A lot of you are, unfortunately, familiar with religion as the Bible defines it.

Religion is when humans strive to earn God’s love, favor, and provision - as well as salvation or admittance into Heaven - through works. 

This is NOT the biblical truth (aka the Gospel which means “good news”). 

Humans are sinful. We are incapable of earning our own salvation. We don’t have the ability to reconcile ourselves to God which is why He sent Jesus to die on the cross.

In addition, God freely loves us as we are - sinful, messy, and in progress. His love, provision, and protection are NOT things we need to earn. As the Bible clearly shows - when it’s taught correctly - God gladly gives us these things without us having to essentially qualify for them. (Just like any other good dad.)

However, because religion is about earning things, it often includes ideas such as needing to be sinless, perfect, or successful in keeping to a long list of rules that are usually man-made - and unrealistically obtainable. 

In other words, there’s a focus on one’s works (aka one’s actions). 

However, God is ultimately more interested in your heart than your actions. What do I mean by this?

1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT) says: But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

What’s happening here is God sent the prophet Samuel to seek out a man named Jesse, for one of Jesse’s sons would be the new king of Israel.

When Samuel arrives, he takes one look at Eliab, one of Jesse’s sons, and immediately thinks he must be the new king. But in verse 7, which we just looked at, God tells Samuel that He’s more concerned with a person’s heart than how they seem on the outside.

Turns out none of the seven sons that Jesse presented to Samuel was the future king. Instead, it ended up being David, the youngest son, who Jesse had left in the fields watching over the sheep and goats.

David, as we know, eventually went on to kill Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Something that took a lot of courage and faith.

When God says that He’s more interested in our hearts, it means that He’s more interested in who we are than what we’re doing.

This is one reason why Jesus was so frustrated with certain religious leaders during His ministry. Their motivations - which stemmed from their hearts - weren’t focused on loving, protecting, and uplifting God’s people. Instead, they had veered towards religion by adding laws to God’s laws, being very strict, and other related actions.

Even a modern Christian can do all of the “right things” - such as read their Bible, pray, attend church - but not actually love God. Or have faith. Or desire to grow in their relationship with Him and do courageous acts for the Kingdom.

Instead, they might be complacent or, on the flip side, lord themselves and their accomplishments over other people that, like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, negatively affect people who are trying to love God.

Now, this isn’t to say that your actions are completely overlooked or that they don’t have consequences. The Bible is full of God’s design for us regarding actions, meant for our good, and examples of what happens when people don’t adhere to them and/or sin.

But there’s a reason why Jesus answered the way He did in Matthew 22:36-38 (MSG) when one of the religious teachers asked: 

When you love God - which is a process, because it’s a relationship just like any other - you are focusing your heart, soul, and mind first and foremost on Him. 

And when you do that, and as the relationship grows and your growing trust in Him allows Him to begin changing you in very positive, freeing, and healing ways, the roots beneath your actions change.

Your heart - and mindsets - will start to change. And when those change, so do your actions.

If actions could change our hearts and mindsets, and the core of who we are, then Jesus’ answer would have been very different. 

So how does this relate to you pleasing God where you are today? 

Friend, here’s the truth: The fact that you are HERE; that you have taken even one step on this journey; that you’re allowing your heart, mind, and soul to begin to focus on knowing God for who He truly is; and the actions that you’ve taken, even if it’s just being here right now…that is immensely pleasing to God. WAY more than any of the religious, done-by-rote actions that you could do.

Again, God is more interested in who you are than what you’re doing. 

In other words, He could care less about empty checklists. Or you being perfect (which isn’t realistic, obtainable, or biblical). 

Works aren’t bad. But they should be a natural response to God’s love for us, not a method we use to earn His love.

And even if it doesn’t feel like it right now, you’re already responding in the right way by being here. By searching out the truth and being willing to take a first step that not everyone else is willing to take.

You don’t need to “have it all together,” or be “good enough,” or be sinless or perfect. David wasn’t. He went on to make some pretty big, sinful mistakes.

But in 1 Samuel 13:14 (NLT), it says, “...for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.” That man was David.

All of this to say, friend, that you are already pleasing God. In a way that not a lot of people, including those who consider themselves Christians, honestly do.

You may think you’re hopeless and a hot mess express, but you’re actually ahead of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day that went astray.

So, here’s what I want you to do with all of this…

Firstly, I want you to take some time to revel in the truth we’ve just covered. For a lot of you, this was a major breakthrough moment. Take the time to process it and allow its meaning to soak in.

Secondly, get out your Truth and Dare journal and make a note of the truth we’ve just covered. It doesn’t have to be a long, complex outline. The goal is to have a written reminder of this big idea moving forward.

Thirdly, moving forward, work on focusing on your heart in two key areas: