Gospel Music Times Feature Article
Chasing Religion
by Janet Burroughs
Hello Friends,
I battled with the subject of this article, but my Spirit just couldn’t ignore the subject of “Chasing Religion”. If you interact in any type of social media, you can see all the differences in opinions beliefs & convictions. Seems society has placed a larger emphasis on which we associate with, what denomination we belong to and how much sin is in other’s lives therefore wasting their time and effort trying to replace God’s wrath and judgment. Personally, I call this “Chasing Religion”. Instead of Christianity being a priority in our lives, we’ve become complacent with just being Religious. Going to church, teaching Sunday school, leading the Choir or holding office of Deacons too long have been imprinted in the minds of Christians believing that’s all it takes to make it to Heaven. Never mind the single mother who lives down in the community living from paycheck to paycheck to feed her children, or the widow who has to choose if they will eat this month or buy their medications. Many churches are more concerned with gyms, fellowship buildings, padded pews and the appearance of their buildings.
There are more than 30,000 denominations across the United States and growing daily. I ask myself this question often; how can we be in unity with our Father with so many different divisions? You have some that believe if you don’t belong to their denomination or organization, you are bound for hell. For most people, dogmas, doctrines, interpretations are so important. If we do not agree upon these, then we are separate when never in the Word of God does Jesus speak of a chosen denomination. The Body of Jesus Christ is made up of true Christians that belong to all kinds of denominations whether we want to admit it or not. He created us all in His own special way. Not one of us is better than the other. Even if we are different, we are still God’s children and special in His eyes. We are all a part of God’s garden, just different flowers growing at different times.
To understand the purpose of our lives is to love, forgive and not be judgmental to those who share different beliefs. Our relationship with God is a personal one and He is the only One who knows our hearts, mind & souls. If we could number just how many missed opportunities daily of sharing God’s love and mercy, we would be astonished. Sometimes we stray away from people who don’t believe our beliefs. Does that make them wrong and us right? Does that make us them right and us wrong? God will be the final Judge of these questions, not man. It is up to us to study to be approved and seek out our own Salvation rather than taking every preacher and teacher’s doctrine’s words.
The only thing we will take with us when we exit this world is our works. So if we can help each other, uplift each other and encourage each other while living in these fleshly bodies instead of putting each other down, judging each other or abandoning each other in time of need, great rewards await us. So you see, no matter the belief, the goals are the same no matter how we look at it, hear it or see it. Chasing Religion is not the answer.
I’m going to leave you with this awesome scripture and ask that you to consider it with an open heart. God Bless until next time, Janet Burroughs
James 1:27, KJV
27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
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