For decades, I believed that my Heavenly Father was disappointed with me. I wasn’t measuring up to the standard of perfection, so my inner dialogue was full of scoldings.
See? You did it again. You messed up. When will you ever learn?
You better try harder because you’re falling behind.
You should do more and be more in order to make God happy.
These accusations tore me down. But in my stubbornness, I was determined to try harder and be better. After all, I prided myself on exceeding expectations—trying to impress with my prowess.
The gold stars, the pats on the back, and the thumbs up fueled my efforts. But soon I was weary from all the work of trying to measure up; striving as a Tightly Wound Woman.
I was living like a slave, not a daughter.
A slave toils to earn her keep. A daughter rests in her position as an heir. #UnravelingGrace #GoodNews Share on XA slave worries that she won’t be enough. A daughter knows that she doesn’t have to be enough in order to be loved.
A slave aims to please the Master. A daughter delights in her Dad who is already pleased with her, because she is His.
Toil.
Worry.
Striving.
These are the marks of a slave who fears her Master is never satisfied.
Rest.
Peace.
Delight.
These are the characteristics of a daughter who knows the acceptance of her Father.
So how do we shed the mindset of a slave and adopt the spirit of a daughter? By embracing three amazing truths about the Father heart of God:
- God’s standard of perfection has been met through Christ’s perfect sacrifice for our sins. If we have received forgiveness for our sins, by believing in Jesus as our Savior, then God sees His perfection when He looks at us. We can live freely, knowing Christ’s work on the cross was enough to satisfy what the Law demanded. And now nothing we do or don’t do separates us from the love of God (see Romans 8:31-39).
- God has clothed us with a robe of righteousness that covers us, even when we fall short or fall down. (see Isaiah 61:10). Jesus’ righteousness replaces our filth when we believe in Him. His robe remains on us because His sacrifice was enough to cover all our sins—past, present, and future. We don’t lose God’s favor when we sin because He is well-pleased with His Son who resides within us. We are free because Christ has redeemed us from what we deserved (death and destruction).
- God loves us enough to discipline us and redirect us. The good news is that we are in right standing with God because of Christ. Jesus sits at the right hand of God because His work was completed on the cross so we can rest from our striving and enjoy the Father’s company. Through Christ, we are released from slavery and embraced as a daughter. When we sin, He corrects us and redirects us…but it is from a place of love and patience not anger and disappointment (see Hebrews 4:4-12).
May these truths sink down into our hearts. May we silence the scolding voice, by tuning in to the love that the Father has for us. In Christ, we are called daughters, not slaves. We are loved, delighted in, accepted.
Enjoy your position as a daughter as you delight in the love of the Father. #UnravelingGrace Share on X
It’s good news, indeed!
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Dear Tightly Wound Woman: You are My Daughter
Katie,
What great truth to remember. I especially like how you point out in #3 that when God disciplines, it is not ever done out of disappointment, but out of love for our own good. He gently turns us in the direction that we need to go and redirects our path. Disappointment is not in God’s vocabulary….great reminders!
Blessings,
Bev
Hi Bev: Love seeing your smiling face first thing on the linkup. 🙂 So thankful for His love!
I love (and needed) this reminder that there’s nothing that I can do to make myself one bit more beloved by God.
Blessings, Katie!
Yes and Amen, Michele. ❤️ His love for you is secure and settled through Jesus and your faith in Him.
Wow Katie… it just hit me how many of us (myself included) are toiling rather than resting… I read a great book on prayer last year by John Eldredge called Moving Mountains and he touched a lot on that same point that when we are praying we tend to pray like slaves but we are really heirs… Great post to make us consider our ways. And thanks for hosting today!
Heather, That sounds like a great book. Thanks for telling me about it!
Katie, I loved this. I love point #1 because it reminds me how God really sees me. I just love that thought. It always sets me free! Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Leslie! Glad you are here. Hope you have a great Tuesday.
A slave toils…a daughter rests. Powerful words Katie!
Thanks for sharing such a freeing post. Praying you and all those who read your post (myself included) truly learn to REST in the healing truth that we are daughters of the King. Have a blessed day.
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo
Hi Sherry: Thank you for your kind words. Glad you were encouraged. It’s such good news that we’re secure in His love, isn’t it?
It absolutely is <3
🙂
Thank you for this amazing post, lately I have been living like a slave and not a daughter, it’s time to take a step back, repent, and crawl up into my heavenly Father’s arms and rest in Him a while. God bless you
Hi Jennifer: So glad that His lap is open for us to crawl into and His arms are open to hold us.
Katie,
I needed to read this right now today!!! It is such comfort to remember I am a daughter of the King. He loves me for just being me!!!!!! Have a blessed day.
Susan Watson
Hi Susan! You are so loved indeed.
Amen!
Hi Tara, glad you’re here!
Hello Katie, what a terrific distinction you have made between slave and daughter. As I read your post, I was also struck by a sense of certainty we have as daughters. At the end of the day, a slave never knows what the future may hold, but as a daughter, I know I will always be a child of God. Thank you for the affirmation. Blessings from a Sister in Christ.
I love what you said Alice! So thankful that we are secure, through faith in Jesus, as His daughters.
I am on a lifelong quest to quit striving for perfection. Your post was perfect timing as I start a series on perfection on my blog.I never made the correlation about the marks of a slave. A light bulb has gone off. Thank you. I am so glad I found your blog.
I also love the picture of you. It is darling.
Maree
Hi Maree: Thank you for sharing that. Praising God that a light bulb went off. May you enjoy the freedom that is yours, in Christ! And thanks for the kind words about my pic. My friend Molly Bea Photography did a great job and my friend Leslie dolled me up. 😉
A truth filled post. It is so freeing to realize we do not need to meet any standard of perfection as it has been met through Christ. All your points were great reminders!
Hi Joanne~ Thank you! So glad for His finished work, what good news it is!
Beautiful and encouraging post! Thank you for the reminders of how much we are loved!
You are most welcome, Julie. Thanks for being here. 🙂
As a friend of mine said recently, how when we know the gospel, do we tend to have such a works mentality. Thanks for reminding us of the truth … that we don’t have to earn our Father’s love! Blessings and thanks for hosting today!
Thank you, Donna. And yes indeed! So thankful for His patience and grace for His stubborn beloved children. 😉
Love! I always come away inspired! Thanks Katie
Hi Friend- Aw, thanks for that. Hope you’re having a great week.
And yet again… we write along the same lines! #Kindred
So good!
Love you, friend!
Love it! Indeed. 😉