Sometimes we can think that God is just waiting to pounce on us for our failures. We start imagining He’s waiting around the corner for us with a big stick whenever we go wrong or make a mistake. The problem is, when we view God that way, we can’t help but live in constant fear, insecurity, and anxiety over our sins and struggles. So we need to make a decision to turn our eyes away from ourselves and place them on Jesus, for He has already made us righteous with His blood (2 Corinthians 5:21 for a reminder). The more we look to Jesus, the more we’ll be transformed into His likeness. Keeping our eyes on Jesus leads to the greatest expression of holiness. We might think we have to do more in order to be more holy and accepted by God. But actually, as we focus on Jesus and see His love, His forgiveness, His abundant grace, and His gift of righteousness purchased for us with His own blood, our approach changes and we’re transformed from the inside out. Holiness comes by focusing on Jesus, not ourselves. It’s an inward change sustained by a heart that’s been touched by grace and freed from guilt and condemnation. And this is the life that God wants us to experience every day. So let’s resolve to fix our eyes on Him, open up to His transforming power, and not let ourselves get distracted by fear.

What now?
Anytime you’re struggling with fear and insecurity when you’ve gone wrong, take some time to re-focus on Jesus. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 and ask that God would give you a renewed sense of the reality of this verse.