If you’ve said, “I almost lost my religion”, I hope you go ahead and lose it. Go all the way with it. Don’t just get rid of some of it. Get rid of all of it!
Great advice coming from a pastor, huh😀? I think so. Religion is manmade. I have probably encountered more people with a manmade, mustered-up version of something God never intended. That kind of religion has created some of the meanest, snootiest people I have ever met. This is the kind of religion where people try to be good enough. They know the right things to do, say, wear, etc. The problem is that it is fake. The outside conforms, but the inside is dead and empty. Religious people strive to be “good enough”, and the only way to measure that is by comparison. We compare ourselves with others to see if we are better or worse. That’s when church becomes a competition, and we try to figure out who won the “holier than thou” award this week.
Biblical Christianity is not about comparison because none of us would be good enough to make it into Heaven. What would the standard of righteousness be anyway? God is the righteous standard, and the only way to have God’s righteousness is through faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn from your sin and turn to Him. It sure beats the whole comparison thing because we will NEVER measure up.
I will close with the lyrics from the R.E.M. song “Losing My Religion”. Read these lyrics with the thoughts above in mind.
Life is bigger
It’s bigger
And you, you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I’ve said too much
I set it up
That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I’m choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no, I’ve said too much
I set it up
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I’ve said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream, try, cry, why, try
That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream
Dream
Written by Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Peter Buck • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group
Matthew Winters (Honest Thoughts from a Pastor) 
Great article Matthew – so true! Christianity is about relationship, not religion. We’re all a work in process, but as long as we’re walking towards Jesus, we’re on the right track!
So true. Its not religion its relationship and that relationship is with Him.
Reblogged this on Brandon J. Adams and commented:
No shame in my “Reblog Matthew Winters” game.
Thanks for reblogging, Brandon!
Super post! Interestingly, I reading through this book: https://melwild.wordpress.com/2017/02/15/sonshift-study-starts-on-monday-february-20/ and it’s really pretty doggone amazing. Goes right along with what your post is about.
Thank you for sharing! I’ll have to check it out.
If you do, I would be interested in your thought as a pastor with the background you have shared. Thanks.
Wow. Losing religion is so important… when I read the title of this blog post, that’s where I guessed you were going. This points hits home as I’ve had several people encourage me recently to quit trying to BE and enjoy just loving God and getting to know my Jesus. Thanks for sharing!
My friend Brandon reblogged your post, and I am very glad he did! We should never just “go through the motions” of what is known as religion. Where does it get us? What purpose does it serve? What are the benefits (if any?) of living such a life? It is so much better to have a real relationship with Jesus Christ and hearing Him speak your name. Walking through the quiet woods, and Him revealing things to you! This is matchless! This is unattainable through “religion.”
Amen! I would not trade my relationship with Christ for anything. You said it well when you said it is “matchless”.
Great, truthful post. I’m on board with all the others. Religions is all about rules and traditions and, as you say, “doing enough to be good enough”, which, as you so aptly put it, leads to comparison, not compassion or caring. You nailed it, pastor. I wrote about this to on my blog For His Glory several times. Here’s one you might enjoy. https://wordpress.com/post/stevensawyer.wordpress.com/26837
Thanks! I’ll check it out.
My wife and I have encountered the thought “we should become more like Christ” recently in three widely varying occasions. One was a post from Indonesia, another in Our Daily Bread, and the third in a sermon in a once rigorously fundamentalist church that is in the process on moving from “religion” to being a far different body of believers. It has taken time and change and many people have left but we still have hope for a church more like the kind you would want.
It is a process to make that change, but it is one God blesses.
https://thinkandthriveblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/theism-atheism-a-discussion-on-evidence/
Thank you for sharing this post! Well written and articulated!
I appreciate that, same to you.
I always encourage and invite constructive conversation on my platforms and it’s always thought provoking to have deep minds to engage with
This one too is hot. I think you know what I think about this from my last post. Peace.
Thanks, my brother!