The Verdict First

"And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'" (Matthew 3:17) When did God say these words to Jesus? At His baptism. Before Jesus had preached a single sermon.

Before He healed a blind man. Before He died on the cross. Jesus hadn't "done" anything yet. He was a carpenter. Yet the Father said, "I am well pleased." Most of us live our lives trying to Get the verdict.

We work hard, we achieve, we serve, hoping that at the end of our life, God (and our parents) will say: "Well done. I am pleased." The Gospel flips the timeline. God gives you the verdict at the start .

Because you are in Christ, God looks at you before you do anything today and says: "You are my beloved child. I am pleased with you." Now, go live your life from that approval, not for it.

Theologically, this is Union with Christ . When you are baptized into Christ, you get His status. God loves you as much as He loves Jesus. (John 17:23: "You have loved them even as you have loved me."

) This cures Perfectionism . Perfectionism is the fear that if I stop achieving, I stop being loved. But if you were loved before you achieved, you can't lose it when you fail. Reflect on this: Who are you trying to impress?

Your boss? Your spouse? The internet? You are running a race to win a trophy you already hold. Stop running. Start enjoying. 👣 Take a Step Action: The Mirror Moment. Look in the mirror. Say out loud: "I am God's beloved child.

He is pleased with me right now, even before I do anything productive." Feel the pressure drop.