On Faith: Having a relationship Christ instead of religion

Donald here. Glad you picked up a copy of the Bigfork Eagle. Lots of other papers to read, lots of internet noise these days. Glad you chose to invest your time here. You have taken a road less traveled ... and yes, it will make all the difference. Enjoy.

While reading the Bible, and touching thousands of people per year, I am constantly reminded of how precious the Word of God is, and how we all need Jesus Christ. A summary of the Old Testament, New Testament, and life on earth would be as follows: God desires us to choose Him and relationship over religion. Look at Saul, who was renamed Paul, as an example of someone who followed God’s plan and left religion for relationship.

“Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,

To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen.”

Look at the disciples: ”And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.” (Matthew 4:20)

There is a point, in all of our lives, that God reveals himself to us. Example after example is given in the Bible of God’s way of salvation. One by one, at a point in our lives, God can speak through the Bible. God can speak through prayer. God can speak through another precious person or to an individual. Always wanting a verdict, a decision.

And, as we see in the Bible, many left religion in order to follow Him. This was the most ripping revelation in my life. I grew up in a very religious setting. I saw everyone going to religious meetings. Big ones. Some with organizations having over a billion members. And ... I was left unimpressed. I remember thinking, this, for me, is just going through the motions. Hypocritical. Unnatural. Hollow. Ungodly. Empty. Sad. I remember feeling, if this is it, I don’t want any.

Then, as I studied my Bible, God revealed Himself to me. Alas, He wasn’t religious either. And He wasn’t asking me to be religious. He desired for me to desire a relationship with Him. I had to drop my net and follow Him.

Wow, was that ever a rocket lifting off the launch pad. Free at last, free at last. Unconditional love. Not if I did something. Just believe. I dropped my net. I followed Him. How liberating. How refreshing.

All of us need to drop our net. Think about it. Pray about it. Read about it. John 3:16.

Lamson is chaplain at Lakeview Care Center in Bigfork.