Religion: A Relationship-Building Tool for You and God

Roughly 98 percent of the people in the world believe in God. While most people believe in God, many struggle with the question "Which religion is right?" The answer is: None of them. In order to accurately understand this statement, we must define religion.

Religion is simply man-made rules, standards, traditions, and rituals.

What bearing do any of these have on our relationship with God (Yes, Relationship)?

No matter what "religion" you subscribe to they all have a few common beliefs. God is real, he created the universe and everything in it, there is a right and wrong, and there are blessings and curses to be experienced, and there is an eternity in the balance for each person.

While some religions have described God as being somewhat disconnected from humanity and it's plight, Jesus taught a very different view.

Jesus taught that God cares for people and that He created people for a purpose, that purpose was not servitude out of religious duty, it was not to make church goers, it was not to make slaves, it was to make children. Jesus taught that God made people to be his children, His objects of deep love and affection, and that He (God) desires a relationship with His creation.

Jesus taught that the greatest commandment of all was to "love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength" (Mark 12:30 NIV). The point of this is two fold... 1) Love is the issue! We're to have a loving relationship with God and this relationship isn't just a religious hobby, it's our life. We live for it with our entire being. 2) This relationship is then the motivating factor in all our life decisions. This gives us guidance in how to live.

Like any relationship, because we love and care about the person and what they think it alters our behavior and way of life so we can live in harmony with them and experience the relationship at it's best. This is how it works with God.

Does this mean all religion is bad? Not at all!

It is written, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27 NIV)