This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Worship
Have you ever been tempted to believe that religion somehow makes up for a lack of repentance or relationship with God? It is so easy to depend on our religion to bring us comfort, assurance, and even safety. As I continue to reflect on the issue of hiding behind religion and neglecting to evaluate the condition of the heart, I am staggered by the idea that we have a calling to get personal with God. Even though I know in my head that it is about my heart and not my religion, I find myself spending much more time in church than I do personally before God. This is an aspect of my faith that I want to change, and am in the process of allowing God to bring that change. My prayer for all of us is that we would recognize our need for God and His grace and forgiveness, and realize that nothing we could ever do will compensate for that missing in our lives. Will you take time this week to go before God, seeking His forgiveness and rather than waiting to "get back to church," begin living out your faith in real and practical ways right now?
Have you ever been tempted to believe that religion somehow makes up for a lack of repentance or relationship with God? It is so easy to depend on our religion to bring us comfort, assurance, and even safety. As I continue to reflect on the issue of hiding behind religion and neglecting to evaluate the condition of the heart, I am staggered by the idea that we have a calling to get personal with God. Even though I know in my head that it is about my heart and not my religion, I find myself spending much more time in church than I do personally before God. This is an aspect of my faith that I want to change, and am in the process of allowing God to bring that change. My prayer for all of us is that we would recognize our need for God and His grace and forgiveness, and realize that nothing we could ever do will compensate for that missing in our lives. Will you take time this week to go before God, seeking His forgiveness and rather than waiting to "get back to church," begin living out your faith in real and practical ways right now?
This message really left me feeling like I take God for granted so often...Even when I meet him in prayer, it's not often that I really let him into my heart and truly confess. I realize how much that hardens my heart to God and how important it is for me to humble myself and confess, what I know he already knows..It should be easy to be completely open with God...or should it??? Still pondering this one...I need to ask God to help me be open with him..I know I am a sinner, why can't I just be fully real with God???
ReplyDeleteThis message made me think about this song...by:NeedtoBreathe
ReplyDelete"All you sinners
And the weak at heart
All you helpless
On the boulevards
Wherever you are now
Whatever evil you've found
Bring all of your troubles
And come lay 'em down
We're all tied to the same old failings
Finding shelter in things we know
We're all dirty like corrupted small towns
We'll bring our troubles
We'll bring our troubles lay 'em down"
To me these lyrics call us to recognize our SIN and lay them down before God!!!! I especially like "Finding Shelter in things we know" is this Religion? Wow!! God really has a way of opening our eyes!!!
I agree that religion can get in the way of forming a true relationship with Christ. I use to go to church because of two things one was i was suppose to go after all i believed in the word of God and my religion says I must. But my heart was not in it. This leads me to my second point I was there for social reasons. It was what my friends were doing so why not. evidentually we all went our separate ways and ended up at different churches (side note I'm still good friends with some) I ended up here at LBF. Something I learned here was that yes we our here for fellowship and religious practices but if our hearts are into what the words of our Lord says and not just be at church for social reasons or commands but because we truly want to connect with God we are blessed for it. We are God's servants by choice and if we love Him we will end up doing what He asks of us. In this case he asks us to Fellowship and be in the word to together. I believe we are doing that in some ways but most importantly we do it by joining small groups. I have joined the College Group! I believe even though it looks like we are hiding maybe we are not at least for some. Maybe we are looking for the answers there? God Bless I mean it I love all the people at LBF!
ReplyDeleteThanks for that BLOG, Megan - It reminded my of why I first came to LBF and then stayed - to put to plainly: Relationship is over religion. Religion I define as man's attempt to reach or find God but what we really have in Jesus is relationship with God. We didn't earn our salvation and we don't earn our way with him either. But we miss out when out of our extravagent love for God through Jesus we do not allow our lives to make a difference through loving actions. I'm glad you're in a small group - those settings are where I have grow the most spiritually - may we always be a church that's first priority is RELATIONSHIP and not religion.
ReplyDelete