09/09/2026
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3 NLT)
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As people, we often think that to get something, we need to do something in return to have it. �
As kids, if we want a toy, we are often told to get good grades first. If we want to go outside, we need to finish our homework. When we become adults, if we want something, we need to work to earn money for it. Even in dating, if you want someone, you often feel like you need to do everything you can to win their heart.
It is our natural way of thinking: if we have something, we must have done something to deserve it. If we want something, we need to work for it.
But God has shown us something completely different. God has given us something that we could never earn through our own efforts. We don’t need to do something in return—we simply need to receive and accept it. �
We often misunderstand God’s gift as something we need to repay. That’s why we sometimes say, “Ang hirap naman maging Kristiyano.” But as I went through God’s Word, I realized that following Christ becomes lighter when we stop trying to earn what God has already freely given us. We don’t need to think, “Kailangan ko mag-church kasi sinave ako ni Lord,” “Kailangan ko magbigay kasi blessed ako ni Lord,” or worse, “Kailangan ko maging mabait kasi Kristiyano ako.” Isn’t it more beautiful when we do these things not because we are forced to, but because they naturally come from a heart that knows and loves God?
We often push ourselves to do things kasi kailangan, kasi nakakahiya, or kasi “Kristiyano ako.” But the reality is, we don’t need to earn our salvation; we simply need to accept it. We don’t need to earn other people’s validation either. When we know God more deeply, we begin to understand who we are in Him, and we no longer have to force ourselves to prove our worth. We need to be deeply rooted in Christ instead of constantly trying to look like good Christians.
Let us do good because it naturally flows from who we are in Christ, instead of doing good simply because it is expected of us. Sometimes, it is better to receive something we could never deserve than to spend our lives trying to prove that we deserve it.
So, stop worrying so much about what you need to do. Instead, focus on knowing God more. Because the more we know Him, the more we can reflect Him. The more we understand His grace, the more naturally we can give grace to others. And let this always be our reminder:
“I will know Him more, so I can reflect God more.”
