The Performance Trap: Part 2

The Performance Trap: Part 2

The Fragrance of the Captive

“Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God . . . as instruments of righteousness.” (Romans 6:13)

To find our way out of the performance trap, we have to look back at the chapter Paul wrote before his struggle in Romans 7, reversing his order to find our way from the frustration of the flesh to the freedom of the Spirit. If we are not working to satisfy a scorecard, why work hard at all? The answer is not found in a new strategy, but in a new identity. In Romans 6, Paul uses the word paristēmi, which means to present or yield. It is the image of a servant standing before a master, waiting for orders. We do not hustle to get God's attention or to justify our funding. We offer every part of ourselves as instruments because we already have His heart. An instrument does not play itself, but it must be finely tuned, maintained, and placed in the hands of the Musician.

True kingdom diligence is the act of being 100 percent available. When we acknowledge that success lies entirely in God’s hands, we are freed to be the most inconvenient and interruptible people on earth. We can stop for the person who does not help our metrics because our schedule no longer belongs to our strategy. It belongs to the General leading the parade.

Paul describes this beautifully in 2 Corinthians 2 as being captives in Christ’s triumphal procession. In the ancient world, captives in a victory parade burned incense. Their only job was to spread the aroma. Paul says that to God, we are the pleasing aroma of Christ, regardless of the crowd's reaction. Whether the aroma leads to life or death in those around us is God's business. Our success is simply being a pleasing smell to Him.

Paul asks, “Who is sufficient for these things?” The answer is: none of us. But an instrument does not need to be sufficient. It only needs to be yielded. Work with all your might today, not to hit a human target, but because the Master is worthy of your best effort in every hard to reach corner of the globe.

Reflection Question: If you truly believed God was responsible for the results, how would that change the pace and the peace of your work this week?

-The MissioCare Collective Team