My View on Religion

Life is full of many questions, and even answers, that I don't understand. The only thing that I understand, at least part of the time, is that God is in control even when I don't get it. I have seen this way too many times in my life to doubt it. Someone could threaten my life over my belief, but I can not budge, and I will not budge. It is too real to me. God has met me face to face way too many times for me to deny him.

Someone asked me once what I believe, what religion I am. My answer is this, I don't believe in religion. Religion is bondage to me, rules and regulations that only lead to failure and self-hatred. I believe in the freedom that only comes through Jesus, freedom from mistakes, sin, failures, and even freedom from sin that was committed against me. I believe Jesus came to this earth to walk in my steps so that I would never have to doubt if he understood me and my challenges, joys, and simply my everyday life.

I believe he came to take my place when in fact; I am the one who deserves to pay the price for the choices I have made in my life. He is perfect, I am imperfect, yet he was the one who hung on a cross so that the sins I have committed, as well as the sins that have been committed against me, could be forgiven and thrown away from me as far as the east is from the west. There had to be a price that was paid for my garbage. It is too ugly, makes me to ugly, to stand before God, so there had to be a price. I am so grateful that Jesus chose to do that for me.

He didn't have to. He is God. He could have sat there on his thrown and felt pity for me, but that is not the God I have sold out to. I have sold out to a God who is merciful and kind, who offers grace to me. I know the ugly stuff that I have thought in my heart. I may seem like a "good" person, but I know that I have broken everything that God has asked of me, and yet he didn't think I was unworthy of forgiveness. He didn't turn and look away from me. What an amazing thing to not be forgotten. He blew the stars off his hand. He designed a universe that is beyond my comprehension, yet he looked at me and decided I was worth paying a huge price for.

How in the world could I not praise him when he did that for me? That would be crazy! Simply put, I love him because he first loved me. I am a Christ follower because he thought I was worth giving his life for.

I was also asked why we take communion. We take communion to remember what he did for us. He offered his body and spilled out his blood so we wouldn't be separated from him, not only for eternity but even in our day-to-day lives. I get to walk with him today, sing with him today, and talk with him today, because he did that for me. The greatest threat I think I face in life is self-doubt, self-hatred. I hate failing. Unfortunately at times, I allow it to speak of my worth, so when I take communion it reminds me that I have worth. It reminds me that he thought I was worth dying for. That is intense to me. He is my friend, so I take communion to remember, because I don't ever want to forget what he did for me.