The blog below is an edited version of a blog I published on my old blog site about a year ago. I hope you’ll find it especially helpful as you embrace the true meaning of Easter this season. -RM
WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?
I asked that question in a presentation I did for an industry conference yesterday. Today, at lunch with a new colleague from that conference, we became engaged in a discussion about men’s issues and the way society is headed. (I’ll address the “coincidental” nature of our having lunch another time)
The thing that struck me as we talked is that society is currently in a dead sprint. I mean we are all running. While we think we are running AFTER something, I would maintain that, in a spiritual sense, we are all running FROM something. But, what is that? What IS going on that we are seemingly all running AWAY from something?
It seems to me that society is currently running as fast as it can from….
RELIGION!
Yep, religion. Here’s why I say that. Many of us “Christian Conservatives” are all too quick to point out that society has run from God. But, too often we, in our combative overtones and attitudes, miss the point that OUR VERY NATURE is part of what society is really running from. Because, I think the segment of society that we deem to be “running from God” is actually people running from RELIGION. The sad part is that, in many cases, they are running from religion because that is what they see in US!
Not God
Not Jesus
Not the Holy Spirit
Not Love
They see the stuff we do, instead of seeing who HE is! Because, OUR RELIGION is being played out in what we DO instead of in being who He says we should be!
They see rules, because in OUR RELIGION, we talk about what’s wrong with everyone else. We seldom put the emphasis on God’s love for them, much less our love for them.
They see condemnation of their lifestyles, life choices, and societal positions. After all, exactly when was it that God told us it was our job to ignore John 3:16-18 so that we could apply a fresh coat of condemnation ourselves?
Now, the exception I see in society today are those Christians who have quit getting hung up on rules, traditions, fights, arguments, dissension, and the pursuit of being right. Instead, they have learned to see EVERY human as flawed (including most importantly – themselves!). They have learned that we all need Grace, we all need Redemption, and we all need a Savior. They have learned to become who His Word says they are to be, and quit trying to DO what they think it takes. In other words…
THEY ARE RUNNING FROM RELIGION, TOO!
What does (or should) this say to you and me? What is the best way to see this need in ourselves? What is the best way to let this take hold in our individual life?
Well, I say it is to take off running! Now! Sprint like there is no tomorrow!
Run away from Religion! Run as fast as you can to whatever it is that you KNOW God wants you to do. In fact, don’t even get hung up on what He wants you to do. Instead, get hung up on running after Him. Pursue Him! I believe you’ll find Him waiting with arms wide open to simply love on you! That love will then create a new foundation and focus in your life. And, that will help you know exactly who to be. For you see, it’s all about the race!
I’m going to do more running from religion, and after the Savior! How about you?