Missing Something

"I'm just not a religious person," says James, Kate's team partner in algebra.

"Why's that?" Kate responds.

"I don't know," he says. "Seems like religious people use religion as a crutch, like they're weak or something. I just don't feel like I need it."

"I know what you mean. I totally felt the same way before I became a Christian," Kate says. "But when I got really honest with myself, I recognized that something was missing in me. Call it weakness or whatever, but for me it was more like this feeling of incompleteness."

James was listening.

> > Look It Up > >

It's not popular to show any kind of weakness. We often try to convince people -- even ourselves -- that we don't need anything or anyone. But according to the Bible, we need God. He created us to be in a relationship with Him, and without one, we can't be satisfied or complete. All of us can relate to a feeling of emptiness as humans -- that's the God-shaped hole that sin left in our hearts.

"Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1:18-19 NASB)

.:: Think It Through ::.

Is religion a crutch? Some religious people use it that way. But as Christians, we believe that putting our faith and trust in God is the only way to answer the longing in our hearts -- the only thing that can make us spiritually alive. In short, Jesus doesn't just help us walk through life. He is Life. Recognizing our sinfulness and our need to be restored is a great and necessary first step toward God.

> Work It Out >

Who are Christians anyway? Remember that what Christ did on the cross gives us a personal relationship with Him. Some think, especially here in the south where I live, that church is merely a chore, and not a special place to go to every week to show God how much He really means to you. Those TV preachers are nice, but when you have someone who works and prays hard every week to make sure he's leading you in the right direction, don't you think that brings Christ on a more personal level? He wants to reach you directly, through the Holy Spirit inside you when you accept Him, the Bible, His holy word, and your pastor every Sunday and Wednesday.

Everyone eventually meets someone who views 'religious people' as being weak. Sure, there are religious people who go to church. But they aren't really saved. It's just a good thing to do for the "man upstairs." But God's not just the "man upstairs." It's people like that who start the "Weak Religious Person" stereotype. In order to show them that there really is a God who cares, we need to show them. It helps to find common ground with them, and then share your personal experiance, your testimony with them, just as Kate did.

Make a distinction between simply acting or looking religious (i.e. Sunday Christians) and choosing to place your trust in what the Bible says about the human condition -- what has gone wrong with all of us on the inside.

Nail it down::..

"The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 NASB)