Are You Religious?
A couple weeks ago I was glued to the tv watching one of my favorite shows, (I know I will get some judgement or appreciation for this) The Bachelor. The new bachelor, Matt James, started out the season praying with the entire group. After he finished praying, one of the girls was crying. She was met by another one of the girls on the show who proceeded to ask: “Are you religious?” I don’t know about you, but that question has always bothered me. Are you religious? What does that even mean? The Sociology major in me immediately comes out and reminds me of what religion truly is. When you focus on being “religious” this tends to lead individuals to living out a life aimed at accomplishing a list of appropriate manners or behaviors that fit within the religion that you follow. For me, it is about way more than the religion that I associate myself to. I would never refer to myself as a “religious” person, however, I would and do call myself a Christian and a Child of God. When you dive deeper into the meaning behind this, you realize that your life is not meant to be spent trying to accomplish a list of Do’s and Do Not’s. God has granted us the freedom from this - don’t get me wrong, I am not saying I am perfect by any means - none of us are. I still work to be a “good” person, I still get anxiety, I still love the feeling of accomplishment and yearn for success, but at the end of the day, I can rest in knowing that my relationship with God allows me to lean on him instead of trying to take control and do life on my own. Lord, today I ask that you remind each and every person who reads this of your love. May you take their anxiety, their stress, their fear, their need for control or success and remove this burden. May we remember who is in ultimate control of our lives. May we stop focusing on the Do’s and Do Not’s and focus on what matters most - our relationship with you and the freedom that comes with this. Father, whoever needs to hear this, may this be a season where we pause, take time to read your word, and pray. Pray that we can be more like you! Amen, Brooke
