RELIGION, RELATIONSHIPS, AND A JIGSAW PUZZLE

Let’s begin with the word “religion”. What does that word mean to you, and to the people that you associate with? If you’re like most people, you will have noticed that it has many negative connotations attached to it. The obvious association that comes to mind when you hear the word “religion” is God which may be the only positive association it has. Let’s put the obvious aside for now and explore the many other common associations and responses that our society has adopted regarding religion.

To do this, please join me in this exercise by taking out a piece of paper and listing everything that comes to mind when you hear the word “religion”. I will list some common ones below:

Extremist, fanatic, self righteous, rules, old fashioned/not relevant/not enlightened, pushy, I’m not religious, boring, that’s good for you, I have my own religion, yeah whatever, I need to sleep in on Sunday, maybe later, I’m doing well on my own, I’m a good person, you’re so judgmental and intolerant, church people wouldn’t accept me and neither would God. 

Now that we’ve made this list, let's throw away the paper we've made it on and forget about religion and all that it has come to mean. Let’s cut the baggage loose and be free, but hold on to the God part, we'll come back to that aspect later.

Now, let’s go through the same exercise with the word “relationship”. Again, I will list common associations to this word below:

Love, care, communication, listening, friendship, connecting, knowing, intimacy, neighbor, forgiveness, trust, together, help, work, not alone, give, promise.

At first glance, you might be wondering what the connection is between these two exercises. I believe the difference between what these words (religion and relationship) represents, is what confuses many people and ultimately keeps them away from God. I’ll explain.

 One of the best known scripture verses in the bible is John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

In John 5:24 Jesus says: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (notice the word is “has” as in right now)

To explore the impact of this promise of eternal life, we need to understand what eternal life means. Jesus gives us this definition in chapter 17, verse 3 of this same book: 

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

You will notice that eternal life is all wrapped around knowing the Lord. Also notice that the word know is in the present tense. To know someone is to be in relationship with him right now. The point of this verse and of all scripture is centered on the fact that God created you for relationship, and that because of sin we remain separated (out of relationship) from Him, however because of His love for us, He has provided a way back into relationship through His son Jesus. 

God has always been and will forever remain in relationship as the Trinity. Also know that He created us to be in relationship with each other and with Him. He is a God of relationships, the designer of relationships and considers them good. If you think about it, many words and ideas related to the principles of relationship are considered positive. Not so when examining the same relative to religion (remember the exercise above?). It’s not that religion in and of itself is bad or unnecessary but the main difference is that religion is man’s pursuit of God with all of our various nuances and sinful nature mixed in, while relationships themselves are a part of God’s design for His creation that we may come to know Him. Before sin cursed mankind, Adam and Eve didn’t need religion to know God because He walked with them in the garden. God created both a man and a woman to be in relationship with Him and with each other. Jesus’ earthly ministry was all about relationships built upon truth and love. Examples of relationships are found throughout the bible and they teach us many things regarding God’s purpose for our lives.

You’re probably wondering how you can be in a relationship with someone you don’t know. After all, JN. 17:3 states: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ

Have you ever dumped a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle on the table only to stare at it for a while and wonder why you ever purchased it? It seemed like a good idea at first but when you saw all the pieces, it became overwhelming. Most people will begin with simple steps: place all the pieces right side up, begin to connect the border pieces, fill in towards the center as best as they can by color and shape, then confusion sets in. If you don’t remedy the confusion, things go south quickly. What’s the remedy? You look at the picture on the box for guidance. This brings hope, relief, a clear vision and a new sense of excitement. 

The bible is that picture on the puzzle box. When you begin to read scripture with the desire to know God, He reveals Himself to you. The bible is like a love letter from your creator to you where you’ll find hope, clarity, vision, understanding, wisdom and salvation. You will find yourself in a relationship with the one true and living God.  The same one who loves you unconditionally and created you with a purpose, the one that sent His Son to bear the burden of sin for all mankind that we may have eternal life (relationship with Him). And that we might have it now.

Below are scripture verses using some of the “relationship” words from our exercise above. There are thousands of verses like these dealing with all kinds of relationships. My hope is that you will begin to see God in a new and refreshing way that will bring you new found hope and many questions. I invite you to email me with any questions you have and I will respond in a timely manner. 
pascalsdailynugget@gmail.com

Love:  John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you

Care:  Matthew 27:55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.

Listen:  Proverbs 4:1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

Friendship:  1 Samuel 20:42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

Know:  Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken 

those who seek you.

Intimate:  Job 29:4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,

Neighbor:  Romans 15:2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up

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Forgiveness:  Luke 3:3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Trust:  Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Together:  Mark 10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Help:  Exodus 4:12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

Work:  Acts 18:3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.

Not alone: John 16:32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

Give:  2Corinthians 9:7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Promise:  Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.