Is being called “religious” an insult or a compliment? Should we try to be religious or not? By one definition, “religious” can just mean that you take your faith very seriously. But for some people, being “religious” just means that they do a lot of “churchy” stuff, but they don’t really love God or love their neighbor. This has led some people to say, “Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship.” This is partly true; Christ died for us so that we could be in relationship with Him, and apart from Christ we can do nothing. But if you try to love Jesus without doing any “religious” stuff like going to church or reading your Bible and doing what it says, then you aren’t going to have a relationship with Christ at all! It shouldn’t be religion or relationship; it should be religion through relationship and relationship through religion. Let’s be the right kind of religious and put Christ first.
Bible Verses:
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 – Nothing without love
- Matthew 22:36-40 – The Greatest Commandments
- James 1:27 – True religion
Family Time Questions:
- How can being religious be a bad thing?
- How can it be a good thing?
- As Christians, should we choose religion, relationship, or both?
- What are the first and second greatest commandments?
Prayer:
“Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son so that we could have a relationship with You. Please help us to be the right kind of religious. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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