For
many years I have been truly perplexed about something. I have been watching
people go in and out the church doors for years yet still they are unhappy.
These people are at the church whenever the doors are open. They are in the
choir, children’s ministry, greeter’s ministry, mother board, elder board,
deacon board, heck ministers and licensed Reverends. These folks can quote the
bible word for word and praise on demand! All this activity at the church yet
they seem to be the most bitter, black hearted, judgmental, unhappy folks you
would ever what to meet. The saddest part about it is most of them don’t even
realize that they are this way. Well some might but are in denial. Don’t sit
there are act like you have no idea what I am talking about. I am pretty sure
while you are reading this you have certain folks in mind. No shade, just
truth!
Today while I was reading a book
by Iyanla Vanzant I finally got a revelation about why these people are this
way. She was speaking about her grandmother who was like one of the above
mentioned people. She said “She had a relationship with religion rather than a
relationship with the spirit of God.” Talk about a newsflash! I had never
thought about the fact that these people could be in a relationship with
religion and NOT GOD!!! These folks have a relationship with being busy and
doing work for the “church”. They had somehow along the way either never
developed a relationship with God or they lost it. A sure way to know if people
are in a relationship with religion and not God is that their church doesn’t
grow…I will get to why it doesn’t grow in a bit.
To keep it 100 a person cannot
have a relationship with God and continue to behave ungodly. We are all far
from Jesus but he can and will change you if you let him. Some of the people in
a relationship with religion go to church so they can feel like they have done
their duty to God and go on about their normal unhappy lives. But many of them
go to church and do work of the “Lord” solely based on ego. They want to have
an impressive relationship with the church. They want the title or the
recognition. They take on a million task and then walk around angry and full of
resentment. Instead of checking in with the spirit of God for where they should
be serving they allowed ego to choose for them. Then they wonder why they have
no joy. They have no joy because God was not in it from the start. Where the
spirit of God dwells there is JOY. Therefore if you can’t find joy in the
things you are doing, it is highly likely God simply isn’t in it. The real
question is why are you? But that’s another blog all together.
As Christians we have to
remember that WE represent Christ and Christianity. If we walk around unhappy,
bitter, gossiping and downright hateful, why in the world would someone be
interested in this Christ we serve? They would assume that Christ hasn’t done
too well by us so what could he possibly do for them. (This ladies and
gentlemen and why the church isn’t growing) We can’t blame them for having
these thoughts if this is the life that we show them. So as a follower of
Christ we have to be a lover of God and his Spirit. We have to get into
relationship with them! Like any other relationship we have to spend time and
truly get to know God’s nature. We have to get still and not just read the word
but get a revelation of the word in our heart. Once this happens no matter what
is going on in your life you will remain joyful. You will continue to keep your
smile. You will only be involved in ministries that give you joy, because God
will be in it. Once you are in a relationship with the Spirit of God everything
you touch will be blessed!
I would hate for our time to come to an end in
this world and God say “I never knew you!” What a shame that would be! To be
doing all this work for the church and religion but never truly KNOW GOD. So if
you find that you are one of these people or know some these people take the
time to pray for them/you. Pray that you get into a relationship with the
spirit of God and not a relationship with religion.
Further Study:
Matthew 7:19-23
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