Daily Thought for Tuesday, March 1st

March 1, 2011

Religion

Today’s Thought:

“One’s religion is whatever he is most interested in.” – J.M. Barrie

Today’s Question

Is it of more benefit to get religion or to develop a relationship?

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

The concept of religion, in our modern world, is almost offensive and should be so to Christians.

For sadly, most religions relegate Christ to a minimal place of significance, if He is given any place at all.

It seems that a man can make a religion of most anything these days and that religion need not have anything to do with God. 

For a religion is but a thing that one embraces with passion, devotion and commitment.

Many have made a religion of a career, a hobby or a desire.

So then it might be safe to say that religion is bad.

Of course the word religion is only a semantic reference to a concept or ideal; but if one truly embraces the premise of what is called the “Old Time Religion” then it is soon realized that religion is more of a lifestyle than an embodiment of beliefs, ambitions and desires.

Rather than seek to become religious, a person would be better served to seek to engage in, foster and develop a relationship with the only true source by which anything akin to a real religious experience can be obtained.

If you are merely a religious person, you don’t have much but if you are in a relationship with God then you have everything

Pure religion requires one to surrender entirely to the object of their faith and desire.  Surrender to anything or anyone but God will gain you little but yielding entirely to God will give you life and life more abundantly.

For my part, folks can keep their religions to themselves; I would rather have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus.  How about you?

Today’s Verses:

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 1:26-27

Today’s Prayer:

Father, forgive me if I get religious and neglect my relationship with you.