The church just likes to tell people “what to do and how to do it.” The church likes to give its people a whole bunch or “rules” to follow.”
I have a lot of friends/family who have made these comments to me. Over my 27 years of attending church I can see why people feel this way about “Religion”. However, as I get older, I learn more, I am challenged more, my faith is put to the test and more times than other I feel discouraged. It’s only natural as human beings to fail and be wrong. But it is also with great gratitude that we are forgiven and provided with more opportunities to grow. What I would say to my friends and family who are discouraged with “Religion” and “Church” is to re-read the 10 commandments. Most believers (I hope) believe in the 10 commandments.
These aren’t “rules” but “instruction” on how we should treat Him and how we should treat other people. Remember, it’s not about “religion” it’s about “relationship.” A relationship with God and relationship with people. He provides us a lot of instructions on how to behave and interact “socially”.
We are pursued and adopted by a God we all seemed to reject at one point or another. In our ‘Relationship’ with Him, we are being forgiven by the husband we cheated on, and being embraced by the Friend we betrayed. So again, my thought is, the “rules” that are in the Bible are really “instructions”. I’ve learned that people today are more open to respond to a faith that encourages positive social behavior rather than just “rules”.
It’s NOT about RELIGION – it’s about RELATIONSHIP!!!
ONE: You shall have no other gods before Me.
TWO: You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
THREE: You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
FOUR: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
FIVE: Honor your father and your mother.
SIX: You shall not murder.
SEVEN: You shall not commit adultery.
EIGHT: You shall not steal.
NINE: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.
Very well written post! I love it!! We did a catholic engaged treated. My husband is more spiritual than I, so I went in a little negitive. But it was fantastic and this is what they spent most of the weekend discussing! Your relationship with God and your future spouse and how both must be cherished! Its nice to see other people in our generation not losing their faith. :)
ReplyDeleteI meant to say retreat, not treated :)
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