More Like Falling In Love

Words mean things.  When I hear people talk about themselves or others, when defining their relationship with God, they can often use the word “religious”.  Hearing “I’ve never been a religious guy”, or “my parents are pretty religious” is one of my little pet peeves about how people can describe a life of faith in a way that doesn’t paint the full picture.

“Give me rules
I will break them
Show me lines
I will cross them 

I need more than
A truth to believe
I need a truth that lives
Moves and breathes”

The reason the word religion or religious strikes me as an incomplete articulation of one’s faith is because it can imply the following of rules or a set of standards as opposed to turning your whole heart towards something.  Religion speaks to a process where, if we follow the rules, we can achieve redemption and eternal life. But, if we are unable to follow the rules of religion, we will be relegated to an eternity of punishment.

“Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them 

'Cause all religion
Ever made of me
Was just a sinner
With a stone tied to my feet
It never set me free”

Our early Christian ancestry was about following rules in order to gain favor with God.  In order to be aligned with Him, we had to dress a certain way, follow a series of intricate steps for atonement and show our religion outwardly in a way that was about gaining righteousness by the world’s definition. But now, we have something different.  We can fall in love with our God.

I heard this song, “More Like Falling In Love” yesterday morning on my adventure to/from Chicago.  Fortunately I had many hours of K-LOVE along for the ride (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA9IfB7coKg).  I had experienced the song a few times before yesterday, but what struck me on the most recent listen was how Jason talks about the difference between a forced faith and one that comes naturally; a love that we don’t drive ourselves to by following rules, but by losing ourselves, in a way.

“More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance 

Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love”

Because people sometime define their faith as religion, they can think the only way for them to obtain God’s favor is by going to church, praying a certain way, living a life of perfection.  Yes, religion can demand these things, but there is a different way.  There is a way that is about letting go of convention and logic, opening your heart, falling.  Jesus is not religious to us; He loves us.  “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

“Love, love, love
Deeper and deeper, it was
Love that made me a believer
In more than a name
A faith, a creed 

Falling in love with Jesus brought
The change in me”

So, are you religious or are you in love?  Think of that feeling you’ve had when falling in love.  It’s an all-in proposition.  Set aside the rules; push away the steps and process required by a religion.  Fall in love.