When I bring up the subject of God, I typically get a response from others that describe Him as a religion. Two different parts of speech, one characterized as a noun and the other as a verb. As a noun, God is a living spiritual being or person; whereas a verb, the act of practicing.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, religion is described more as a religious attitude, belief, observance, practice, commitment, devotion, service, worship of a god, an interest, cause, belief, or activity that is intensely or passionately held to, and or state of being a member of a religious order.

According the scripture in the bible, James 1:27 describes religion as, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

It separates the description of God as Father and religion as an act of visiting those that have lost their parents or life companion through death and straying away from that which defiles.

Although the idea of one being religious typically entails, doing good or trying to be a good person, not all religious practices involved acts done with good intent or to better oneself. Some religious practices may involve demonic acts that can lead to self-termination or public extermination. There are also strange practices in creepy temples during initiations or pledging that involve chanting surrounded by candles or others that captivate one into an obsessive compulsive lifestyle.

There’s a scene described in the bible where Jesus’s cousin, Martha was busy in the act of serving, while her sister Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His words.

Luke 10:38-42 says, “…a certain woman named Martha welcomed Jesus into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Mary was spending time with Jesus, while Martha was striving to serve. Some of us might get caught up in acts, while Jesus just wants us to sit, listen and draw near to Him.

When Jesus walked the earth, He went against religious Jewish traditions, such as healing on the Sabbath day. The religious leaders who spent their life in the Synagogue studying God’s word and praying were against Jesus for breaking tradition, rather than praising the fact that a paralyzed man was healed, finally able to stand and walk. The Pharisee’s were so caught up in religious practices that they missed the face of God that stood in front of them.

God is not a religion, but a spirit with a personality described in His Word, the Bible. Jesus did not die on the cross so we can be religious, but so we can have a relationship with our Creator. It’s mind-blowing to know that the God of the Universe knows us by name, how many hairs we have in our head and His thoughts towards us are precious and more that the sand, but the bible is clear on this. He loves us and sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins so we can be reunited with God and inherit eternal life.

Jesus was crucified beside two criminals. Although neither of them spent their life being religious, one of them believed and knew who Jesus really was and that is all it took for the criminal to receive eternal life. It wasn’t good works, but knowing who Jesus was.

Luke 23:39-43 says, Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying,“If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Sometimes it takes a supernatural experience for faith to arise within us. Most picture God as too busy to know us personally, but we’re forgetting that He created us and that He is God, not held back with humanly limitations. In the book of Acts, Saul wanted to strike the disciples of the Lord until he became blind and heard the voice of God, asking him, “Why are you persecuting me?” in relation to the disciples of Christ. God then tells Saul to go to a house, where Ananias, a disciple would pray for him and he would receive his sight back. God changes Saul’s name to Paul and he becomes an Apostle for the gospel, on fire for God, spreading the gospel everywhere. Saul had his supernatural experience and it changed his life along with many others.These days, it takes reading the Bible to begin to know the character of God and to hear from Him when the word applies to situations in life.