Have you ever felt like you’re constantly climbing but never arriving? Like your spiritual life is an endless uphill battle where the summit keeps moving just beyond reach?
You’re not alone.
I remember sitting in my car after another exhausting church service, wondering why faith felt more like pressure than peace. I’d done everything “right” – attended every prayer meeting, volunteered in multiple ministries, read my Bible daily – yet something profound was missing.
Then it happened. A truth so simple yet so revolutionary that it changed everything in just three minutes.
The Exhausting Climb We Were Never Meant to Take
Most believers are unknowingly trapped in what I call the “performance paradox”:
The harder you strive for God’s approval, the less you feel it
The more you try to earn His love, the more distant it seems
The more you work to be “enough,” the more depleted you become
Sound familiar?
This paradox isn’t just frustrating – it’s the exact opposite of the freedom Christ promised. Yet millions of Christians wake up every day, lace up their spiritual boots, and continue climbing a mountain they were never meant to climb.
The 3-Minute Revelation That Changes Everything
The breakthrough came when I realized a single, life-altering truth:
You don’t climb toward God’s approval – you live from it.
This isn’t just a theological nicety. It’s the difference between exhaustion and energy, between striving and thriving, between religion and relationship.
In THE CALL, the main character Bob experiences this exact revelation. After years of climbing an endless mountain, desperately trying to prove his worth, he discovers that he had been chasing what was already freely given.
The paradigm shift happens in this powerful moment:
“Bob’s heart stopped. The words hung in the air like a thunderclap. Peak Sozo? The greatest climb in human history, the peak that millions had spent their entire lives trying to reach… And he was already standing on it? ‘No,’ Bob whispered. ‘That’s not possible. I didn’t earn this. I didn’t finish the climb.’ Kinsman simply watched him. ‘You’re right. You didn’t.’ ‘Then how—’ Kinsman stepped closer, his voice gentle but firm. ‘Because you were never meant to.'”
Three Signs You’re Climbing Instead of Living
How do you know if you’re caught in the endless climb? Look for these warning signs:
Spiritual fatigue: Faith feels more like work than wonder
Approval addiction: Your worth fluctuates based on your performance
Constant comparison: You measure your spiritual “progress” against others
Each of these indicates you’re operating from a fundamental misunderstanding about how God’s Kingdom works.
From Climbing to Thriving: The Practical Shift
This 3-minute revelation isn’t just beautiful theology – it transforms how you live your faith daily. Here’s what changes:
Prayer shifts from obligation to conversation. Instead of reciting formulas to earn God’s ear, you speak confidently as a beloved child.
Bible reading transforms from duty to discovery. You’re not mining for rules but uncovering the heart of Someone who already loves you completely.
Service flows from fullness, not emptiness. You give not to earn approval but because you’re already approved and overflow with gratitude.
One reader described it this way: “After reading THE CALL, I realized I’d spent 20 years trying to become something I already was. The freedom I’ve found is indescribable.”
The Key Question That Changes Everything
Here’s a 3-minute exercise that can transform your entire approach to faith:
Ask yourself honestly: “If I truly believed I was already fully loved, fully accepted, and fully equipped by God right now – how would I live differently today?”
Let that question sink deep. Your answer reveals the gap between what you intellectually believe and what you’re functionally living.
Breaking Free From the False Map
In THE CALL, Bob discovers he’s been following a “false map” – a set of directions that never lead to the destination they promise. Many believers are doing the same, following religious systems that claim to lead to God but actually lead to exhaustion.
The truth? You don’t need a map to find what’s already inside you.
Christ in you isn’t a distant goal to pursue – it’s a present reality to awaken to. This realization doesn’t diminish your spiritual journey; it transforms it from desperate climbing to joyful exploration.
The Path Forward
If this resonates with you, here are three immediate steps:
Release the pressure of performance-based spirituality
Reconnect daily with the truth of your complete acceptance in Christ
Realign your practices to flow from identity, not for identity
This shift doesn’t happen overnight. Old patterns of striving are deeply ingrained. But every time you catch yourself climbing, you have a fresh opportunity to remember you’ve already arrived.
Your life wasn’t meant to be an endless uphill battle. It was designed to be an unfolding adventure of living from the fullness already placed within you.
Want to go deeper? THE CALL workbook is your next step in breaking free from performance-based spirituality and discovering the relationship God always intended. More than just questions, it’s a guided journey from exhausting religious effort to liberating grace. Click here www.graceempoweredliving.com/call to begin your transformation.
Written by, Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.
“I’m doing everything right. Why do I feel so empty?”
The question came from Sarah, a devoted church member who hadn’t missed a Sunday in fifteen years. She served in three ministries, tithed faithfully, and knew her Bible inside out.
Yet behind her perfect spiritual resume, she was exhausted, joyless, and secretly questioning whether any of it mattered.
Sarah was trapped in what I call “toxic faith patterns”—religious habits that appear godly on the outside but actually separate us from the vibrant relationship with God we were created for.
The Hidden Epidemic in Modern Christianity
As someone who has worked with thousands of believers, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend: many of the most committed Christians are often the most spiritually depleted.
Why? Because they’ve substituted religious performance for genuine relationship.
In THE CALL, the main character discovers this truth through a powerful metaphor: he’s been climbing an endless mountain, desperately trying to reach God, only to discover that God had been within him all along.
Let’s examine the ten most damaging patterns that might be stealing your joy—and more importantly, how to break free from them.
1. The Approval Addiction
The Pattern: You serve, give, and participate in church activities primarily to be seen as “good” by others and by God.
Why It’s Toxic: When your worth becomes tied to spiritual performance, you’re no longer motivated by love but by fear of disapproval.
The Breakthrough: You are already fully approved in Christ (Ephesians 1:6). Your service should flow from acceptance, not for it.
Practical Step: Before serving in any capacity this week, declare: “I serve from God’s love, not for it.” Notice how this shifts your motivation and experience.
2. The Comparison Trap
The Pattern: You constantly measure your spiritual growth against others, feeling either pride or shame depending on how you stack up.
Why It’s Toxic: Comparison destroys joy by keeping you focused on others’ journeys instead of your unique relationship with God.
The Breakthrough: God’s work in each person is custom-designed (Philippians 1:6). Your path isn’t meant to mirror anyone else’s.
Practical Step: Identify one person you frequently compare yourself to. When the comparison urge arises, pray blessing over their journey and gratitude for your own.
3. The Certainty Obsession
The Pattern: You need absolute certainty about every theological question and become anxious when faced with mystery or ambiguity.
Why It’s Toxic: Faith requires trust in what isn’t fully seen or understood (Hebrews 11:1). Demanding complete certainty leaves no room for growth.
The Breakthrough: Mature faith embraces both conviction and mystery, holding truth with both confidence and humility.
Practical Step: Identify one area where you’ve demanded absolute certainty. Practice saying, “I don’t have to understand everything to trust God in this.”
4. The Checklist Christianity
The Pattern: Your faith has become a series of boxes to check: daily devotions ✓ church attendance ✓ avoided sinful behavior ✓
Why It’s Toxic: Relationship gets reduced to routine, and connection with God becomes mechanical rather than meaningful.
The Breakthrough: God desires relationship, not religious ritualism (Hosea 6:6).
Practical Step: Replace one “have to” this week with a “get to.” Instead of “I have to read my Bible,” try “I get to hear God’s voice today.”
5. The Hyperactive Conscience
The Pattern: You feel constant, low-grade guilt even when you can’t identify any specific sin, believing God is perpetually disappointed with you.
Why It’s Toxic: A hyperactive conscience keeps you focused on your performance rather than God’s presence.
The Breakthrough: In Christ, condemnation has been removed (Romans 8:1). God’s conviction is specific and restorative, not vague and shaming.
Practical Step: When generalized guilt appears, ask: “Is this God’s specific restoration or shame’s general accusation?” Reject vague shame while responding to specific conviction.
6. The Emotional Suppression
The Pattern: You’ve been taught that negative emotions (doubt, anger, grief) are unspiritual, so you suppress them to appear “strong in faith.”
Why It’s Toxic: Suppressed emotions don’t disappear—they go underground, eventually erupting in destructive ways.
The Breakthrough: The Psalms demonstrate that authentic faith includes expressing the full range of human emotion to God.
Practical Step: Write an “uncensored prayer,” expressing exactly what you feel without religious filtering. Remember, God can handle your real emotions.
7. The Blessing Bargain
The Pattern: You believe that if you do everything right, God is obligated to bless you with health, wealth, and protection from suffering.
Why It’s Toxic: When inevitable hardship comes, your entire faith foundation crumbles because it was built on a transactional relationship.
The Breakthrough: God’s love is covenant-based, not contract-based. His presence remains in both blessing and trial.
Practical Step: Identify where you’ve been making “if/then” bargains with God. Replace them with “even if” declarations (Daniel 3:17-18).
8. The Spiritual Classification System
The Pattern: You mentally rank believers (including yourself) based on perceived spirituality, creating a hierarchy of “more spiritual” and “less spiritual” Christians.
Why It’s Toxic: This creates pride or discouragement and prevents authentic community where all believers recognize their equal need for grace.
The Breakthrough: In Christ, there is no spiritual hierarchy—only one body with different functions (1 Corinthians 12).
Practical Step: Look for what you can learn from someone you previously classified as “less spiritual” than you. Their perspective may be exactly what you need.
9. The Perpetual Penance
The Pattern: After moral failure, you punish yourself with extended guilt, believing you must “pay” for your sins before accepting God’s forgiveness.
Why It’s Toxic: This pattern subtly suggests that Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t sufficient—your additional suffering is needed.
The Breakthrough: Forgiveness is a gift to be received, not a reward to be earned through sufficient self-punishment.
Practical Step: If you’re carrying shame from past sin, write it down, speak forgiveness over it, and physically destroy the paper as a tangible act of receiving what Christ already purchased.
10. The External Focus
The Pattern: You focus almost exclusively on external religious behaviors while neglecting the interior life of the heart.
Why It’s Toxic: Jesus reserved his strongest rebukes for those who maintained perfect exteriors while neglecting inner transformation (Matthew 23:25-28).
The Breakthrough: True spirituality flows from the inside out, not the outside in.
Practical Step: Spend ten minutes in silent reflection, asking, “What am I trying to prove with my religious activity?” Listen for the gentle conviction of the Spirit.
The Common Thread: From Climbing to Resting
In THE CALL, the protagonist makes a life-changing discovery—all his exhausting efforts to climb to God were unnecessary because God had already come to him.
This is the foundational shift that liberates us from all ten toxic patterns. We move from:
Striving to earn → Resting in what’s given
Proving our worth → Discovering our value
Performing for God → Partnering with God
As one reader of THE CALL shared: “I realized I’d spent thirty years trying to climb to a God who had already come down to me. The freedom I’ve found in this truth has transformed everything.”
Your Journey to Freedom Starts Now
Breaking toxic faith patterns isn’t accomplished through more effort—that’s just exchanging one form of striving for another.
True freedom comes through awakening to what’s already true:
You are already loved completely
You are already accepted fully
You are already equipped sufficiently
Your spiritual journey isn’t about becoming worthy of God’s presence. It’s about becoming aware of the God already present within you.
When this truth takes root, joy returns—not as a fleeting emotion, but as the natural expression of a life lived from divine fullness rather than human emptiness.
Which of these toxic patterns resonates most strongly with you? Your awareness is the first step toward freedom.
Want to go deeper? THE CALL workbook is your next step in breaking free from performance-based spirituality and discovering the relationship God always intended. More than just questions, it’s a guided journey from exhausting religious effort to liberating grace. Click here www.graceempoweredliving.com/call to begin your transformation.
Written by, Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.
Are you exhausted from climbing the spiritual mountain? Discover five powerful exercises that shift you from striving to thriving in your relationship with God.
I remember the moment clearly.
We had just returned from the Philippines where we had been living. We were sent out by a well-known ministry and missionary training school. While there as pastors, we witnessed many miracles and saw beautiful fruit from our time serving.
Little did we know, the enemy had an agenda to stop the move of God. The previous pastor began to write negative letters to the ministry that had sent us. This was crushing for me because it created unexpected confrontation from those who had commissioned us. We ended up returning to the U.S. sooner than expected.
My response was not a good one, and it cost me four years of anger and distrust—four years of questioning why others would take the words of a stranger over ours. Later, I came to understand that I had wrongly built my identity in a ministry and in the person who had sent us. The painful truth is that our identity can be built and placed in anything—your position in life, what you own, your achievements, or even the ministries you serve.
And that’s when I realized I had been climbing the wrong mountain all along.
Maybe you can relate.
Perhaps you’re doing all the “right things” but feeling spiritually dry. Maybe you’re new to faith and already overwhelmed by expectations. Or perhaps disappointment has left you questioning everything you once believed.
This is exactly why I wrote The Call—to help believers discover the freedom that comes when we stop climbing for God’s approval and start living from His acceptance.
Let me share five transformative exercises from The Call and its companion workbook that have helped thousands break free from religious performance and discover authentic faith.
1. The Identity Declaration: Breaking Agreement With Religious Striving
The Problem: Many of us unconsciously believe God’s love depends on our spiritual performance. This lie keeps us trapped in exhausting religious striving.
The Exercise:
Each morning for seven days, stand in front of a mirror and declare these three statements aloud:
“I am already complete in Christ.” (Colossians 2:10)
“I live from God’s acceptance, not for it.” (Ephesians 1:6)
“I am loved by God apart from my performance.” (Romans 5:8)
Why It Works:
This exercise directly confronts the performance lie with truth. By speaking these declarations aloud, you’re rewiring neural pathways that have been shaped by religious conditioning.
As Sarah, a mother of three who felt invisible to God despite years of faithful service, shared: “After just a week of these declarations, I found myself catching the old thoughts of ‘not enough’ and replacing them with the truth. The weight I’d been carrying began to lift.”
2. The Release Ritual: Letting Go of False Maps
The Problem: We’ve all been handed “maps” that promise to lead us to fulfillment—achievement, approval, religious performance—but they’ve left us exhausted and empty.
The Exercise:
On a piece of paper, write down the “maps” you’ve been following (e.g., “If I serve more, God will answer my prayers” or “If I have perfect quiet times, I’ll feel God’s presence”).
Read each one aloud, then say: “This map has not led me home.”
Tear the paper into pieces.
Write this truth on a new sheet: “Christ in me is my hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)
Place this somewhere you’ll see it daily.
Why It Works:
Physical rituals create powerful emotional anchors. This exercise provides closure with false beliefs while establishing a new foundation.
Marcus, a former worship leader who experienced a faith crisis after losing his job and health, found this exercise particularly powerful: “Tearing up those papers felt like breaking chains. I realized how many false promises I’d built my faith on.”
3. The Inside-Out Practice: Living From Fullness
The Problem: We’ve been taught to seek fulfillment externally—through achievements, relationships, or religious activities—rather than from the fullness already within us.
The Exercise:
For this seven-day practice:
Set a timer three times daily (morning, noon, and evening).
When it sounds, pause whatever you’re doing.
Place your hand over your heart and take three deep breaths.
Silently or aloud say: “The Kingdom of God is within me. I have everything I need for life and godliness.” (Luke 17:21, 2 Peter 1:3)
Continue your day from this place of inner abundance.
Why It Works:
This simple practice interrupts the external searching pattern and redirects attention to the inner reality of Christ’s presence. It builds a new habit of living from fullness rather than striving from emptiness.
Tasha, who felt overwhelmed as a new believer trying to “catch up” to more experienced Christians, shared: “This practice changed everything. Instead of feeling behind, I began to sense God’s presence already with me, regardless of how much I knew or did.”
4. The True Summit Visualization: Recognizing You’re Already at the Top
The Problem: We believe we need to climb higher, do more, and be better to reach spiritual “success.” This endless climb exhausts us and distorts our view of God.
The Exercise:
Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. Then:
Close your eyes and visualize yourself climbing a steep mountain, struggling with each step.
As you climb, notice the weight of expectations, comparison, and religious performance on your back.
Now visualize Jesus standing before you, stopping your climb with gentle hands on your shoulders.
Hear Him say: “The climbing is over. You’re already at the summit with Me.”
Visualize yourself looking around to discover you’ve been at the top all along.
Feel the weights fall away as you rest in this truth.
Why It Works:
Visualization creates new mental pathways that bypass intellectual resistance. This exercise helps you experience the truth that in Christ, you’re already complete—no more climbing needed.
“I wept the first time I did this exercise,” shared one pastor’s wife. “I realized I’d spent decades climbing toward a God who was already holding me.”
5. The Upside-Down Prayer: From Asking to Receiving
The Problem: Our prayers often reflect a climbing mentality—we’re always asking God for more, rather than recognizing what we already have in Christ.
The Exercise:
Transform your prayer life with this approach for one week:
Begin each prayer with: “Thank You that I already have…”
Instead of asking for peace, pray: “Thank You that I already have Your peace that surpasses understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)
Instead of asking for strength, pray: “Thank You that I already have Your power working in me.” (Ephesians 3:20)
Continue this pattern for each need or desire.
Why It Works:
This exercise shifts your perspective from scarcity to abundance, from future hope to present reality. It aligns your prayers with the truth that God has already “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
As one reader put it: “I’d been praying desperate prayers for years. This practice showed me I was like someone dying of thirst while sitting next to a flowing river. Everything changed when I started receiving what was already mine.”
Beyond Religious Performance
These five exercises are just the beginning of the transformation journey outlined in The Call and its companion workbook. They’re designed to help you:
Break free from religious performance and striving
Experience God’s presence without spiritual gymnastics
Live from divine fullness rather than human emptiness
Find authentic faith beyond religious systems
Discover the freedom of your true identity in Christ
The journey isn’t always easy. Letting go of familiar climbing patterns takes time. You may occasionally find yourself reaching for old maps out of habit. But each time you practice these exercises, you strengthen new neural pathways that align with truth.
This is not about doing more or being better. It’s about waking up to what’s already true about you because of Jesus.
As I wrote in The Call: “The climb was never the point. Your transformation? That changes everything.”
Despite all my spiritual activity, I felt disconnected from God. The harder I climbed, the further away He seemed. My faith had become an exhausting performance, and I was burning out fast.
Maybe you can relate.
Perhaps you’re doing all the “right things” but feeling spiritually dry. Maybe you’re new to faith and already overwhelmed by expectations. Or perhaps disappointment has left you questioning everything you once believed.
This is exactly why I wrote The Call—to help believers discover the freedom that comes when we stop climbing for God’s approval and start living from His acceptance.
Let me share five transformative exercises from The Call and its companion workbook that have helped thousands break free from religious performance and discover authentic faith.
1. The Identity Declaration: Breaking Agreement With Religious Striving
The Problem: Many of us unconsciously believe God’s love depends on our spiritual performance. This lie keeps us trapped in exhausting religious striving.
The Exercise:
Each morning for seven days, stand in front of a mirror and declare these three statements aloud:
“I am already complete in Christ.” (Colossians 2:10)
“I live from God’s acceptance, not for it.” (Ephesians 1:6)
“I am loved by God apart from my performance.” (Romans 5:8)
Why It Works:
This exercise directly confronts the performance lie with truth. By speaking these declarations aloud, you’re rewiring neural pathways that have been shaped by religious conditioning.
As Sarah, a mother of three who felt invisible to God despite years of faithful service, shared: “After just a week of these declarations, I found myself catching the old thoughts of ‘not enough’ and replacing them with the truth. The weight I’d been carrying began to lift.”
2. The Release Ritual: Letting Go of False Maps
The Problem: We’ve all been handed “maps” that promise to lead us to fulfillment—achievement, approval, religious performance—but they’ve left us exhausted and empty.
The Exercise:
On a piece of paper, write down the “maps” you’ve been following (e.g., “If I serve more, God will answer my prayers” or “If I have perfect quiet times, I’ll feel God’s presence”).
Read each one aloud, then say: “This map has not led me home.”
Tear the paper into pieces.
Write this truth on a new sheet: “Christ in me is my hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)
Place this somewhere you’ll see it daily.
Why It Works:
Physical rituals create powerful emotional anchors. This exercise provides closure with false beliefs while establishing a new foundation.
Marcus, a former worship leader who experienced a faith crisis after losing his job and health, found this exercise particularly powerful: “Tearing up those papers felt like breaking chains. I realized how many false promises I’d built my faith on.”
3. The Inside-Out Practice: Living From Fullness
The Problem: We’ve been taught to seek fulfillment externally—through achievements, relationships, or religious activities—rather than from the fullness already within us.
The Exercise:
For this seven-day practice:
Set a timer three times daily (morning, noon, and evening).
When it sounds, pause whatever you’re doing.
Place your hand over your heart and take three deep breaths.
Silently or aloud say: “The Kingdom of God is within me. I have everything I need for life and godliness.” (Luke 17:21, 2 Peter 1:3)
Continue your day from this place of inner abundance.
Why It Works:
This simple practice interrupts the external searching pattern and redirects attention to the inner reality of Christ’s presence. It builds a new habit of living from fullness rather than striving from emptiness.
Tasha, who felt overwhelmed as a new believer trying to “catch up” to more experienced Christians, shared: “This practice changed everything. Instead of feeling behind, I began to sense God’s presence already with me, regardless of how much I knew or did.”
4. The True Summit Visualization: Recognizing You’re Already at the Top
The Problem: We believe we need to climb higher, do more, and be better to reach spiritual “success.” This endless climb exhausts us and distorts our view of God.
The Exercise:
Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. Then:
Close your eyes and visualize yourself climbing a steep mountain, struggling with each step.
As you climb, notice the weight of expectations, comparison, and religious performance on your back.
Now visualize Jesus standing before you, stopping your climb with gentle hands on your shoulders.
Hear Him say: “The climbing is over. You’re already at the summit with Me.”
Visualize yourself looking around to discover you’ve been at the top all along.
Feel the weights fall away as you rest in this truth.
Why It Works:
Visualization creates new mental pathways that bypass intellectual resistance. This exercise helps you experience the truth that in Christ, you’re already complete—no more climbing needed.
“I wept the first time I did this exercise,” shared one pastor’s wife. “I realized I’d spent decades climbing toward a God who was already holding me.”
5. The Upside-Down Prayer: From Asking to Receiving
The Problem: Our prayers often reflect a climbing mentality—we’re always asking God for more, rather than recognizing what we already have in Christ.
The Exercise:
Transform your prayer life with this approach for one week:
Begin each prayer with: “Thank You that I already have…”
Instead of asking for peace, pray: “Thank You that I already have Your peace that surpasses understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)
Instead of asking for strength, pray: “Thank You that I already have Your power working in me.” (Ephesians 3:20)
Continue this pattern for each need or desire.
Why It Works:
This exercise shifts your perspective from scarcity to abundance, from future hope to present reality. It aligns your prayers with the truth that God has already “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
As one reader put it: “I’d been praying desperate prayers for years. This practice showed me I was like someone dying of thirst while sitting next to a flowing river. Everything changed when I started receiving what was already mine.”
Beyond Religious Performance
These five exercises are just the beginning of the transformation journey outlined in The Call and its companion workbook. They’re designed to help you:
Break free from religious performance and striving
Experience God’s presence without spiritual gymnastics
Live from divine fullness rather than human emptiness
Find authentic faith beyond religious systems
Discover the freedom of your true identity in Christ
The journey isn’t always easy. Letting go of familiar climbing patterns takes time. You may occasionally find yourself reaching for old maps out of habit. But each time you practice these exercises, you strengthen new neural pathways that align with truth.
This is not about doing more or being better. It’s about waking up to what’s already true about you because of Jesus.
“The climb was never the point. Your transformation? That changes everything.”
Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.
Have you ever sat in church, singing worship songs with passionate believers all around you, while a small voice inside whispers, “If they only knew how much you doubt… how often you fail… how little you actually pray”?
That nagging feeling that you’re somehow faking your faith—that you don’t measure up to what a “real Christian” should be—has a name: Christian Imposter Syndrome.
It’s the persistent suspicion that your relationship with God isn’t authentic enough, deep enough, or consistent enough to qualify you as a genuine believer. And despite what your Instagram feed might suggest, you’re far from alone in this struggle.
The Signs You’re Living With Christian Imposter Syndrome
How do you know if you’re experiencing this spiritual identity crisis? Watch for these common signs:
You feel unworthy despite intellectually knowing about God’s grace – You can recite verses about forgiveness but can’t seem to apply them to yourself
You compare your faith journey to others – Constantly measuring your spiritual disciplines, knowledge, or experiences against those around you
You hide your struggles – Fear of judgment leads you to maintain a “perfect Christian” facade while battling alone
You’re afraid of being “exposed” – You worry others will discover you’re not as faithful, knowledgeable, or spiritual as they believe
You diminish your contributions – When you serve or share insights, you discount their value or attribute them to luck rather than genuine spiritual gifts
The core of Christian Imposter Syndrome is the belief that you must earn what has already been freely given.
Why We Feel Like Spiritual Frauds
This phenomenon doesn’t emerge from nowhere. Christian Imposter Syndrome often stems from following what author Scott Johnson calls “false maps” in his novel THE CALL.
These false maps tell us we must climb a spiritual mountain of achievement to reach God’s approval. We believe we must:
Read enough Scripture
Pray the right way for the right amount of time
Serve in enough ministries
Feel the correct emotions during worship
Never struggle with certain temptations
Sound familiar?
The problem is that these performance-based metrics create a spiritual treadmill where you’re constantly running but never arriving. As THE CALL illustrates through its protagonist Bob, many of us spend our lives climbing the wrong mountain entirely.
“Bob had spent his entire life chasing security, stability, and approval. But maybe he had been looking in the wrong place. What if the truth wasn’t written on a map at all? What if it was… a person?”
The Truth About Your Identity in Christ
The gospel offers a radically different message than our performance-based instincts: you are already fully accepted in Christ.
This isn’t just positive thinking—it’s the foundation of Christian faith. Consider these truths:
You don’t work toward righteousness; you work from righteousness already given (2 Corinthians 5:21)
You aren’t climbing toward God’s acceptance; you already have it (Ephesians 1:6)
You aren’t trying to become complete; you already are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10)
I remember struggling with this concept during a particularly difficult season. Despite years in ministry, I felt like a fraud because my private doubts and struggles didn’t match my public faith. The breakthrough came not through trying harder, but through surrendering the need to prove myself worthy.
As I learned to live from my identity rather than for it, the exhausting performance pressure began to lift. My service became a response to love rather than an attempt to earn it.
Practical Steps to Overcome Christian Imposter Syndrome
If you’re ready to break free from spiritual imposter syndrome, start with these practical steps:
1. Identify the false map you’re following
What specific metrics are you using to measure your spiritual worth? Write them down, then honestly assess whether they come from Scripture or cultural expectations.
2. Embrace the reality of grace
Grace isn’t just a theological concept—it’s your daily operating system. Start each morning by acknowledging: “I am completely loved and accepted by God today, before I do anything.”
3. Practice living from acceptance rather than for acceptance
When you serve, give, pray, or worship, pause and check your motivation. Are you trying to earn something, or responding to what you already have?
4. Find authentic community
Surround yourself with believers who are honest about their struggles. Vulnerability breaks the power of imposter syndrome.
5. Challenge your internal dialogue
When you hear that voice saying “you’re not enough,” counter it with truth: “In Christ, I am enough—not because of what I’ve done, but because of what He’s done.”
Freedom From the Need to Perform
The journey from performance to grace isn’t easy. Our minds have been conditioned by years—sometimes decades—of believing we must earn God’s favor.
But as THE CALL powerfully illustrates, there comes a moment of awakening when we realize we’ve been climbing for something that was already freely given.
The truth is, you don’t need to fake your faith. You don’t need to hide your struggles. You don’t need to perform for God’s approval.
What you need is to recognize the truth that has been there all along: in Christ, you are already accepted, already loved, already enough.
Your life can flow from that truth rather than desperately reaching for it. And in that space—where striving ends and peace begins—you’ll discover what genuine faith has always been: a response to grace, not a performance for approval.
Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.
Do you wake up exhausted before your feet even hit the floor? Are your spiritual disciplines draining rather than life-giving? Does serving God feel more like an endless marathon than a joyful walk?
You might be experiencing Christian burnout—the spiritual exhaustion that comes from trying to earn what has already been freely given.
The Hidden Epidemic in Our Churches
Bob woke up every morning with a knot in his stomach. There was always more to do: another prayer meeting to attend, another ministry to support, another person to help. Despite his faithful service, the gnawing sense of inadequacy never left. The more he did, the emptier he felt.
This isn’t just a fictional character’s struggle—it’s a reality for countless believers.
Christian burnout is real, and it’s decimating the church from within.
According to research, an estimated 50% of pastors have considered leaving ministry because of burnout. But this isn’t just a leadership problem—it’s affecting everyday believers who are silently carrying the crushing weight of religious performance.
The Warning Signs You’re Heading for Burnout
Christian burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the slow deterioration of joy, purpose, and spiritual vitality under the constant pressure to perform. Here are the warning signs:
Your spiritual disciplines feel like obligations rather than privileges
You serve from depletion rather than abundance
You feel resentful about church commitments
You’re constantly tired but can’t seem to rest
You compare your spiritual life to others
You feel guilty when you’re not “doing” something for God
“I’m just tired,” Bob confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been climbing this mountain my whole life, and I don’t feel any closer to the top.”
Does this resonate with your experience? This exhaustion isn’t what God intended for you.
The Three Lies Driving Christian Burnout
Christian burnout doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s fueled by specific misconceptions about God, ourselves, and the nature of the Christian life:
Lie #1: God’s Pleasure Must Be Earned
The belief that God’s approval fluctuates based on your spiritual output, driving you to do more and more to maintain His favor.
Truth: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God declared this over Jesus before He had performed a single miracle or sermon. Your identity as beloved precedes your activity.
Lie #2: Spiritual Growth Is Measured by Activity
The assumption that spiritual maturity is directly tied to the quantity of your religious activities.
Truth: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” God is far more concerned with transformation than religious busyness.
Lie #3: Rest Is Optional (or Even Lazy)
The dangerous belief that you don’t need rest, that slowing down means falling behind. True rest is reliance, therefore stay dependent in Jesus.
Truth: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus Himself invites us to rest, making it not optional but essential.
The Valley of Religion: Where Burnout Thrives
“They build temples in the Valley of Religion… and call it the summit,” Kinsman observed. Bob looked around at the bustling activity, the fervent prayers, the dedicated ritual. Everyone looked exhausted, yet no one was stopping. They had settled for building impressive structures in the valley while calling it the summit.
The Valley of Religion is where burnout thrives—where activity is mistaken for intimacy, where doing for God replaces being with God.
In this valley, we develop sophisticated systems of spiritual performance, convincing ourselves we’re climbing higher while actually moving nowhere.
The Root Cause: Living From the Outside In
At the core of Christian burnout is a fundamental misorientation: living from the outside in rather than from the inside out.
Outside-In Living:
Driven by external expectations
Motivated by comparison and fear
Focused on doing enough
Measures worth by activity
Results in depletion
Inside-Out Living:
Flows from internal abundance
Motivated by love and gratitude
Focused on being enough
Measures worth by identity
Results in replenishment
“I had spent so long living from the outside in,” Bob realized, “letting my circumstances dictate my choices, letting other people’s approval shape my identity, letting fear and lack define what was possible.”
This realization marked the beginning of his freedom from burnout—and it can mark yours too.
The Path to Recovery: From Burnout to Breakthrough
Breaking the cycle of Christian burnout isn’t about trying harder in a different direction. It’s about a fundamental paradigm shift in how you relate to God, yourself, and your spiritual life:
1. Recognize Your Burnout
Before you can heal, you must acknowledge that you’re burned out. This isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. Stop pretending everything is fine when your soul is screaming for rest.
2. Return to Your True Identity
“His identity isn’t tied to what you achieve or what you own, but to who you are in Him,” Kinsman stated. Your primary identity isn’t servant, minister, or helper—it’s beloved child. Let this sink deep into your soul.
3. Receive Before You Give
The rhythm of the Christian life is always receive, then give—never give, then receive. Start each day by receiving God’s love, approval, and strength before attempting to serve anyone.
4. Redefine Success
Success in God’s kingdom isn’t measured by activity but by faithfulness. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is rest.
5. Release the False Maps
“Bob swallowed hard. ‘My whole life… I thought I had to fight for everything. That if I didn’t keep pushing, I would be nothing.'” Like Bob, you may need to let go of the map you’ve been following—the one that says your value comes from your performance.
Practical Steps to Break the Cycle
Moving from burnout to breakthrough requires practical action. Here’s how to begin:
Schedule a Sabbath
Set aside a time each week for rest, enjoyment, and worship
Protect this time fiercely
Use it to receive from God rather than produce for Him
Audit Your Commitments
List all your spiritual and ministry commitments
Ask: “Which of these am I doing out of obligation rather than joy?”
Be willing to step back from activities that drain without replenishing
Practice Contemplative Prayer
Spend time simply being with God, not asking for anything
Listen more than you speak
Allow your identity as beloved to sink deeper than your performance
Engage in Life-Giving Activities
Identify what brings you genuine joy
Recognize that God delights in your delight
Make time for activities that replenish your spirit
Find a Grace Community
Surround yourself with people who value being over doing
Share openly about your burnout without shame
Support each other in maintaining healthy boundaries
The Freedom That Awaits
Imagine waking up without that knot in your stomach. Imagine serving from abundance rather than obligation. Imagine loving God because of who He is, not because of what you must do.
This is the life that awaits on the other side of burnout.
“I don’t even know how to explain it,” Bob told Sarah, his voice filled with wonder. “For the first time, I feel… free. Like I’m not climbing anymore.”
Sarah studied him, noticing the change in his eyes, the absence of the tension that had always lingered there. “What happened?” she asked softly.
Bob smiled. “I finally realized I was never meant to earn what was freely given. I let go of the map I’ve been following my whole life—the one that said I had to be more, do more, achieve more to be worthy.”
This freedom can be yours too. Not through more effort, more discipline, or more activity—but through the revolutionary act of embracing what has already been accomplished on your behalf.
“This is what you were made for,” Kinsman told Bob, gesturing to the Tree of Life. “This is what was lost. And now, this is what has been restored.”
Will you continue the exhausting climb? Or will you finally step into the rest that was purchased for you?
Your breakthrough from burnout begins with a single step: letting go of the need to earn what Jesus has already freely given.
Want to go deeper? THE CALL workbook is your next step in breaking free from performance-based spirituality and discovering the relationship God always intended. More than just questions, it’s a guided journey from exhausting religious effort to liberating grace. Click herewww.graceempoweredliving.com/call to begin your transformation.
Written by, Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. Drawing from over four decades of ministry experience, Scott empowers others to move beyond obstacles toward a fulfilled life through God’s grace. His passion is helping people discover they are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ—no exhausting religious performance required.
Ever found yourself spiritually exhausted? Doing all the “right” Christian things—church attendance, Bible reading, prayer time, volunteering—yet feeling more depleted than fulfilled? Like you’re running on a treadmill that never stops, desperately trying to earn God’s approval?
You’re not alone in this exhaustion. And there’s a way off the treadmill.
The Hidden Burden We All Carry
Bob Cooper thought he was living the Christian life correctly. He checked all the boxes: regular church attendance, tithing, occasional volunteering, avoiding the “big sins.” From the outside, his spiritual life looked exemplary.
Yet deep inside, a question nagged at him: Am I doing enough?
This question is the telltale sign of performance-based spirituality—a burden so many believers carry without realizing it’s not what God intended.
“Because as he is present tense, so are we in this world,” Eli told Bob. The words hit different now. It wasn’t about becoming like Jesus through effort; it was about accepting that in Christ, we already are.
The Treadmill of Religious Performance
The performance treadmill operates on a simple premise: God’s approval must be earned through spiritual activities and moral behavior.
It creates a predictable cycle:
Spiritual high – You commit to new disciplines, feel closer to God
Inevitable failure – You miss a day, fall short of your standards
Shame spiral – You feel distant from God, unworthy of His presence
Recommitment – You try harder, promise to do better, start over
Repeat – The cycle continues, leaving you increasingly exhausted
“I had been on this mountain for a very, very long time,” Bob realized with sudden clarity. “I hadn’t just arrived here. I had been climbing all my life.”
This realization hit home. The mountain of religious performance isn’t something we occasionally visit—it’s the terrain many of us have been navigating our entire spiritual lives.
Three False Beliefs That Keep Us Climbing
Why do we stay on this exhausting treadmill? Three powerful falsehoods keep us locked in performance mode:
1. God’s Love is Conditional
The subtle belief that God’s affection for us rises and falls based on our spiritual performance. When we pray consistently, He’s pleased. When we struggle with sin, He’s disappointed.
The Truth: “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Because as he is, so are we in this world.” God’s love for you is fixed, unwavering, and unconditional.
2. Our Identity is What We Do
We begin to confuse who we are with what we do. I am a prayer warrior. I am a worship leader. I am a Bible study teacher.
The Truth: Your identity isn’t found in your spiritual accomplishments but in your position as a child of God. “You were never meant to earn what I have provided, just believe.” Your identity is received, not achieved.
3. Relationship with God is Primarily About Behavior
The belief that our relationship with God improves when our behavior improves, and suffers when our behavior falters.
The Truth: Relationship with God flows from grace, not performance. “He had spent his whole life identifying with the climb. But if he wasn’t striving anymore… then who was he?”
The Warning Signs of Performance-Based Faith
How do you know if you’re trapped in the performance paradigm? Look for these warning signs:
You feel like God is disappointed in you most of the time
You measure your spiritual growth by activities completed
You compare your spiritual life to others
You avoid genuine vulnerability about your struggles
You feel anxious when you miss spiritual disciplines
Your relationship with God lacks joy and feels like obligation
As Bob sat in the Valley of Religion, he observed the climbers around him—some had stopped, exhausted; some had fallen; others were still pushing forward, eyes locked on a summit they couldn’t even see. He recognized himself in their striving.
The Mountain No One Can Climb
“For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.” – Hebrews 7:19
The Valley of Religion was filled with people who had convinced themselves they were making progress toward the summit. Each group had their doctrines, their systems, their certainties.
But when Bob asked a simple question—”Has anyone actually reached the peak?”—an uncomfortable silence fell.
“Many have come close,” someone finally said. But close isn’t summit.
The truth dawned on him: No one had made it. No one ever would. Because the mountain was never meant to be climbed through human effort.
The Radical Shift: From Performance to Relationship
“I’m saying we all are,” Eli corrected him. “We were raised on this. We were handed the map before we could even walk. And the deeper it’s ingrained, the harder it fights back when you start to question it.”
Moving from performance to relationship requires a paradigm shift so radical it feels like waking up from a dream:
Performance Paradigm:
God’s approval must be earned
Spiritual disciplines are obligations
Failures create distance from God
Worth is measured by what you do
Relationship with God feels like work
Relationship Paradigm:
God’s approval is already given
Spiritual disciplines are invitations
Failures are opportunities for grace
Worth is established by who you are in Christ
Relationship with God feels like rest
Bob swallowed hard. “What if life falls apart? What if you lose everything—your job, your family, your health?” Eli turned toward him fully. “Would you still be free?” Bob’s throat tightened. He didn’t answer. Because he didn’t know.
This is the real question, isn’t it? Is our relationship with God strong enough to survive when all our religious performances fail?
The Key to Freedom: Letting Go
“Bob… you’re already where you were meant to be. The question is…will you live as though it’s true?”
The key to freedom isn’t trying harder in a new direction—it’s letting go of the entire performance paradigm.
This letting go isn’t passive resignation; it’s active surrender. It’s the deliberate choice to:
Release the burden of earning God’s approval
Embrace your identity as already beloved
Receive grace rather than achieve it
Rest in relationship rather than strive in religion
When Bob finally understood this, “He let it fall. The wind carried it away. And for the first time in his life, Bob felt something he never had before. Freedom.”
Practical Steps to Break Free from Performance
Moving from performance to relationship isn’t accomplished overnight. Here are practical steps to begin the journey:
Identify Your Performance Triggers
What spiritual activities make you feel “better” or “worse” about your standing with God?
When do you feel most distant from God?
What religious behaviors do you engage in primarily out of fear or obligation?
Replace Religious Should’s with Relational Want’s
Instead of “I should read my Bible,” try “I get to connect with God through His Word”
Rather than “I must pray daily,” shift to “I’m invited to converse with my Father”
Move from “I need to go to church” to “I want to gather with my spiritual family”
Practice Receiving Rather Than Achieving
Begin each day acknowledging God’s delight in you—before you’ve done anything
When you fail, run to God rather than away from Him
Sit in silence occasionally, just being with God rather than doing for Him
Let Grace Redefine Your Relationship
Ask: “What would my relationship with God look like if I truly believed His grace was sufficient?”
Notice when you slip into performance mode and gently return to grace
Consider how you would treat someone you deeply love—then recognize God loves you even more perfectly
The Freedom That Awaits You
When you move from performance to relationship, everything changes:
Prayer becomes conversation rather than obligation
Scripture becomes nourishment rather than homework
Worship becomes response rather than performance
Service becomes overflow rather than duty
Failure becomes opportunity rather than condemnation
Sarah exhaled slowly. “I had been chasing after something I already had. I had been climbing when I had already arrived.” Tears slipped down her face. Not from sadness. From relief.
This relief awaits you too. The exhaustion of earning God’s approval can end today—not because you’ve finally climbed high enough, but because you’ve realized the climb was never necessary.
“The moment you stop climbing for it, you start living from it,” Kinsman told Bob. This is the invitation before you right now.
Will you continue the exhausting climb? Or will you finally step off the treadmill and into the relationship you were created for?
“What if there’s more out there?” Bob wondered, the question echoing in the hollow chambers of his heart. “What if I’m meant for something greater, something beyond the confines of this predictable, mundane existence?”
That “something greater” isn’t found at the top of religious performance. It’s found in the arms of a Father who has already declared you beloved.
Want to go deeper? THE CALL workbook is your next step in breaking free from performance-based spirituality and discovering the relationship God always intended. More than just questions, it’s a guided journey from exhausting religious effort to liberating grace. Click herewww.GraceEmpoweredLiving.com/thecall to begin your transformation.
Written by,
Scott Johnson is an author of thirteen books and a grace-centered teacher who helps people break free from performance-based spirituality. His latest novel, THE CALL, draws from over four decades of ministry experience—from serving as a missionary in the Philippines to pastoring churches in California and Colorado. Together with his wife Debra, Scott has dedicated his life to empowering others to move past obstacles, frustrations, and fears toward a stress-free, fulfilled life through God’s grace. A father of four and grandfather of five, Scott continues to touch lives using every available means to share the liberating message that we are already approved, already loved, and already complete in Christ. His passion is connecting people to their potential and purpose, helping them discover what it means to live effectively through grace rather than exhausting religious performance.
