We live in a world where people are driven by performance. In the corporate world or social life performance matters. But this relentless focus on performance or doing things has its costs, and often, it far exceeds the benefits.
The first casualty is relationships: they become superficial as focus is shifted to material things- higher salaries or profits versus spending time with people. Then in work life too, people succumb to short cuts where the line between right and wrong gets blurred. Honesty and integrity becomes a rare commodity in the marketplace. The dangerous consequence of this toxic mixture – flaky relationship with low moral values- is that people tend to rely more on self than God (Psalm 118:8,9)
The hallmark of such people is uneasiness of mind concerning the future. So when anxiety grips performance-oriented people, they can’t find a rudder to fight it. Rather stress and anxiety consumes them.
When you are only seeking to perform, you will not be able to perform well. I can hear you saying: Is performance not important at all? What should I seek for? Wherever I go people demand performance. What do I do? My strong conviction is instead of being a performance seeker; you should become a seeker of God’s presence.Â
All our works (performances) no matter how good, great or incredible they are, they all are like filthy rags before God. As we seek His presence the enabling grace of God makes us better performers in life (II Cor.9:8; Rom. 5:17). That’s the secret of Christian life, a way of life which counters the wisdom of the world. David and Daniel are the two examples to follow, for they sought God’s presence more than anything. Similarly, as Christians, our priority must be to seek God’s presence and His ways and not go by worldly wisdom.
When you surrender your strengths, abilities, talents, gifts, time and yourself to God then God is able to do much more than we can ask or imagine according to the power that is at work within us (Eph.3:20,21). When we seek and live in His presence lot of exchanges takes place. He will replace our weaknesses with His strength, our foolishness with His wisdom and our ways with His ways.
Performance projects self but Presence will glorify God. Performance will meet your desires but Presence will meet God’s desires for you. Performance is short lived but Presence is eternal. Performance brings stress and anxiety but Presence will bring peace and freedom. This peace and freedom will enable you to perform better.
Seek His presence always and not performance.