It’s not religion, it’s a relationship. We’ve all heard it and probably said it at one point or another. I was born and raised in a Christian family. Church every Sunday, bible study at night every so often, Dad telling us to listen only to Christian music, and of course not to watch Harry Potter. I had accepted Christ into my life in my early years, but it wasn’t until I was 11 that I began to build my relationship with God. It was then that I began to understand God’s love, see myself as His own, and seek to become more like Him.
I was recently talking with a stranger about my relationship with God and we had a conversation I’ve had many times before. Whenever my religion comes up in a conversation with friends who are not saved, I have heard similar stories and matters of concern. Either one does not feel accepted by the church or feels that God will not accept them because they are not good enough. The first time was my freshman year in high school when an openly gay friend of mine opened up to me and said she used to be a Christian but not anymore. Fellow youth at church condemned her for her lifestyle and said she did not belong. I was shocked and hurt on her behalf. But today it’s no longer a shocker, for I see it happen too often in the Christian community.
Since when must love be earned? Since when must one be qualified to be loved? The Bible makes it clear that there is nothing man can do to make himself right with God. “For all have sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in His sight” (Romans 3:23-24 NLT). Christ took our punishment and did for us what we cannot do ourselves. Because of His love, God took our sin away by “nailing it to the cross”. Therefore we all have the gift of salvation and the free will to accept it through faith (Colossians 2:13-14, Romans 3:22). So are you good enough to be accepted by God? According to God, it’s not about being good enough, it’s about a child accepting his/her father’s love.
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:22
What next, they ask? When I accept God into my life, must my life be without sin? Do I, in that moment, have to change all my ways? It’s those thoughts that cause many to believe they are not ready to become a follower of Christ. They feel pressured, weak, shamed, lost. Mark walks into church smelling like alcohol and drugs, instead of faces saying welcome, he gets stares saying “what are you doing here?” Last week Sara posted a picture of her and her new girlfriend, and for some reason today, none of her friends in the church youth group are talking to her. Ashley is pregnant with her third child out-of-wed, and suddenly she’s the talk of the century in women’s small group. These are real examples of circumstances people face that make them run from the church, instead of to it.
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of meeting a well-known Christian artist, and hearing his story. He was one of those people who wanted to know God, yet was turned away just at the door to a church. He says, “You say you represent God, but I wanted God, and because I met you first, I didn’t get him” (Uncle Reece). What many do not understand is that God is loving and accepting to all and others that may deem unworthy. His great mercy and kindness is more than we can comprehend. It is His everlasting love that leads us to seek a relationship with Him, and only through that relationship that we leave our old self behind and begin to follow His ways (Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 4:22-23).
As we draw closer to God, He brings our weaknesses to light, showing us what we need to work on and eliminate from our lives. When we admit our weakness to God is when we allow Him to transform our hearts and renew our minds. It’s a process, for at times we will stumble, bend, fall, and be tempted to turn back. But God reminds us that we’re no longer slaves to sin, instead we’re His children, and therefore have everything we need in Him, including strength to keep moving forward (Romans 6:6, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). To whoever is looking down at you in those moments, simply get back up, turn to them and say, “Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet.” That relationship, your journey, the race of life, is between you and God, no one else. It’s your unique road to freedom.
“I met some Christians, some people my age that loved me for no reason. It was kinda crazy.”
— Uncle Reece
As Christians, it is not our place to judge and condemn others. As Christ said, “let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7 NLT). Instead we are to be images of God everywhere we go and lead people to the cross. As Uncle Reece describes, “I met some Christians, some people my age that loved me for no reason. It was kinda crazy. They were so cool, so kind and nice that it forced me to look at myself. It was the first time I saw myself for who I really was” (Uncle Reece). In our ways, in our lifestyle, we are to demonstrate God’s love, unconditional love. Love that no matter the mess, sees a heart that can be made pure in Christ.
Oftentimes repeatedly hearing something helps me change my way of thinking. That’s why I like music, because it does the trick. So if you’re having trouble seeing yourself as God sees you, here are some songs I recommend adding to your playlist this week. As Britt Nicole says, all you need to do is put on your headphones.
- Broken Things by Matthew West
- My Mess by Uncle Reece
- Shoulders by for King & Country
- Love Broke Thru by TobyMac
- Made New by Lincoln Brewster
- Prodigal by Sidewalk Prophets
- Come As You Are by Jaci V
- Through Your Eyes by Britt Nicole
To make it easier, I’ve created a Spotify playlist you can easily access in the link below. It’s a collaborative playlist, so feel free to add any songs you think fit in the playlsit. If you need someone to talk to, someone to pray with, or have prayer requests, I’m here for you. Reach out to me anyway you know how, even through email at [email protected].
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/1225879843/playlist/6pEbdXaguvRC3zMijBN6Xb
