Freedom to Own your Own Faith
People long ago lived by a system of rules and regulations that told them how to live their lives, and they used priests as intermediaries between themselves and God. Simply read through the Old Testament and be thankful that we no longer operate under this burdensome system. We are not required to live according to The Law as we are we’re plugged directly in with God. Or so we tell ourselves. I challenge you to step back and honestly look at your life and the lives of other Christians today and ask if that much really changed?
We carry our checklists of things we must do to stay “ok” on our journey. From a “One-Year Bible” to attending Sunday services without fail, to praying before every meal, to using the right language (and I don’t necessarily mean a lack of profanity…we have a coded language in the church), to paying our 10% tither, etc. So i ask, have we not created a replacement system with new “priests” and “laws”?
We don’t trust ourselves in knowing God’s will for our lives. We seek God’s directions and then take what He put in your heart and run it by church leaders only to find abandonment to that vision when these “experts” don’t agree with it. Do we truly risk falling off the deep end or making a huge mistake if we don’t cow to the religious leaders?
Let’s face it…as long as your religious practices match up with the accepted creed and principles governing your chosen group of believers, don’t you feel you’re on track? That you’ve done enough? Be honest now! And if you don’t measure up to the accepted checklist, don’t you feel that you’re somehow falling short just because another human being is telling you it’s so?
While the advice and encouragement of other brothers and sisters who are walking this same journey with you can be invaluable, don’t let it end there! This is your life and your spiritual walk we’re talking about here. God’s desire is a personal, intimate relationship with each one of us. No intermediaries, no list of rules. Just a two-way, no-holds-barred relationship. It’s important to know that:
- God wants to walk and talk with you directly
- Jesus came to bridge the gap and show us a better way than through intermediaries or any religious system
- You may not have fancy education or specialized training, but you have Christ’s Spirit within you
- The Holy Spirit is big enough to guide us…trust Him
- It’s time for you to take ownership of your own faith instead of abdicating that control to other people or a system of rules
Adapted from the Outside Edge
www.OutsideEdgeCoaching.com