Religion or Relationship

Where does your devotion lie? I'm not looking for the "Sunday School" answer here. Be honest with yourself, what takes up your time, what could you not live without. For some it could be family, children, work, education, sports, friends, pleasure, money, the list could go on... What if, today you were to lose that one thing that you are completely devoted to; that one thing you thought you would never be able to live without. What would be your response?  

Job was a very well-known man in the Bible. He had everything, but in an instant all of that was taken away. Instead of resenting and turning from God for allowing these things to happen; he cried out to God expressing his anger and frustration and STILL choose to remain faithful. I think of the shootings that have taken place, and I wonder how many of those families are in relationship with Jesus. How are they coping: are they clinging on to Jesus, allowing this to be time where they can rely on Him and His strength OR are they blaming God for allowing this to happen. What would you do? We may never completely understand why these tragedies happen, but there is one thing that we can do. We can hold on to the promise that God is here and He loves us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5, Genesis 28:15). This life that we hold on to so tightly is nothing but a breath in comparison to eternity. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18:

"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

So, what or who are you serving? Have you thought about what you are most devoted to? God desires and commands that He is to be the answer to that question. “You must not have any other god but me” (Exodus 20:3). Now, you may think, well that's easy I'm not bowing down, praying to, or worshiping anyone or anything but God. However, how often do we concentrate and rely on other, things or people for identity, meaning, and security... Think about it do you completely rely on God for all of those things. That's a really hard question, which only you can honestly answer. Now, if you're in relationship with Jesus, than you most likely did not set out with the intention of worshiping these things. How can we define worship: the amount of time we devote to things or people can quickly and easily grow into gods that control our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. This can be avoided by making God the central place in our lives! I've always said don't just make God a piece of the pie - make Him the whole pie!  

Now, that's NOT to say that we can't love and be devoted to people, things, etc. We just need to be careful to not let them come before God. Let God be in everything you do; let Him be your everything. It's really not as complicated as you may think. I'm not saying that in order to have God as your everything, you must now dedicate every single second of your life to "religion". It's not about religion, it's about relationship!  Relationship is defined as: “an emotional attachment between individuals”.  Religion is defined as, “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices”.  Think about some of the most important relationships you have in your life. Are you constantly devoting every single moment to that person? Most likely NOT. That person is probably someone you talk with regularly, someone who's often on your mind, someone who is there for you, someone who influences your life. Can that relationship take place while doing other things like school, work, sports, etc.? Definitely, just like your relationship with Jesus can be #1, while living this life. Just be absolutely certain that nothing comes before God!  

In Genesis 35:2, Jacob told his household: "Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing." Unless, we remove idols from our life, our faith is not true. Like Jacob and his household, we too need to rid our lives of any idols we may have. Nothing should come between us and God!

Give it all to God, and let Him be your EVERYTHING! 

"Everything" by Lifehouse

Find me here, speak to me
I want to feel You, I need to hear You
You are the light that's leading me
To the place where I find peace again

You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting
You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose, You're everything

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and You give me rest
You hold me in Your hands, You won't let me fall
You steal my heart, and You take my breath away
Would You take me in, take me deeper now

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

'Cause You're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything, everything
You're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything, everything