Ephesians 2:8–9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

There is something about Toy Story Mania! that brings out the competitor in us.

You put on your 3-D glasses, grab the spring-action shooter, and suddenly you’re launching rings, throwing darts, breaking plates, and aiming at every target you can find.

And, of course, there’s the score.

The whole attraction is designed around getting as many points as possible. You glance over to see how the person next to you is doing. You try to hit the high-value targets. And when the ride ends, there it is on the screen:

Who got the highest score?

Scoring points can make for a really fun ride.

But it can make for an exhausting way to live.

We live in a world that teaches us to keep score. We measure accomplishments, productivity, possessions, recognition, followers, success—and sometimes we even keep score in our relationships.

If we aren’t careful, that way of thinking can slip into our relationship with God too.

Have I prayed enough?
Have I served enough?
Have I been good enough?
Have I done enough for God to love me?

Ephesians gives us wonderfully freeing news:

There is no scoreboard.

“For it is by grace you have been saved… it is the gift of God.”

Grace cannot be earned because grace is a gift.

God’s love for us isn’t a prize waiting at the end for whoever racks up the most points. We don’t have to outperform someone else, prove our worth, or accumulate enough good deeds to deserve it.

God loves us because God is love.

That doesn’t mean what we do doesn’t matter. Our acts of kindness, generosity, service, prayer, and faithfulness matter deeply. But we don’t do those things to earn God’s love.

We do them because we have already received it.

That changes everything.

Faith becomes less about proving ourselves and more about responding with gratitude.

So maybe today we can leave the scoreboard where it belongs—

at Toy Story Mania!

Pause & Reflect

Where are you keeping score in your life right now?

Are you measuring your worth by what you accomplish, how much you produce, or how you compare with someone else?

Have you ever caught yourself believing you need to do more or be better in order for God to love you?

Sit quietly with these words for a moment:

Grace is not something I earn.
Grace is something I receive.

What might change today if you truly believed that?

Prayer

Gracious God,
we spend so much of our lives keeping score—
measuring, comparing, achieving,
and trying to prove that we are enough.

Remind us that your love
is not something we have to earn.

Your grace is a gift.

Help us receive that gift freely
and then live from a place of gratitude,
sharing with others the same grace
you have so generously given us.

Today, help us put down the scoreboard
and simply rest in your love.

Amen.

Copyright © 2026 Ronda Welander