“Religion and relationships have little to nothing in common.”

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-10) from his book, Spirituality for the Rest of Us: A Down-to-Earth Guide to Knowing God (p. 27). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book)

Now many who are Christians like to say that Christianity is not a religion, but that it's a personal relationship with Jesus. I like to say that too. But do we really know what that means when we say it? Larry shows us how they are different.

He says, “Religion places a major emphasis on rules and rituals that are supposed to either manipulate God or earn his favor. The tell-tale mark of religion is easy to spot. It's a one-size-fits-all approach to spirituality: ‘Follow our rules, fulfill our rituals, and God (or the gods) will be pleased and placated.’”

And that is so easy to do isn’t it? You have to go to church every Sunday, you have to read the Bible every morning, you have to, have to. Rules can be measured so I can tell if you are really a Christian by what you do. But a relationship is different.

Larry says, “Relationships are completely different. No one-size-fits-all recipe can guarantee a great relationship. Whether we're talking about husband and wife, close friends, co-workers, or parent and child, every relationship is different. No two are ever exactly alike. What builds and sustains one is often of no value in another.”

He then says, “It's no different in our relationship with God. Certainly he's always the same, but we're sure different. And something tells me God doesn't just put up with our differences, he savors them—and adapts to them. After all, he's the one who created all these unique traits, even those we aren't so fond of in others.”

And that is so great to see. God sees me as an individual. His and my relationship is different than his and my wife, Margaret's. But the danger is for me to say but you should do what I am doing. Larry says, “If we want to know him, really know him, it can only be done through developing a personal relationship. And no two personal relationships will ever be exactly alike. Our one-size-fits-all discipleship and spirituality recipes have to go. We must recognize them for what they are—mere religion in the guise of relationship.”

Something to think about isn’t it?

Comments

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“God does big things with small deeds.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I don’t know how you feel about what you are doing and how it can make a difference. You may feel that it is so small and not even worth the effort. Max says, “Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane. “On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded. “Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive cha...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog