There Is Nothing Left to Prove

Throughout my ministry, I’ve spent far too much time trying to prove myself—whether through my worth as a preacher, leader, or simply as a Christian. That struggle isn’t unique to me. It plagues many pastors and ministry leaders, even if few admit it. Beneath our drive for fruitfulness often lies a subtle desire for validation—some measure of success that will justify our value and efforts.

This pressure doesn’t always feel like outright sin. But in reality, it becomes a kind of spiritual self-deception. We convince ourselves—and try to convince others—that we’re more capable, faithful, and put-together than we truly are.

Pastors are expected to have all the answers, stir their people out of spiritual apathy, and preach compelling messages in thirty minutes or less. And when we inevitably fall short, we’re tempted to hide. We don’t confess our inadequacy to our congregation, elders, or spouses. But in quiet moments, when we can’t hide our weariness behind busyness, we’re forced to face the uncomfortable truth: we’re skilled at hiding the liar within.

And the result? Sadness. Fear. A deep sense of being trapped.

Few pastors admit their deficiencies. Fewer still embrace them. So we continue in the charade—refined liars who live under the crushing burden of performance. But this isn’t just a pastoral problem. It’s a human problem. Whether in the pulpit or the pew, we all try to hide our flaws. We want to be seen as competent, strong, and successful—not weak, broken, or needy.

But here’s the liberating truth: there is nothing to prove.

If you’ve walked with Christ for any length of time, you probably remember how it felt when you first believed. There was a genuine humility—a deep awareness of sin and an honest confession of need. You knew Jesus was enough. You didn’t need to impress anyone. You could admit your weakness because your worth was secure in Him.

So what changed? Why do we now live as though we still need to earn something?

The root cause is the idolatry of self. Behind our fear, control, pride, and insecurity lies a refusal to rest in God’s grace. We don’t trust that the Father has our best in mind—even when His path leads through weakness or failure. We want the glory. We want the affirmation. We want to prove we matter.

But Gospel ministry isn’t built on proving ourselves. It’s built on trusting the One who has already proven Himself faithful. As Dan Allender writes in Leading with a Limp, “Clearly the disillusioned and best leaders are those who have nothing left to prove because they have known both failure and success… when you admit that you can’t do everything, you are then free to more fully embrace the call of God.”

That’s precisely what the Apostle Paul discovered. In Philippians 3, he recounts his long list of religious accomplishments—everything he once thought gave him value and credibility. But he concludes: Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord… that I may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own… but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith (Philippians 3:7–9).

There is nothing to prove—because Jesus has proven it all.

Pastor, ministry leader, Christian—remember this: your identity is not anchored in your performance but in Christ. In Him, you are fully known and fully loved. Let go of the pressure to impress. Rest in the sufficiency of Jesus. Live out of the righteousness that is yours by faith.

Because the truth is both freeing and humbling, you have nothing left to prove.