The tragedy of religion

Okay. I've been sitting on this for about two months now. This is something I wrote in my journal back at the end of March, but have not shared so far for a couple reasons. The first reason: it's LONG (consider that your warning...LOL). The second reason: It's very likely to rock the boat, if you know what I mean. Finally today, for no reason in particular, I've decided to step out there and share these thoughts with you. The first part of it is a quoted passage directly from a book I've been reading (Authority of Prayer, by Dutch Sheets). The second part, my thoughts. Hang in there with me if you will. It's a little lengthy, but there is such power in the truth behind it.



The tragedy of 'religion' (words or actions without the power or substance that should accompany them - religiosity- see 2 Timothy 3:5) is this:

Expressions like ['ruling and reigning' and 'more than conquerors'] are often only heartwarming phrases of religious denial among Christians - stemming from a mentality that spouts slogans and verses about 'overcoming,' while people are actually being beaten up by circumstances and walked on by the adversary at
every turn. For many believers it seems enough to simply be called an overcomer or to think of themselves as one. Christ's abundant life is, for them, an appealing hope, perhaps even an intent, but not actual. The tragic reality is:

• Their minds are controlled by sin and compromising thought.


• Their marriages fail along with those of the world around them.


• Their children grow up questioning God's reality or relevancy.


• Their business fail alongside those whose owners don't know God.


• They walk in very little true peace or joy, experiencing the same stressed
  out lifestyle as unbelievers. (No wonder most unsaved Americans see no need for
  God. What difference would He make? they question.)


• They speak of prayer's power, but rarely pray; even less frequently do they
  see answers.


• They speak of an all-powerful God who is 'in charge' but who seems to be
  losing control of our nation - our schools, government, and culture as a
  whole.


• They glibly sing, 'Come on, let's take this city...' but they haven't taken
  even one yet, at least in the U.S

Yet off we go to our church services, week after week, learning our lingo and getting our denial fix, all the while wondering why the rest of society - and many of our children - think we live in a make-believe world of religion without reality, performance without power.

What I see as I read through this is that this is the vital key to reaching America, which is arguably the 3rd largest mission field in the world:

The church must heal - individual by individual - each person taking responsibility for his or her own life, living vitally connected to and ultimately governed by Christ Jesus, until one by one our lives are transformed into lives of victory, full of God's presence and power and abiding peace and joy. When the church is full of healthy Christians who live the lives God intended - seeking constantly to know Him better, to love Him more, and to be ever in His presence - our lives will begin to mirror Him to a nation of individuals who have been watching and waiting for a reason to believe the Bible is true and that God is Who He says He is - that we are what He says we are. That we are conquerors; we do live with peace and joy. Until our words match our lives, until our actions are backed with power and substance, we will hold no weight with the unbelievers of our nation. We will go on in a charade of religion without substance, power or purpose. We will continue in denial of all that is really lacking, completely and utterly falling short of the purpose God has intended for our lives. We will continue to sell ourselves short on the awesome life that we could experience if we would just get it and get real!

Truly, until we do this, they have every reason to question, 'What difference is He making in our lives?' What do we have to offer up as evidence of our God to a lost and desperate world but a life empty and void of peace and power? Until we get over ourselves, connect with God, and allow His ways to guide and govern every aspect of who we are, we cannot tap into all He wants to manifest in our lives, and through us, in the lives of others. Until we really connect with God, completely abandoning our lives to Him, we ourselves run the risk of falling into doubt, and questioning the reality and relevancy of the very God we so love to profess.

Until we become vitally connected to Christ, as individuals within the church, the church as a whole will continue its cycle of internal illness and will continue to be wholly ineffective at reaching out to, ministering to, and impacting the lives of the unbelieving men and women who are standing right outside the church - just on the other side of the walls that hold us in.