Religion vs Relationship Pt 2

Luke 11:46 “"Yes," said Jesus, "how terrible it will be for you experts in religious law! For you crush people beneath impossible religious demands, and you never lift a finger to help ease the burden.”


I have come to realize religion in many ways has made us think we have to be fake with God as if He doesn't know everything about of us. We come to church acting as if we are all put together, as if all is well. We pretend we are doing great and we are loud and smiling in church and we come faithfully so isn’t that what matters? We put our fake smile on and greet everyone as if we are just peachy when in reality many times it’s a lie.

The bills are piling up, your dealing with a broken marriage or a painful relationship. Maybe your kids are acting out or you’re addicted to pornography and at night you do things that you don't even desire to do any more. You find yourself in a vicious cycle of swearing and cursing, never praying never reading your bible, never showing people the real you! Never showing people you doubt God and you don't know what to do. You came home late from drinking and you’re at church bright and early and the list goes on.

We have erected a facade. It's a fake. Because of all the religious rules and regulations it's almost as if you can't be real anymore! You act fake and pretend it is all ok. How about we just be real?! These days the reason people don't tell their leaders they slipped up is because then they would be put on religious discipline. Kicked out of the choir or they can't usher and the list goes on. We make people think they have to act perfect to serve God and to serve in the church. Peter chopped off some guys ear while they arrested Jesus, denied Christ 3 times and the third time he hauled off cussing and swearing and going nuts and a few weeks later he led 8000 people to Christ. According to church rules he would have had to sit down for 6 months then be restored. Should sin be openly accepted in the people working in the churches and participating in the worship teams...NO! But just because someone makes a mistake doesn't mean they are to be sat down. There is a difference between a lifestyle of sin and when we fell into a temptation.

Think about it...if your a Christian and serve in your church chances are if you told them you were having a struggle with something they just might sit you down...the bible tells us we should restore them in love...BUT that is religion...it makes us be someone we are not.

In a relationship you can't hide who you really are./ After a certain amount of time it will come out! Your friends will know you’re a prick. Your spouse will find out you are a cheat or a liar maybe even a sex addict. You can try to hide it but in the end 9 times out of 10 because of the love you have you open up. You get intimate. Not sexual intimacy but emotional intimacy which is more powerful then sexual intimacy.

Relationship makes you open up! I went to my wife and as we got closer I opened up! Hey I honey I have an eating disorder for 3 years now. I purge 90% of all my meals since my father died and it’s a method of coping. What happened? She took me to the doctor (found me a doctor because I had none and made me go because she loved me), got me to see the damage I was doing, prayed for me, cried to me about how it hurt her and you guessed it I WAS FREE OF THAT DEMON SPIRIT! I can go on and on but my point is the intimacy of relationship drew me to my healing. In many churches those confessions could have gotten me kicked out of ministry but not to God!

He cares not for religion but a relationship! HE desires to LOVE you, CARE for you PROVIDSE for you and so much more! God loves you! He wants a relationship! He wants you to be real. Take off the mask. What if you dressed how you felt spiritually...I bet many of you would be a total mess...God wants to fix all that. He loves you and cares for you more than you know.... Give him a chance...