Religion vs. Relationship
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Matthew 15:8
The Lord has been dealing with me about the difference between having religion and a relationship with Him. RELIGION is a duty. A set of rules that must be followed that consists of activities to try to make us right with God and others. When we have religion, we liken it to things that we must do. We complete duties without even thinking about them. Duties are similar to routines (not having a heart or passion). Some examples may include: Going to church because it is something we know we should do. Reading the bible because we need a scripture to read for the day. Praying because we need to do it or we are in need for the Lord to do something for us.
On the other hand, a RELATIONSHIP is a personal intimate connection with God. It flows from the heart and it goes beyond “duties”. When we have a relationship with the Lord, we view and do things differently. We do not do things for a duty, but have a purpose to please Him with our actions. When we go to church, we anticipate the Lord will speak to us and show us ourselves so we can become more like Him. When we read the bible, we are open to receive and meditate on what the Lord has to say through His Word. When we pray, we yearn for the Lord to speak and provide direction on how we can please Him.
As you can see there is a difference between having religion and a relationship with God. As we focus to get rid of religion and deepen our relationship the Lord, He will reveal Himself and make us aware of the purpose He has for our lives. Our goal should be to live a life that is pleasing to Him so we can live WITH Him forever in eternity.
It is not about religion. It is ALL about relationship!
Prayer: Father God in the name of Jesus. Thank you for being such a good Father. Thank you for wanting to have a relationship with me. Forgive me for having religious acts. I am asking that you help me not to do things for duty, but to do things with my heart. My goal is to be pleasing to you with my daily life. I need your help. It is easy to do things just because they need to be done. I am asking that you give me the longing to get to know you in a deeper way. I know you desire for me to be close and I want the same. Thank you for your help and your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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