Relationship, Not Religion

I absolutely love the fact that the basic premise of the Christian faith is that relationship with God and with others is what matters most. It’s not about who you know, how much of a good person you are or what you’ve done. The Christian faith is all about relationship. It was God’s relationship with man that birthed His redemptive plan to reconcile us back to Him. It was relationship with us that caused the Son of the Living God to endure torture in order that we could live a bondage free life. Relationship causes God to move on our behalf even when we despise Him for it. It causes us to weep openly—unashamedly—when we get a glimpse of the sacrifice that was made for us. Relationship with God changes everything. No wonder Jesus took issue with those who belittled or disregarded its (relationship) importance.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. – Matthew 23:25

Ouch! Jesus is openly rebuking spiritual leaders because they’re solely interested in maintaining a form of godliness and have little desire or intent on conforming to intimate godliness. They thrived on doing good deeds but often did them with the wrong motivation. They frequently indulged themselves and advanced their reputation at the expense of embarking on a relationship with God. They were all show and no substance. For many of us this holds true.

We’re so busy doing religious activities and advancing our own reputations that we forget to stop, drop and think. Are we doing what we do for God’s glory or is it for our own? Are we putting our deeds before the people because we’re glory seekers? It’s imperative that we learn to ask ourselves about our motives. Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is still the wrong to do.

The bible teaches us that when it’s all said and done, God cares more about why we do things and less about what we’re doing. It’s no different for us. Would you be happy if your best friend only invited you to a party because the person they really wanted to attend couldn’t make it? Probably not.

Having a heart and mind for the things of God requires that we check our motives and check our hearts. Yes, we should care for the poor. Yes, we should minister to the lonely, abused and the hurting. However, if we’re only trying to gain notoriety or further our own objectives, we’re not sharing ourselves with God. If you’re not sharing your heart with God, you’re probably not hearing His voice either. Trying to help someone else when we’re hemorrhaging is both futile and unwise.

The Talmud, a religious text in the Jewish faith, states this: ambition destroys its possessor. Unchecked motives lead to self-glorifying ambitions which can lead to our spiritual destruction.

 

©2010-2013 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved