Religion vs. Relationship

I am one who tends to believe that Christianity is to be known for more than just another religion. Also, I don't like to call Christianity a religion, because then people feel they have to be religious. Typically I find when people think of themselves as religious, they think of themselves as "holier than thou." Now I don't have a problem with Christianity being a religion and calling Christians religious, I just feel there's more to it than this.

However, the word religion does scare me a little. Religion scares a lot of people. Religion can be and has been the cause of war. Do I need to mention the crusades and let us not forget Jihads. These "holy" wars have damaged the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths and their followers. Religions offer a lot of rules and regulations to follow. All three of these religions have a lot rules, better known as commands. And religious people believe if they follow these commands they will be saved forever from eternal punishment. You know, follow the rules and go to Heaven, break the rules and go to Hell. But Christianity offers something that the other religions don't offer. Christianity offers relationship, and I believe that this is what Christianity is to be.

I define relationship as a strong bond between two or more people. We have relationships with our spouse, parents, children and friends. Webster's defines a relationship as a romantic or passionate attachment. Now your saying wait a minute, that sounds intense, I don't have romantic or passionate attachments with anyone but my spouse. The word passionate is defined by Webster's as being capable of, affected by, or expressing intense feeling. I believe we have experienced these intense feelings by people who love us. I believe that Christians are to be passionate for Christ. Jesus is the bridegroom and the church is the bride. Typically a married couple has a romantic and or passionate attachment to each other.

Jesus was capable of, affected by, and expressed intense feelings for God's creation. Jesus was and still is a man of relationship. If Jesus was not capable of intense feelings, He would not have went to the cross. If Jesus was not affected by intense feelings, He would not have went to the cross. And if Jesus was not able to express intense feelings, He would not have went to the cross. Jesus going to the cross is all about relationship. It was God's way of making right what went wrong in the Garden of Eden. This intense feeling Jesus expressed was the act of love. Love is what we need to have relationship.

Jesus told His disciples to love God and to love their neighbor. Last time I checked, everybody wants to be loved. Christians are not to be religious, but to love religiously. Religion and being religious does not change lives. Loving people and wanting to be in relationship with them changes lives. This is what Christianity is, a relationship that changes lives for God. My definition for Christianity is a relationship to God, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, it's to love God through the cross of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are able to love God then we are truly able to love our neighbor.

Put religion aside and try to have a relationship with God. God is not looking for people to follow rules, He is looking for people to be in relationship with. He's looking for you.