A long time ago, people used to say they “had religion.” I don’t think we say that anymore. Instead, we say things like, “I’m a Catholic, a Baptist, or some other denomination.” Having a relationship with God is not the same as having a religion. God wants a personal relationship with all his children, regardless of where they attend church. Do you have a religion or a relationship with God? Let’s take a deeper look at this.
Table of Contents
We enter our relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Our faith in Jesus introduces us to God, the Father. Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, God went to great lengths to allow each of us to fix our severed relationship with God. He loved each of us so much that he let his righteous son suffer and die for us.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
1 Peter 3:18 ESV
Jesus has made the first move, and now, each person must decide how to respond. Each person must choose to accept Jesus’ offer of reconciliation to God. Jesus allows the mending of our Godly relationship. His invitation is not to religion but an opportunity to connect with a Holy God.
A Relationship with God is Personal
Think about the connection with your spouse or significant other. These are personal relationships that start and evolve. Each of us has different stories of when we began our relationship. For example, couples have differing stories about where they met their partners, introduced them, and how the relationship evolved.
We should also have a story regarding when we began a personal relationship with God. Relations are like journeys, and no two are ever the same. A personal relationship with God is individualized. When and how we decide to follow Christ is different. Each person should have a testimony that describes when and how the connection has changed them.
For some, they decided to accept Christ at a church. Some made this decision in a hospital bed or a prison cell. After deciding to follow Christ, some people never stumbled or looked back. Others had more of a rocky on-again/off-again relationship until they finally decided to change and surrender to God’s will.
When we decide to follow Jesus, he leads us individually to the end goal He has in mind for our lives. He does not want us to judge each other because we must all work out our salvation. Even though our journey may be different, we should all be pursuing a relationship with God, which requires making changes. Our relationship with Jesus is life-changing. He loves us and helps us in every area, resulting in the needed changes when we accept His assistance.
What is Religion?
Religion means you do some things associated with the church, but your heart is not in it. Religious people may pride themselves on being good representatives in the church. They may attend service weekly, send their kids to a Christian school, choose to home-school them, or say churchy things. The religious person feels they must do religious acts but may not feel personally connected to Jesus or God.
Let’s go back to the spouse/significant other analogy. Religion is based on the things you do or do not do. A relationship is based on your heart. If your spouse only does things, like take out the trash or cook dinner, but is not invested in the relationship with their heart, this would be problematic. How do you think God feels when he sees us being too busy with religion to have a relationship with Him?
What Makes a Good Relationship?
A stable personal relationship contains these five markers.
A good relationship requires:
- Commitment
- Love
- Trust
- Communication
- Respect
A Good Relationship Requires Commitment
All good personal relationships begin with the individual decision to be committed. Jesus committed to loving us and demonstrated love by coming to Earth to reconcile us to God. Now, we must make a decision and define our relationship with Jesus. Jesus wants to have a good relationship with us, and the first step is to create a commitment. Just like we had to decide to get serious with our spouse, we must become exclusive with Jesus.
A Good Relationship Requires Love
Nothing matters more in a relationship than love. Jesus tells us to love God and others. It doesn’t matter if you carry your Bible everywhere, whether you can quote scriptures, or even whether you go to church every day. What matters is whether you show love.
Love is so important to God that Jesus explained that all commandments describe who and how we should love (Matthew 22:37-39).
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Matthew 22:37-39 NKJV
A Good Relationship Requires Communication
If we seek a personal relationship with God, we must communicate with Him. Communication is synonymous with prayer and studying the Bible. We talk to God in our prayers, and He speaks to us through His Word. We have a communication breakdown if we are not praying or reading and studying the Word.
A Good Relationship Requires Trust
We cannot see God or Jesus with our physical eyes, but we need to trust. We must trust that God is real, hears us when we pray and will do what He has promised. This trust requires faith. In any good relationship, you should be able to believe that the person who loves you will do what they promised, even when they are away from your sight. Your spouse vowed to love, honor, and cherish, but God has promised even more. We need to trust Him.
A Good Relationship Requires Respect
Ultimately, our relationship with Jesus leads us to the Father and allows us to become Children of God. The Bible clarifies that you can not become a Child of God without receiving and believing in His Son.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
John 1:12 NKJV
Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’
John 14:6 NKJV
God is a good Father. He is worthy of respect as our Heavenly Father. We look to Him for wisdom, guidance, provision, and protection. He does not want to be one of many choices. He tells us that very clearly. We must decide whether to choose God as our Father through acceptance of His Son or remain lost, trusting in our ability or the enemy’s schemes.
A Prayer to Strengthen Our Relationship With God
We need a stronger relationship with God, not more religion. We need to hear his voice and do what he says. We all have gifts and talents that He has blessed us with, and we should be willing to use them for His glory. Let’s pray to strengthen our relationship with God.
Pingback: What Does God Really Want From Us?
Very thought provoking
I am glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for commenting. Be blessed!