Living On Purpose In Christ Bible Study | Biblical Encouragement, Aromatherapy, Devotions, Daily Prayer, Journaling Prompts

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

• Paula Behrens | Christian Coach, Pastor, Certified Aroma Freedom Practitioner • Season 2

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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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Paula Behrens:

Have you ever caught yourself wondering if you're doing enough? Maybe you've been walking with Jesus for years, but somewhere along the way, that light, joyful faith started to feel heavy, like a to-do list you can't quite keep up with. Maybe it shows up in quiet ways, the guilt when you miss your morning devotional, the frustration when you lose patience, or the feeling that God might be disappointed in you. If that hits home, the book of Galatians was written for you. Paul's words cut through the noise of performance and perfectionism and get right to the heart of the gospel that Christ has set us free. It's not our checklist, our service hours, or our spiritual achievements that make us right with God. It's grace, pure and simple. And friend, when you let that truth sink in, it changes everything.

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When I first began my seminary work while serving two church congregations full time, everyone assumed I had my daily devotional time perfectly organized. But truth be told, there were mornings I could barely find five minutes to catch my breath, let alone dive into deep reflection. One day, as I rushed out the door with mismatched shoes, I realized that even in my chaos, there was a lesson. Embracing God's grace and self-forgiveness, I realized that true success in my devotional life requires prioritizing my spiritual practices.

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Are you finding it challenging to maintain your spiritual practices or yearning for a more peaceful, God-aligned day? I'm Paula, and I've been there too. Balancing spiritual habits with a busy life can be difficult. I longed for a deeper connection with God but struggled with consistency. Then I found the perfect approach. If you seek simple ways to deepen your connection with God, this podcast is for you. Please take a moment to follow the show, leave a review, and share with your friends who need a little biblical encouragement today.

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You want to grow closer to God, but let's be honest, your days are full, your mind is busy, and your devotional routine feels more like a struggle than a sanctuary. That's exactly why I created the Aroma of Christ Coaching Hour. This one-on-one session is designed to make deepening your relationship with God simple, peaceful, and personal. No pressure, no overwhelm, just a guided, spirit-led approach to help you reset and reconnect with Jesus in a way that truly fits your life. You won't leave empty-handed either. You'll walk away with everything you need to continue your journey, including a printable devotional planning and trapping guide to help you stay consistent, a beautiful gospel reading plan that walks you through the life of Jesus, a downloadable prayer journal to reflect, process, and pray intentionally, and practical guidance on how to use essential oils to quiet your mind and invite peace into your spiritual practices. You don't need fancy tools or hours of free time. You just need a doable plan and someone to help you make it real. So let's make your devotional life easy, meaningful, and refreshingly Christ-centered. It's time to simplify your spiritual life so you can savor it again. Book your Aroma of Christ coaching hour today at PaulaBehrens.com/coaching. That's Paula Behrens B E H R E N S .com/coaching (no spaces). Look for a link in the show notes.

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All right, friend. Grab your Bible, dust off your journal, cozy up to your favorite beverage, and let's dive in. Today we're going to walk through the letter that Paul sent to the Galatians, not as a dry Bible study, but as a life-giving conversation about how these ancient words meet our modern day struggles. Whether you're listening with coffee in your hand or you're on your way to work, I want you to feel like we're sitting together talking about what real freedom in Christ looks like right now. When Paul wrote this letter, he wasn't sitting down for a quiet devotional moment. He was writing out of deep concern and even heartbreak. The believers in Galatia had started out with pure, joyful faith. They had believed the good news that Jesus died for their sins and rose again, offering them new life through faith alone. But over time, some persuasive teachers came along and started saying, That's good, but not enough. You also need to follow these old religious laws. You need to earn your place.

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Sound familiar? Maybe not with ancient Jewish customs, but don't we sometimes hear those same lies whispered in different ways? You'll be closer to God if you pray longer, if you volunteer more, if you clean up your past perfectly. Those little whispers can sound holy, but they lead us right back into bondage. Paul saw that happening and he knew it was serious. This wasn't a small theological debate. It was about the very foundation of their faith. Were they going to live by grace or by works? Were they going to live by freedom or by fear? So Paul grabs his pen and you can almost feel the urgency in his words. There's no small talk at the beginning. No, I thank God for you, like in most of his letters. No, in this one, he jumps straight in saying, I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel. That's how important this was.

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Paul starts by telling his story. Not to boast, but to prove that the message he preached wasn't a human idea. He says, I didn't make this up. I didn't get it from anyone else. Jesus himself revealed it to me. And that matters because Paul used to be the biggest rule follower there was. He had the credentials, the education, the reputation. If anyone could have been good enough through the law, it was Paul. But when Jesus showed up, everything changed.

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Maybe you've had that moment too, when your tidy religion turned into a living relationship, when you realize that Jesus wasn't inviting you to try harder, but to surrender. Paul tells the Galatians how even after following Jesus, there were times when the old habits tried to creep back in. Even Peter, one of the apostles, fell into this. He started pulling away from Gentile believers out of fear of what others might think. Paul had to confront him, reminding him that we are justified by faith, not by following rules or impressing people. Paul doesn't stop there. He asks his listeners straight out, did you receive the Spirit by following rules or by believing what you heard? And he already knows the answer. They had received the Holy Spirit the same way we do, by faith, by simply believing. 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 saved today.

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Paul goes on to explain that the law was like a guardian, a teacher that helped us see our need for a savior. 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 most beautiful truths in the Bible. Paul writes, You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, 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 is such a powerful reminder, isn't it? In a world that often defines us by our roles, our mistakes, or our limitations, Paul says, You are His child, equal, loved, and free. In chapter 4, he builds on that idea with the word adoption. Before Christ, we were like children under guardians, bound by rules and systems. But now, through Jesus, God has adopted us as his sons and daughters. He sent the Spirit into our hearts so that we can cry out, Abba, Father. That means when you pray, you're not talking to a distant deity who's keeping score. You're talking to your father who delights in you.

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You can almost hear Paul's heart breaking when he says, How can you go back to being slaves again? Paul says, in essence, don't trade one burden for another. When we walk by the Spirit, we begin to see the fruit of that freedom show up in our everyday lives. Fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It's not about trying to force those fruits to grow. They are the result of a surrendered life to Jesus. He's the one through the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us. Maybe that looks like responding with kindness when your teenager snaps at you, or possibly choosing peace instead of panic when your plans fall apart, or offering forgiveness even when it still hurts. That's not weakness. All those things are evidence of the Holy Spirit at work within you.

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Paul contrasts this fruit-filled life with what he calls the works of the flesh. Those are the old habits bitterness, envy, selfishness, gossip, immorality. This point isn't to shame us, but to remind us that we can't grow both at once. We can't nurture bitterness and expect peace to flourish. We can't nurture immorality and expect self-control to grow. Then he closes chapter five by reminding us that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. In other words, we've left that old life behind.

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Then in the next chapter, six, Paul brings it all home. He talks about carrying each other's burdens, restoring those who've fallen, and not growing weary and doing good. That's such a word for our times, isn't it? When life feels heavy, when the world seems divided and discouraging, Paul says, Keep sowing 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 what you need to hear today. Don't give up. As women living in this busy, distracted world, we can easily slip into a spiritual rhythm that's more about performance than presence. We scroll through social media and see other believers posting perfectly highlighted Bibles or sharing how early they wake up to pray, and suddenly grace starts to feel like a competition. But Galatians whispers and sometimes shouts a better way. You are free, you are loved, you are enough because of Jesus. When you mess up, his grace doesn't evaporate. When you fall short, he doesn't pull away. His spirit lives in you to gently lead you back to the better path.

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And living in the spirit means that faith isn't confined to church on Sunday mornings. It's in your car rides, your conversations, your laundry folding moments, the work you do at the office, your tears, your laughter. It's woven into every part of life when you remember you're walking with him. That's the key. When you remember you're walking with him. It's about inviting him into the mundane and allowing each moment to be Spirit-led. Freedom isn't about doing whatever we want, it's about becoming who we were always meant to be, Christ followers who reflect Jesus in a world that desperately needs to know of his love, his grace, and his peace.

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If you've been feeling like your faith is dry, like you're just checking boxes but not really connecting with God, this letter to the Galatians is your invitation to start fresh. Maybe it's time to release that invisible measuring stick you've been carrying around. Maybe it's time to forgive yourself for not being perfect. Maybe it's time to believe that grace really is enough, not just for everyone else, but for you. God doesn't want you living in guilt. He wants you living in freedom. A freedom that lets you love boldly, rest deeply, and trust completely. So the next time that little voice whispers, You're not doing enough, you can smile and say, Actually, Jesus already did enough. And that, my friend, is the heartbeat of Galatians. Maybe today you just need to take a deep breath and whisper, Thank you, Lord, that I don't have 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 in the office, caring for your family in addition to everything else, remember this. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. That's the Spirit of love, grace, and peace.

Speaker 00:

If you're longing for a deeper sense of that peace in the middle of life's noise and the pressure to do more, I want to invite you to book an Aroma of Christ coaching hour plus Peace RESET with me. In this one-hour session, we'll create a simple, faith-filled daily rhythm that meets you where you are, helping you reclaim quiet moments with God without feeling like it has to be perfect or complicated. Together, using your free essential oil sampler, we'll walk alongside the Holy Spirit to reset your mind and heart so that the peace can flow naturally into your days, reminding you that even small, consistent moments with Him are more than enough to nurture a deep and abiding relationship with your Creator God. If that sounds good to you, go right now to PaulaBehrens.com/coaching and book your session. That's Paula Behrens B E H R E N S .com/coaching (no spaces). Let's walk this sacred journey together, surrounded by truth, purpose, and the sweet aroma of Hs presence.

Speaker 00:

Thank you for tuning in today. And remember, just like setting biblical boundaries, it's okay to say no to things that don't serve you well, like that third piece of cake at the church potluck. If you were blessed by this episode, be sure to share it with a friend and leave a review so that we can reach even more women like you. Check the show notes for all the links. Join us next week as we continue to discover how to live on purpose in Christ. Until then, keep leaning into Him and walking in His wisdom. See you next time.