practices can help us connect with God rather than become another system for earning His acceptance.
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