Working From a Place of Grace
By Ela Alvarado
“I think you are having a panic attack.”
She put her arm around my shoulder, steering me away from the keyboard and toward the comfort and serenity of our living room. My sister guided me through breathing exercises and held me close.
I had just come out of a virtual writing retreat and was about done polishing my article when the accusations started.
“You don’t have what it takes to make it as a writer.”
“You are too much of a perfectionist.”
“You are not smart enough.”
The accusations about my work snowballed, leaving me anxious about my work ethic, writing abilities, and basically anything related to my performance. But, while these thoughts were especially pervasive that Friday morning, they were not new. My work-related doubts have haunted me ever since I could make out a grade on homework assignments, often writing myself off as hopelessly ignorant or incompetent. I believed the old, passed-down tale that my work defined my value. Yet the gospel tells a different story.
“I believed the old, passed-down tale that my work defined my value. Yet the gospel tells a different story.”
In Genesis 1:28, God commissioned Adam and Eve to “fill the earth and subdue it.” He wanted them to cultivate the land so it would produce abundant riches in the same way that we should cultivate our resources to produce bountiful harvests through our work. But the minute sin entered the scene, God’s purposes for our work were corrupted, where our efforts don’t always correlate with our success, or our fatigue and distractions render us unproductive. Far worse than any consequence, work became a source of idolatry and misplaced identities.
But, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that was not the end of the story! Because God justified us by grace through faith in Christ, we don’t have to look to works as our source of fulfillment. We don’t have to feel hopeless when we fail or engage in conflict at work, for we have an ever-present help in our God, quick to forgive and redeem our brokenness.
As God’s carefully designed workmanship, we have a new calling to do good works in response to his salvation. And when we rest in the truth of his salvation, we can confidently work as an act of worship to honor God and serve others.
When viewed in light of the gospel, our work can be done from a place of grace, not striving or approval.
But what do we do when the intrusive lies about our work threaten to overcome us? God calls us to meditate on what’s true (Phil. 4:8), so here are three gospel-centered truths to soothe our anxious minds:
1. I am saved by grace, not works.
The gospel is a story of immeasurable grace. Nothing we’ve done or will ever do can save us, which takes the pressure off us and gives us new motivations to work. Since no amount of good works can improve our standing before God (your salvation is secured!), our desire to work should flow out of a heart of gratitude to serve the Lord. You are free from striving and free to serve.
2. Christ was perfect, so I didn’t have to be.
In Matthew 5:17, Christ says that he came to fulfill the law, meaning that he perfectly fulfilled all the commandments we failed to uphold. So, when we get frustrated with our shortcomings and the details outside our control, we can rest in his finished work. Christ carried the burden meant for us (Matthew 11:30), making our burden light and showing us the better way of grace and the help of the Spirit—Christ is enough.
3. I’m equipped to do the good works God set before me.
There’s no shortage of Bible characters doubting their ability to fulfill God’s calling. Whether it be Moses questioning his speech or Gideon doubting his social qualifications, we have many examples of biblical heroes who thought they weren’t good enough. Have you ever been there? I’ve certainly disqualified myself multiple times, yet God spoke the same promise each time: I am enough. God knows we can’t do it alone, so he gifted us his indwelling Spirit and every tool we need to live out our calling (2 Peter 1:3). In our doubting, we can trust that God in us is always enough to do our best work.
I pray you keep these truths close to your heart as you enter your work day, knowing that the Lord your God is with you through it all.
Meet the Author
Long before Ela knew of storytelling as a vehicle for gospel-fueled transformation, she was already crafting stories with hopeful endings. While this went on for a while, her journey took a drastic turn when she went to Taylor University and encountered hope in the face of God. He was the ultimate hope she was searching for amidst her stories. With that knowledge came new layers of storytelling—photography, baking, videography, and more. She now enjoys studying the Word of her personal God and sharing what he is teaching her through the art of writing. You can find more of Ela’s work on her website, Instagram, and Twitter.
