I am glad that I prepared you all for a Part 2 for the blog post on yesterday, because I am sure you all are wondering, “How was that a rant on religion????” As a side note, let me mention that it was very interesting to see the related articles which expressed major concerns with “religion”, which to a certain degree emphasized a few of my concerns.
Now I did say that I had and still have A LOT in my head on this topic, but let me attempt to connect some of the dots… In my OPINION and I stress my opinion, Man (Humanity) has misused, mishandled and in some cases, misinterpreted the Word of God. Some have taken a scripture or two, used it out of context and created an entire religion. For others, religion has become BIG $$$ business. Unfortunately, these and other issues have turned people away from church and away from God Himself.
Along the same lines, many of us (50 and over), grew up in church, which was and in some cases, still is heavily influenced by tradition. As a young adult, it appeared that anything other than breathing would send you to Hell and for some, it is still that way. 🙁 My pastor tells us often that we (the church) have allowed tradition to truly choke out the Truth. The Word of God stands by itself, is spiritually discerned and does not need our help to make it TRUE.
So, what is my point? We have run people away from God with our words. Young people and older ones too, are seeking a Savior and we tell them about everything, BUT Christ Jesus. Your dress is too short, your hair is too long, you can’t chew gum (lol!)…. just to name a few. I believe that I said it yesterday, if we simply allow the Spirit of the Lord to lead, guide and direct us is ALL that we do and say; Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
If you notice, Jesus Christ did not hang out with the “religious” folks. He hung with those who needed Him most…. the people that needed to KNOW Him. We are losing an entire generation or two, because we won’t simply tell this about Jesus. I have two (2) grown daughters and we have talked about everything. They have asked me about nose piercing and tattoos, joining sororities and most recently, how would I feel if they stopped going to church. I respect them as intelligent young women and their decisions, and they respect my opinion. I let them know that I will no longer suffer their consequences for them. My youngest will call me just to vent and she will tell me up front, “Mom, just listen… I don’t want to hear scripture”. At times, we just have to agree to disagree, but I am confidence that they KNOW Jesus and that’s the best I can do. Everyone deserves to KNOW Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus said , “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Are we speaking LIFE or Death with the power of our tongue?
Related articles
- I hate “religion.” (prettylittlebloggerr.wordpress.com)