Every so often I catch myself operating in a regulatory mindset, one that says “God will love me if I do for Him.” This thought is a performance way of thinking rooted in a belief that I am only as good as I perform, and this kind of thinking can lead to religious activities instead of relational intimacy with God. For me, it is rooted in my childhood and teenage years with my father. I believed I was not good enough for him and I had to do and be a better daughter, constantly. As many of us do, I brought this way of thinking into my relationship with God. At first, performance may appear beneficial; one gets the job done while looking “righteous” in the act, but the heart of the performance-driven person is not right nor is it healthy.