106 | Tired of Trying to Be Enough? Choose Freedom Not Performance (Galatians Bible Study)

Find the full episode here >>> LivingOnPurposeInChrist/blog

We open Galatians like a letter addressed to our busy, burdened hearts and trace its urgent call: drop the checklist, abandon the “other gospel” that's trying to replace the Good New of Jesus and choose freedom in Him.

We walk through the heart of this letter with fresh eyes: Paul’s personal transformation from rule-keeping to surrender, his bold confrontation of spiritual image-management, and his reminder that the Holy Spirit arrives by faith, not by checking off everything on a "Getting into Heaven TO-DO List." Together, we explore adoption as the message of assurance—you are not an employee auditioning for God’s approval but a son or daughter who prays “Abba, Father.” From there, the fruit of the Spirit becomes a lived reality: kindness when tempers flare, peace when plans unravel, self-control that grows where grace has taken root. We also name the obstacles—comparison, guilt, the myth of “doing more”—and replace them with practices that are gentle and doable: short gospel readings, breath prayers and sensory cues to help silence the noise of the world.

Freedom in Christ isn’t permission to drift; it’s power to become who you were meant to be—someone whose ordinary moments carry the aroma of Christ. If your devotional life feels more like striving than savoring, this conversation will help you reset with clarity, compassion, and practical tools you can use today. If it resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review so more listeners can find this message of grace. Want hands-on help? Book the Aroma of Christ coaching hour at PaulaBehrens.com/coaching and build a peaceful rhythm that fits your real life.

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Episode Transcript

Paula Behrens (00:00):
Have you ever caught yourself wondering if
you're doing enough?
Maybe you've been walking withJesus for years, but somewhere
along the way, that light,joyful faith started to feel
heavy, like a to-do list youcan't quite keep up with.
Maybe it shows up in quietways, the guilt when you miss
your morning devotional, thefrustration when you lose
patience, or the feeling thatGod might be disappointed in

(00:23):
you.
If that hits home, the book ofGalatians was written for you.
Paul's words cut through thenoise of performance and
perfectionism and get right tothe heart of the gospel that
Christ has set us free.
It's not our checklist, ourservice hours, or our spiritual
achievements that make us rightwith God.

(00:45):
It's grace, pure and simple.
And friend, when you let thattruth sink in, it changes
everything.
When I first began my seminarywork while serving two church
congregations full time,everyone assumed I had my daily
devotional time perfectlyorganized.
But truth be told, there weremornings I could barely find
five minutes to catch my breath,let alone dive into deep

(01:08):
reflection.
One day, as I rushed out thedoor with mismatched shoes, I
realized that even in my chaos,there was a lesson.
Embracing God's grace andself-forgiveness, I realized
that true success in mydevotional life requires
prioritizing my spiritualpractices.
Are you finding it challengingto maintain your spiritual

(01:31):
practices or yearning for a morepeaceful, God-aligned day?
I'm Paula, and I've been theretoo.
Balancing spiritual habits witha busy life can be difficult.
I longed for a deeperconnection with God but
struggled with consistency.
Then I found the perfectapproach.
If you seek simple ways todeepen your connection with God,
this podcast is for you.

(01:53):
Please take a moment to followthe show, leave a review, and
share with your friends who needa little biblical encouragement
today.
You want to grow closer to God,but let's be honest, your days
are full, your mind is busy, andyour devotional routine feels
more like a struggle than asanctuary.
That's exactly why I createdthe Aroma of Christ Coaching

(02:13):
Hour.
This one-on-one session isdesigned to make deepening your
relationship with God simple,peaceful, and personal.
No pressure, no overwhelm, justa guided, spirit-led approach
to help you reset and reconnectwith Jesus in a way that truly
fits your life.
You won't leave empty-handedeither.
You'll walk away witheverything you need to continue
your journey, including aprintable devotional planning

(02:36):
and trapping guide to help youstay consistent, a beautiful
gospel reading plan that walksyou through the life of Jesus, a
downloadable prayer journal toreflect, process, and pray
intentionally, and practicalguidance on how to use essential
oils to quiet your mind andinvite peace into your spiritual
practices.
You don't need fancy tools orhours of free time.

(02:57):
You just need a doable plan andsomeone to help you make it
real.
So let's make your devotionallife easy, meaningful, and
refreshingly Christ-centered.
It's time to simplify yourspiritual life so you can savor
it again.
Book your Aroma of Christcoaching hour today at
PaulaBehrens.com/coaching.
That's Paula Behrens B E H R EN S .com/coaching (no spaces).

(03:25):
Look for a link in the shownotes.
All right, friend.
Grab your Bible, dust off yourjournal, cozy up to your
favorite beverage, and let'sdive in.
Today we're going to walkthrough the letter that Paul
sent to the Galatians, not as adry Bible study, but as a
life-giving conversation abouthow these ancient words meet our
modern day struggles.

(03:46):
Whether you're listening withcoffee in your hand or you're on
your way to work, I want you tofeel like we're sitting
together talking about what realfreedom in Christ looks like
right now.
When Paul wrote this letter, hewasn't sitting down for a quiet
devotional moment.
He was writing out of deepconcern and even heartbreak.
The believers in Galatia hadstarted out with pure, joyful

(04:11):
faith.
They had believed the good newsthat Jesus died for their sins
and rose again, offering themnew life through faith alone.
But over time, some persuasiveteachers came along and started
saying, That's good, but notenough.
You also need to follow theseold religious laws.
You need to earn your place.

(04:32):
Sound familiar?
Maybe not with ancient Jewishcustoms, but don't we sometimes
hear those same lies whisperedin different ways?
You'll be closer to God if youpray longer, if you volunteer
more, if you clean up your pastperfectly.
Those little whispers can soundholy, but they lead us right
back into bondage.

(04:53):
Paul saw that happening and heknew it was serious.
This wasn't a small theologicaldebate.
It was about the veryfoundation of their faith.
Were they going to live bygrace or by works?
Were they going to live byfreedom or by fear?
So Paul grabs his pen and youcan almost feel the urgency in

(05:14):
his words.
There's no small talk at thebeginning.
No, I thank God for you, likein most of his letters.
No, in this one, he jumpsstraight in saying, I am
astonished that you are soquickly deserting the one who
called you to live in the graceof Christ and turning to a
different gospel.
That's how important this was.

(05:36):
Paul starts by telling hisstory.
Not to boast, but to prove thatthe message he preached wasn't
a human idea.
He says, I didn't make this up.
I didn't get it from anyoneelse.
Jesus himself revealed it tome.
And that matters because Paulused to be the biggest rule
follower there was.

(05:56):
He had the credentials, theeducation, the reputation.
If anyone could have been goodenough through the law, it was
Paul.
But when Jesus showed up,everything changed.
Maybe you've had that momenttoo, when your tidy religion
turned into a livingrelationship, when you realize
that Jesus wasn't inviting youto try harder, but to surrender.

(06:20):
Paul tells the Galatians howeven after following Jesus,
there were times when the oldhabits tried to creep back in.
Even Peter, one of theapostles, fell into this.
He started pulling away fromGentile believers out of fear of
what others might think.
Paul had to confront him,reminding him that we are

(06:41):
justified by faith, not byfollowing rules or impressing
people.
Paul doesn't stop there.
He asks his listeners straightout, did you receive the Spirit
by following rules or bybelieving what you heard?
And he already knows theanswer.
They had received the HolySpirit the same way we do, by
faith, by simply believing.

(07:03):
No checklist, no perfection.
God made promises to Abraham,not because Abraham was perfect,
but because he trusted him.
That's the same way we're savedtoday.
Paul goes on to explain that thelaw was like a guardian, a
teacher that helped us see ourneed for a savior.

(07:23):
But now that Jesus is come,we're no longer under that
guardian.
We've graduated, so to speak.
And then comes one of the mostbeautiful truths in the Bible.
Paul writes, You are allchildren of God through faith in
Christ Jesus.
There is neither Jew norGentile, neither slave nor free,

(07:43):
nor is there male or female,for you are all one in Christ
Jesus, Galatians chapter 3,verses 26 and 28.
For women especially, this issuch a powerful reminder, isn't
it?
In a world that often definesus by our roles, our mistakes,
or our limitations, Paul says,You are His child, equal, loved,

(08:05):
and free.
In chapter 4, he builds on thatidea with the word adoption.
Before Christ, we were likechildren under guardians, bound
by rules and systems.
But now, through Jesus, God hasadopted us as his sons and
daughters.
He sent the Spirit into ourhearts so that we can cry out,

(08:26):
Abba, Father.
That means when you pray,you're not talking to a distant
deity who's keeping score.
You're talking to your fatherwho delights in you.
You can almost hear Paul's heartbreaking when he says, How can
you go back to being slavesagain?
Paul says, in essence, don'ttrade one burden for another.

(08:49):
When we walk by the Spirit, webegin to see the fruit of that
freedom show up in our everydaylives.
Fruit like love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, andself-control.
It's not about trying to forcethose fruits to grow.
They are the result of asurrendered life to Jesus.

(09:11):
He's the one through the HolySpirit that sanctifies us.
Maybe that looks likeresponding with kindness when
your teenager snaps at you, orpossibly choosing peace instead
of panic when your plans fallapart, or offering forgiveness
even when it still hurts.

(09:31):
That's not weakness.
All those things are evidenceof the Holy Spirit at work
within you.
Paul contrasts this fruit-filledlife with what he calls the
works of the flesh.
Those are the old habitsbitterness, envy, selfishness,
gossip, immorality.

(09:52):
This point isn't to shame us,but to remind us that we can't
grow both at once.
We can't nurture bitterness andexpect peace to flourish.
We can't nurture immorality andexpect self-control to grow.
Then he closes chapter five byreminding us that those who

(10:13):
belong to Christ have crucifiedthe flesh with its passions and
desires.
In other words, we've left thatold life behind.
Then in the next chapter, six,Paul brings it all home.
He talks about carrying eachother's burdens, restoring those
who've fallen, and not growingweary and doing good.
That's such a word for ourtimes, isn't it?

(10:35):
When life feels heavy, when theworld seems divided and
discouraging, Paul says, Keepsowing good seeds, keep loving,
keep forgiving, keep showing up,because you will reap a harvest
if you don't give up.
And maybe that's exactly whatyou need to hear today.
Don't give up.
As women living in this busy,distracted world, we can easily

(10:59):
slip into a spiritual rhythmthat's more about performance
than presence.
We scroll through social mediaand see other believers posting
perfectly highlighted Bibles orsharing how early they wake up
to pray, and suddenly gracestarts to feel like a
competition.
But Galatians whispers andsometimes shouts a better way.

(11:21):
You are free, you are loved,you are enough because of Jesus.
When you mess up, his gracedoesn't evaporate.
When you fall short, he doesn'tpull away.
His spirit lives in you togently lead you back to the
better path.
And living in the spirit meansthat faith isn't confined to
church on Sunday mornings.

(11:42):
It's in your car rides, yourconversations, your laundry
folding moments, the work you doat the office, your tears, your
laughter.
It's woven into every part oflife when you remember you're
walking with him.
That's the key.
When you remember you'rewalking with him.
It's about inviting him intothe mundane and allowing each

(12:04):
moment to be Spirit-led.
Freedom isn't about doingwhatever we want, it's about
becoming who we were alwaysmeant to be, Christ followers
who reflect Jesus in a worldthat desperately needs to know
of his love, his grace, and hispeace.
If you've been feeling like yourfaith is dry, like you're just

(12:26):
checking boxes but not reallyconnecting with God, this letter
to the Galatians is yourinvitation to start fresh.
Maybe it's time to release thatinvisible measuring stick
you've been carrying around.
Maybe it's time to forgiveyourself for not being perfect.
Maybe it's time to believe thatgrace really is enough, not

(12:46):
just for everyone else, but foryou.
God doesn't want you living inguilt.
He wants you living in freedom.
A freedom that lets you loveboldly, rest deeply, and trust
completely.
So the next time that littlevoice whispers, You're not doing
enough, you can smile and say,Actually, Jesus already did

(13:10):
enough.
And that, my friend, is theheartbeat of Galatians.
Maybe today you just need totake a deep breath and whisper,
Thank you, Lord, that I don'thave to earn your love.
Let that truth wash over you.
And as you go about your day,washing dishes, answering
emails, working from home or inthe office, caring for your

(13:32):
family in addition to everythingelse, remember this.
The same Spirit who raisedJesus from the dead lives in
you.
That's the Spirit of love,grace, and peace.
If you're longing for a deepersense of that peace in the
middle of life's noise and thepressure to do more, I want to
invite you to book an Aroma ofChrist coaching hour plus Peace

(13:53):
RESET with me.
In this one-hour session, we'llcreate a simple, faith-filled
daily rhythm that meets youwhere you are, helping you
reclaim quiet moments with Godwithout feeling like it has to
be perfect or complicated.
Together, using your freeessential oil sampler, we'll
walk alongside the Holy Spiritto reset your mind and heart so
that the peace can flownaturally into your days,

(14:15):
reminding you that even small,consistent moments with Him are
more than enough to nurture adeep and abiding relationship
with your Creator God.
If that sounds good to you, goright now to PaulaBehrens.com
/coaching and book your session.
That's Paula Behrens B E H R EN S .com/coaching (no spaces).

(14:37):
Let's walk this sacred journeytogether, surrounded by truth,
purpose, and the sweet aroma ofHs presence.
Thank you for tuning in today.
And remember, just like settingbiblical boundaries, it's okay
to say no to things that don'tserve you well, like that third
piece of cake at the churchpotluck.
If you were blessed by thisepisode, be sure to share it

(15:00):
with a friend and leave a reviewso that we can reach even more
women like you.
Check the show notes for allthe links.
Join us next week as wecontinue to discover how to live
on purpose in Christ.
Until then, keep leaning intoHim and walking in His wisdom.
See you next time.