Performing for God… or Participating With Him?

It’s not my masterpiece—it’s His. I’m just holding the brush while He paints through me.

A Conversation About Purpose, Pressure, and the Privilege of Union

“Come to Me… and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
“We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works… which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10

A Coffee Conversation About Calling

Ellie:
So I’ve been thinking a lot about purpose. I just want to make sure I’m doing enough for God, you know? Like—using my gifts, serving people, making an impact. I want to live a life that matters.

Me:
Same. For years I had this subtle pressure hanging over me, like God was constantly evaluating how productive I was. I thought the best way to honor Him was to keep producing good outcomes. “Do more, be more, serve more”—all for His glory, of course.

Ellie:
Exactly! I don’t want to waste my life. I want to be faithful. But sometimes it just feels… heavy. Like I’m trying to keep up with this invisible standard.

Ellie’s View: If God Gave Me Gifts, I Need to Use Them—Well

Ellie flips to a few verses in her Bible. “But Scripture talks about doing things for God. Like 1 Corinthians 15:58—‘Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.’ Or Colossians 3:23—‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…’ And Jesus says in John 15:8 that the Father is glorified when we bear much fruit.

She pauses. “Isn’t performance the whole point of our calling?”

My Response: Not Performance—Participation

“I used to think that way too,” I say, “until I started noticing how the New Testament describes our service. It’s not us performing for God—it’s God working in and through us.”

I flip to Philippians 2:13 – “For it is God who works in you to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
And Galatians 2:20 – “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”

“What if you’re not an employee being evaluated,” I say gently, “but a vessel through whom Jesus continues His life and ministry?”

Ellie leans in. “So you’re saying it’s not about what I do for Him—but what He does through me?”

“Exactly. That’s what Ephesians 2:10 means when it says we were created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared in advance—we just walk in them. We don’t initiate the performance. We participate in His plan.”

The Core Shift: Pressure vs. Partnership

“Performance says: God expects a lot from me, so I better deliver.
Participation says: God lives in me, and He’ll express His life through me as I yield.

Performance leads to burnout. Participation leads to rest.

Jesus didn’t say, ‘Come to Me, and I’ll show you how to perform better.’ He said, ‘Come to Me… and I will give you rest’(Matt. 11:28). His yoke is easy. His burden is light. Why? Because He’s carrying it with you—and honestly, He’s doing the heavy lifting.”

A Grace-Oriented Appeal

If you’ve been trying to perform for God—producing, striving, achieving—pause for a moment.

You’re not an employee in His kingdom. You’re His child, His beloved, and His vessel. Your job isn’t to impress Him with what you can do. It’s to trust Him to live His life through you.

You are created for good works—but they’re His works, prepared in advance, flowing from His Spirit, done in His timing, and carried out by His strength.

Today, maybe stop asking, “Lord, what should I do for You?” and begin asking, “Lord, what are You doing—and how do You want to live that out through me?”

That’s not stepping away from purpose. That’s stepping into partnership.

Photo Credit: Image sourced from Unsplash.com