This is the crux of being called a ‘Christian’. It is not about people, teaching, programs, seminars, buildings, funds, events, giftings, etc. It isn’t even about prayer meetings, fasting or tithing. It is not limited to how much we study, who we study with, what translation we read, or if we use commentaries. It cannot be contained in a building or boxed in a house. It is dependant on no one but the Lord himself. It is a relationship. Alive, personal and quite intimate. It trusts him for every situation in all things. This is not just quoting promise scriptures but a lifestyle. It believes that he is able to answer ANY question you could ever have. When we cannot reach out to grasp that infinite concept then we limit who God is and definitely limit who he really is our lives.
Do I falter? Do I mistrust? YES! A resounding yes! He is not asking for perfection. He is only asking for your whole undivided heart to **love him**, not just serve him in every situation. Do we falter in our personal flesh relationships? Yes. And hopefully we can go to that person and ask forgiveness. That is all the Father is requiring of us. OUR HEART!
It is an awesome journey when we remove ourselves from the false expectations that have been implanted in us from childhood and then through the church/denominations. We need to come to a place of realizing that God only wants us to love him with a committed, enthusiastic kind of love that cherishes all of who he is and that what he wants is to be the most important person in our life, even as a lover would desire this from their partner (within marriage of course!!)
The Law was full of rituals and to-do lists and obviously it didn’t work for them. The Father is not about to-do lists. When we have completely and ultimately surrendered every portion of our heart and every piece of our life to him then we, out of that fantastic tender love, will want to ‘do’ things to please him.
The Law couldn’t please him. Nor can us sticking to a pile of man made rituals of doing thus and thus on a certain day at a certain time always in a certain way. It is similar to making love with your spouse and using the same position in the same place on the same day of the week for 20 years. It not only becomes extremely boring but the two of you (I would hope) would eventually look at the repetition and ritual and wonder where your hearts went. Where did the spontaneity or the passion go?
The Father probably wonders that too when we go to church every Sunday at 10 am, get the same cup of coffee, say hi to the same greeters, talk with the same people, sit in the same seats, sing (almost) the same songs, pray the same prayers for the same folks and conclude exactly the same time, as we drive away and get home at the same time. (This may not be exact for every ‘church’. I am compiling this based on all the various churches I have been to whether in ministry or as a spectator.)
Christianity is not a spectator sport. It is about bonding with the lover of our soul. Not being in bondage to being obedient to a concept even if we had always though that perception was true and correct. God is the only thing true and correct and in living an undefiled, totally committed and surrendered life it will eventually emanate from us and others will begin to desire that relationship... instead of the religion.
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