There are some of us who grew up in church or some form of organized religion; being taught the religious practices and principles without fully understanding them (the Word) or living by them (the principles).  Our grandparents, parents or someone in our neighborhood told us about the Bible and who God is, but did we really know Him for ourselves?  Some of us went to church on Sunday, after spending all night drinking and partying in the clubs on Friday and Saturday and repeated this every week without conviction.  It wasn’t until we got to know Him for ourselves that we started to feel uncomfortable when frequenting those places.  We began to feel “out of place,” like we no longer fit in or belong in those places and decided to be selective about where we go, what we do, and who we hang around.   This is what a Relationship with God can do.  He works on your internal mind, your heart, and then your body will follow.  Now, when you are just practicing religion, you can go to places you shouldn’t go and not feel uncomfortable about being there.  It is possible to practice organized religion, yet not have a true relationship with God.  Is it better to be religious or really have a relationship with God?  Some may find it easier to go through the motions of “playing church,” but the church does not live within them after they leave the actual church building.  For some, it is harder to do what’s right, than to do what is easy.   Doing what’s right isn’t always easy, but most of the time, it is what is best.  Do we go to church or read the Bible, because this is what we were taught to do or because we feel that it is the right thing to do? Yet, some of us still live unchanged?  Or, do we go to church or read the Bible, because we are actually believers and doers of the Word?  Does God know You?  Do You know God for yourself?  These are questions that we should ask ourselves, because it is easy to get caught up in organized religion and just show up at church out of practicing what we were taught to do or because of some social norms. Go to church and read the Bible, because you want to get to know God for yourself and practice living Godly principles, not because it is what you were taught to do.

It is more difficult for some of us to actually Live by Godly principles.  It is easier for some to do what they want and ask for forgiveness later.  As the saying goes, it is better to ask for forgiveness, than permission.  But, is this the right way of thinking when it comes to Godly principles?  Is it okay for us to know the Word, but not apply what we know to our lives?  It is possible to know what the Bible says and quote scripture, but do we actually Apply it to our Lives?  What good is knowing the Bible, if we live contrary to its Word and principles?   What good is going to the sanctuary to worship God, if we have been going for several years and still do not know Him for ourselves, because we only go because that’s what we were taught to do?   There will be some people reading this who will say, “Well at least they’re going!  Don’t condemn them for at least showing up, even if it is just a religious practice.”  Then, there are others who will say, what’s the point of going to church, if you are going to come out of church and still live the same way you did when you went in?  The purpose of the church is to teach Gods' Word and save souls for Christ; if your church is not saving souls every Sunday, you have to question the motive of the church and its ministry of people.  Every church should grow in members, if they are actually living out the mission of saving souls for Christ.  Showing up to church and not doing the work of the church is like showing up to work and not working; it’s meaningless.   I am not saying, don’t go to a church; what I am saying is, don’t just go to church and get nothing out of it.  Don’t just go to the church, because other people told you to go.  And, don’t not go to church, because someone told you that church is a money scam or a European religion.   Go to church to get a better understanding of the Word of God, for yourself.  Go to church to build a better relationship with God.  Read the Word, so that you get to know Him for yourself and let it saturate your spirit and provoke you to live a Godly life.  Make sure that the church you choose actually preaches and teaches the Word of God, from the Bible.  Join a ministry you are passionate about and surround yourself with true believers and doers of the Word.  Be of service to others.

Having a relationship with God is knowing who God truly is in Your life and who you are to God.  Knowing God, should change you and/or should at least make you want to change for the better.  When you don’t have a relationship with God, it’s easy for you to just practice religion, but when you Know God, you want more of Him, beyond the church walls.  You want to live life in a better way, in relationship with Him and work towards doing what is pleasing in His sight.  When you have a relationship with God, doing wrong, convicts your spirit, which motivates you to live right and do better.

People who have a relationship with God and don’t just practice religion for religious sake, know the difference.  Now, don’t get me wrong, we might fall short of His Word, at times, and do things that are not pleasing to God, but that doesn’t mean that we are bad people.  However, not striving to make our wrongdoings, right is what makes us bad people.  You can see the difference in people who go to church for the sake of following religious practice and people who go to church that actually know God for themselves.  The people who are usually less friendly, judgmental, hypocritical, fake Godlike behavior in church, but are ungodly outside of church, are usually the people who turn other people off from wanting to go the church.  People begin to condemn and criticize the church and its purpose, when there are people that do not accurately represent God in and outside of the church.  This is why I say that it is better to have a relationship with God versus just being religious. 

Let’s explore the difference between having a relationship with God and religion.  Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines religion as: “The service and workshop of God or the supernatural; commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance; a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practices; scrupulous conformity; a cause, principle or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.  And, defines relationship as: the state of being related or interrelated; the relation connecting or binding participants in a relationship: such as kinship; a specific instance or type of kinship; a state of affairs existing between those having relations or dealings; a romantic or passionate attachment.”  One is surface level (religion), and one is on a deeper level (relationship).  When you don’t know Him for yourself, you are prone to worship anything (money, people, false gods, work, sex, things, etc.) as if it is your God.  But, when you know Him for yourself, you commune with Him and strive to become more like Him.  Again, even when we fall short of His Word, we repent, ask for deliverance and forgiveness, and try not to repeat the same mistakes.  I am so glad that I have a relationship with God.  I know Him for myself and He’s so much more than religion and extends well beyond the walls of the church.  The church is where we go to Commune with one another in fellowship and celebrate the love of God.  However, when we have a relationship with God, it extends in and outside of the church walls and is with us always.  Get to know Him for yourself and develop a better relationship with God, He’s been waiting on You.  At the end of life, we should all want to be able to say that we have a relationship with God, not just religion.  We should all want to know that God knows our name for our good deeds and long to hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"

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 By Dietra Myers