It is hard in the day of “try harder” spirituality to not try harder.

It is hard in this day of “cover up the truth” spirituality to not cover it up.

It is hard in this day of “hide the pain” spirituality to not hide the pain.

It is had in this day of “act right to be right” spirituality not to act right to be be right.

Living in a culture, especially a church culture where we want everything to look and be just right, makes it hard not to be works-oriented. And the works are usually performed to make the wrong right. it is, as Tripp says, “a denial of the gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I can stop this merry-go-round I find myself on if I realize there is nothing I can do to make things look better and there is nothing I can do to be free from the sin that haunts my thoughts, desires, attitude and actions. There is nothing I can ever do, desire, think or project that is beyond the reach of His loving, matchless, fulfilling, ever-reaching grace.

“Father, I give up. I can’t try harder. I can’t cover up the truth. I can’t hide the pain. I can’t act right to be right. So I give up. I give up and release my life to you. I give you my sin. I give up the defense of my sin and ask you to work in me. I open my heart to you and your loving, matchless, fulfilling, ever-reaching grace.”