“Be careful that no one fails to receive God’s grace.” Hebrews 12:15 (NCV)

How do you learn to “RELAX” in the liberating grace of God?

R—Realize nobody’s perfect.
The Bible says in the Living Bible paraphrase, “Nothing is perfect except your words” (Psalm 119:96). Those words are directed toward God, because only he is perfect! There isn’t anything perfect about society or popular opinion. There isn’t anything perfect about what you learned while growing up. But God’s Word is perfect. When you get in the Bible and build your life on it, you will have a perfect foundation. 

E—Enjoy God’s unconditional love.
The Bible says, “See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children—think of it—and we really are!” (1 John 3:1 TLB). When you become a follower of Christ, you’re not just a servant of God. You are a child of the King! A child is accepted on the basis of who they are. They can rest secure in the acceptance and love of their family.

L—Let God handle things.
What do you do about the uncontrollable things in life? “Cast all your anxiety on [God] because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV).

When you’re fishing and you cast a line, there comes a point when you have to take your finger off the button and let it go. So just like casting requires letting go, to overcome perfectionism, you have to let go and let God do his work.

A—Act in faith, not fear.
Remember how you got into God’s family in the first place. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (NIV). There’s no other way to get into heaven except by grace. You’ll never be good enough, and you can’t buy your way in. It’s a free gift from God.

X—Exchange your perfectionism for God’s peace.
Perfectionism destroys peace. Jesus says in The Message paraphrase, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest . . . Learn the unforced rhythms of grace” (Matthew 11:28-29). What a deal!

You’re going to fail a lot in life. But you don’t have to worry about it if you’ve received God’s grace. In fact, there’s only one failure you ever need to worry about: “Be careful that no one fails to receive God’s grace” (Hebrews 12:15 NCV).

Receive it right now, and then relax!