Have you ever showed up late to a sporting event?
Every former athlete knows the first question you need to ask in that moment. "What's the score?" Find the scoreboard because the scoreboard tells you everything you need to know about the game is going.
The problem is that many of us former athletes have carried that instinct off the field and into our relationship with God. We often carry an invisible scoreboard, tracking good deeds on one side and failures and doubts on the other. Deep down, we've convinced ourselves that God is the scorekeeper, and we’re just one fumble, strikeout, or red card away from losing His love and favor.
This is a truly exhausting way to live. But, according to a song by Aodhán King and LO Worship, it's not the game God’s actually playing.
"The Perfect Love of Jesus" began as a conversation. LO Worship describes it this way in an interview with LeadWorshipWell.com: "The song actually began as a simple conversation about the presence of God. We started talking about how it feels to be in His presence. We reminded each other that there is no striving in His presence, and how we can come exactly as we are. There's so much peace when we stop and rest, knowing that we are fully loved by Him."
That conversation produced a lyric that, on the surface, sounds simple: "Overwhelming grace covers all my days." But underneath those words, we find the conclusion of the beloved Psalm 23. "Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” The Hebrew word for “pursue” describes an active pursuit, like someone chasing another. God's grace doesn’t wait for you to catch up on the scoreboard.His grace chases you through the highs and lows.
That lyric and verse reframes the scoreboard entirely. We don’t need to try to accumulate enough points to stay in His good graces. His goodness is already headed our way!
If this scoreboard concept has been a struggle for you, here's one reason why the scoreboard mentality is so persistent: it feels spiritual! Trying harder and doing more for God are not necessarily sinful things. However, when our underlying motivation is to earn God's approval rather than to respond to His love, life with God becomes exhausting when it was intended to be invigorating.
The Apostle Paul didn't assume the church in Ephesus had already figured out this “God’s love” thing. In fact, he prayed for them with words that feel especially relevant for scoreboard-watchers. "And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is."
We drift back toward earning mode so easily, and LO Worship knows that drift all too well. "So many of us wrestle with the idea of earning God's love and approval. It doesn't matter how long you have been walking with Christ — we all need to be reminded of the simple truth that we don't have to work to earn His love. We just are loved because we are His."
The bridge of "The Perfect Love of Jesus" is perhaps the most theologically bold moment in the song. Over and over, LO WORSHIP declares something surprising about God’s love - “I could never mess it up.”
Did you know that lyric almost didn't make it? "We almost didn't include the line 'I could never mess it up,' because it felt almost too bold. But the more we sat with it, the more we realized it perfectly captures the heart of the message — God's grace is so overwhelming that we can't break His plan or lose His love. If you think you've messed up God's plan for your life, remember this: you are not that powerful."
The words "LO Worship" reflect Romans 11:29, which teaches us that “God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Your worst moment is not more powerful than His grace. The scoreboard mentality whispers that one bad game can undo everything. The Gospel answers back: You are loved, and you can never mess it up!
Every athlete knows the moment in a game when the outcome is no longer in doubt. The clock is winding down. The lead is insurmountable, even with time on the clock or innings to be played.
That's where you can stand with Jesus. His love absorbed every loss, fumble, and red card, declared it finished. His goodness is pursuing you today. His arms are open, not because you earned your way into them, but because Christ died for you while you were still a sinner.
You can stop checking the scoreboard. He won the victory for you once and for all!
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker who loves tacos, matcha, and sneakers. With more than twenty years of ministry experience, he teaches with a blend of Biblical truth, emotional awareness, and the compassion shaped by his own struggles.
Scott’s writing has impacted over six million readers through trusted platforms such as the YouVersion Bible App, Air1 Radio, and Our Daily Bread. He’s the author of Faith Behind the Song, a 40-day devotional book published by K-Love Books. Whether speaking on a stage or writing on a page, he offers a steady, empathetic voice that reassures people they are seen, loved, and not beyond God's healing reach. Forty thousand subscribers from over fifty countries are excited to read his free newsletter every Tuesday morning. You can join that list today at ScottSavageLive.com.
