Change: Your Inner "Good Girl"

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We all want to be "good". I mean, yeah sure, some people go through rebellious phases where they make bad decisions. But, I think deep down inside of each and every one of us, there is a desire to be "good" that is linked back to a desire for acceptance and love. Erwin McManus says in his book Unleashed, "How is it possible that, for many of us, being a good Christian is really nothing more than being a good person? The entire focus of our faith has been the elimination of sin, which is important but inadequate, rather than the unleashing of a unique, original, extraordinary, wonderfully untamed faith." We base our entire faith on our perceived goodness, when in fact we are completely inadequate.

I just started reading Emily's book Grace for the Good Girl this past weekend. It's completely amazing and I feel like she's inside my head. It has me completely humbled and has so convicted me. That's the catalyst for this post, I guess. This wasn't part of my 31 days blog plan, but God had other plans. We're going to talk about how we need to change our inner "good girl". Now, I recognize how having a good morals system is good. I recognize how there's good things in exhibiting good behavior, and I don't think that we can act like heathens. But, the problem lies in our reasoning. Why are we wanting to be "good girls"? Is it because Jesus tells us to, or is to maintain a good reputation? Are we doing it because it is right or because we want others to think we're "good girls". Jesus didn't value what people thought. He did what the Father said, regardless of what people thought.

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Emily says in her book, "For many years, I lived as a believer in God but I did not live from God. I was a child of the God of grace, but I was looking for life in the law." We think that we have to perform in a certain manner in order to be accepted by our Creator. All this ends up doing is leading us to frustration. We feel like we're not doing enough...and it's because we aren't. We cannot measure up to the standard that has been set for us. Dudley Hall says, "When you get miserable enough to die, you can be free. Go ahead and live under the law give it your best shot. Ultimately the law will make you so miserable, you'll want to die. Then you will find someone already died for you." It gets tiring being a good girl. It gets exhausting trying to live up to the title of being perfect. We are imperfect. God is perfect. When we stand in front of our Creator, we seem completely inadequate. It's like a small child that has gotten caught doing something wrong and now must face his parent. We are ridden with shame and guilt.Emily says in her book, "I hide behind my list of rules so I can check off each one, as if I'm another step closer to God because I've followed them. I hide behind my mask of strength because I'm ashamed of my weakness...but God has drawn us to himself, like a Daddy who scoops up his girl into loving, strong arms and pulls her close, warm and safe." We hide because we are scared of what may happen. We don't want to trust that God has our back. But we have been rescued. We have no need to fear. But- we aren't expected to be perfect- he just wants us to give it our best shot. He sent his Son to die for us because he knew we could not be perfect. It's time to let go of our inner good girl. It's time to let go of perfection. It's time to take the leap of faith and let go.

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