Stop Trying

Well, after a short break, I'm back. Do you ever feel like you need to get into or back into God's good graces? Or that you need to earn a right standing with Him, feeling like you need to work to get him to listen to you or even think that it is up to you to earn your salvation? It feels exhausting and even impossible. It's like running up an escalator that is going down. There is a reason it feels this way; it is not possible. God is not pleased with human efforts. Never.
Most people can see that something is wrong with the world, wrong with humanity. But, in our independence, we look for a way to fix it. We look for some moral code to follow. God gave this to us in the form of the Ten Commandments. The problem with this Code? It's a code meant to showcase God's perfect standards, and how far we fall short of His standards(Romans 3:23), not a code to follow and be saved by. The ancient Israelites and the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day thought that it was the law that did the saving, neglecting the Lawgiver, and forgetting that only God can save from and atone for sin. In fact, the law was meant to convict and condemn, not save or forgive.
 

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20

For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. Romans 4:15

for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Romans 5:13

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. ⁵ And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, ⁶ just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

⁷ “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
    and whose sins are covered;
⁸ blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Romans 4:4-8

 
Now what? Let me simply say: give up and stop trying to depend on your own efforts. Stop trying and rest in what Christ has done.

For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:22-25
 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30