Do you ever feel like following Jesus? It's just one giant checklist of don'ts. Don't wear that. Don't laugh there. Don't miss a quiet time or you're basically a heathen. If that sounds like you, then stick around. Because the biggest lie in church culture is that God's dream for your life is a straight jacket after all. I'm by swapping. A Salvation Army officer. And this is the Battle Drill Daily devotional. Frankly, that feeling that the Christian life is a life of rules can really weigh you down. Jesus actually said he came to give you a rich and satisfying life. John chapter ten, verse ten. And yet, somehow we've ended up with a religion that feels like spiritual homework. So today we're ripping the mask off legalism and seeing what real life abundance looks like. I grew up thinking Christianity was a performance. Keep the outside shiny. Keep the uniform well pressed. Follow the orders and regulations. And the inside could be rusting. It's a heavy burden, this constant need to perform. The thief loves that version of faith because it steals the joy. It kills your authenticity. And it destroys any sense that God actually likes you. Legalism whispers you're accepted. If and then it moves to the finish line every time you get close. Exhausted yet? That's the point. The thief's business model is burnout. But if you flip the page to the second half of John chapter ten, verse ten, Jesus says, my purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. The Greek word is priceless. Overflow. More than enough. Endless. Refill. Life. He was showing us what true life really look like. Unburdened by external demands. Notice he doesn't say. My purpose is to give them a really impressive rule. Keeping CV. Jesus actually spent his time healing, feasting, forgiving, and hanging out with people who couldn't keep the existing rules even if they tried. No, he wasn't anti holiness, but he was anti shallowness. Holiness in Jesus economy is the byproduct of walking so close to him that you start to breathe the same air. Imagine for a moment, picture a rule driven faith, the motto try harder. Soundtrack. Guilt and the result. Comparison. Secrecy and a God who supposedly loves you but is kind of disappointed all at the same time. Now imagine picture B relationship driven faith. The motto come closer. The soundtrack. Grace and the result. Freedom to fail. Forward. Courage to be honest. And a God who throws parties when prodigals head home. Now, which one of those two pictures feels like abundance? Exactly. Rules regulate behavior from the outside. Grace transforms identity from the inside. Behavior modification often fizzles out, but heart renovation sticks. So what does paresis look like on a Tuesday? It's really about grand, earth shattering moments. Is it more often it's in those quiet internal shifts. For example, you mess up a presentation. Instead of spiraling into God must be punishing me for something, you hear? My approval was never tied to that PowerPoint piece shows up where shame used to live, or your spouse or your friend snapped at you. But instead of firing back or mentally scoring another black mark or messenger chart, you paused. You breathe. You ask God to show you what's really bugging them. Compassion replaces irritation, or you're scrolling your social media and you feel the old ache of comparison instead of vow number 473 to do better. You close the app. You whisper. Your life is my treasure. And suddenly the sunset looks brighter than anyone's filtered story. Now those moments might feel small, but stacked together they become a quietly radiant life rich, satisfying, and thief proof. Why not drop a comment naming one roll that you secretly thought God required of you? Let's call it out. Strip it of power and make room for the abundant life that Jesus promised. I'll be in the replies, sharing mine too. Christianity isn't a heavenly speed limit sign. It's a wedding invitation. The RSVP doesn't read. Bring your own righteousness. It says, come as you are. I've got the garment. What a beautiful, liberating picture of grace that is the moment that we say yes. The spirit starts rewiring our desires. Obedience stops being. Grit your teeth. Beauty and becomes the natural response to being loved outrageously. That's the abundant life. Needs met. Purpose sharpened, heart clenched and soul breathing. For the first time. So here's the trade. Hand over the checklist. Receive the life. Stop auditioning for a love that you already have. And start exploring the enormous freedom purchased for you. Jesus isn't standing at the finish line, tapping his watch. He's walking the track beside you, cheering every limp, every laugh and every leap. The thief came to steal, to kill and to destroy. He still does. Mainly through religious heaviness. But Jesus came to give you life. Paris's life. Till it spills out of your pores and splashes everyone within arm's reach. So go live. Contagious abundance. The rules have no answer for that kind of joy. Thanks so much for watching Battle Royale Daily Devotional. If you found today's message helpful, please like, share and subscribe so we can keep bringing daily encouragement to more people. And for more devotionals and resources, head over to Battle Drill devotional.com. Stay strong and Stay Battle ready.