Religion, being the system of rules, regulations and traditions that are set up by man, as a means to be 'worthy' or to bring us up to God's level. Religion, in that sense, celebrates tradition and works, and almost totally negates relationship, which, is what it is all about. You see this at the key points in the Bible, and you can see how important it is to God. From Adam and Eve, to Moses and the Jews wandering through the desert. God has always wanted one thing, relationship. To know us. To be His friend. It's not about the rules, and it's not about what you can do to bring yourself to Gods level, it's about realizing that our God came down to OUR level, so we don't need to 'strive' or to jump through religious hoops to being us up to His. The truth, what I have found, is that when someone has a close and intimate relationship with God, one doesn't need to be conscious of the 'rules', they come naturally, because you think and act in line with God. Religion, and the 'rules' and hoops separate us from God. We become more conscious of our sin, not God. We start 'trying' to do what is right, we start 'trying' to be good, when in reality, if we just focused our hearts and mind on God, and not the rules, or interpretations of rules, He lights the path.

A great example of this is the Jewish people wandering through the desert. God chose that people, and set them aside. They had a special place in God's heart, and He wanted nothing more than to make the Jewish nation a nation of priests that would be an example through the land, and all the nations. But they rejected that. God asked them to know Him, and instead, they said they would rather have rules, or be 'told' what to do, and rejecting the relationship, and closeness to God. So, in turn, after being rejected, God gave them what they wanted. Rules. Commands. A list of things to do and not do, when all God wanted was for them to come up on the mountain, to know Him, and have that closeness with them. But, He was rejected, and in turn, God gave them what was in their hearts.

So for me, it's that attitude, and that message, that I would love to hear expanded. How religion, and how rules, regulations, and hoops, take us away from God and the relationship that He wants with all of us. To know our hearts, not to look down at us and see us 'trying' to please Him. Religion has created a platform for people to stand on, and use, to look down on others, and control them. While they themselves are sometimes worse than the ones they call out. Like the Pharisees. Outwardly, they followed all the rules. They knew the Torah inside and out, every verse, every rule and every command. Yet, Jesus called them hypocrites. They did not have that closeness with God, if they did, they would have seen Jesus for who He was. But they were so steeped and blinded by the religious system they had set up, all the rituals, and the traditions, they were blind to the Truth.

So that's really what I am talking about. Not the 'religion' of Christianity, but the 'religiousness' that creeps into it, and separates us from God. People strive so hard to be 'holy', and do what they 'think' God wants, when God has already made us holy. Because of that, we can focus on our relationship with Him, and through that, God lights our path, and those 'rules' and the 'religion' falls away, and together you work from the same heart, God's heart, and He can use us how He intended. When there is that relationship, we are close enough to hear Him clearly for when He needs us to do something. Which is what its about. But when we aren't that close, we spend so much time trying to do what we 'think' God wants, and sadly, we can miss what He really wants because we are too busy 'trying'.

......and that's the short explanation.