Burned out on religion? Irene Frances
MANY YEARS AGO I came across a print of Jesus, a painting by Twentieth Century artist, Richard Hook. What captured my attention was how the eyes of Jesus followed me around the room, gazing upon me regardless of where I sat. I saw in that image the love of God, the gentleness of Jesus and his invitation for us to “Come, follow me.”
Somebody once told me my faith in God is too simplistic, that there is more to him than simply accepting Jesus as Saviour and seeking to live for him. In a sense that is very true, but in another way it is not.
I am deeply concerned at how the Church makes it so difficult for the average person to understand anything about God. While some churches preach the simple gospel message, others add a mish-mash of rules and regulations that people must obey in order to become members of a particular congregation. That is not God.
As much as I try, I cannot escape the simple – yet profound – message of our Saviour. Once we grasp his invitation and begin to learn about him and the life he led here on earth, a whole new world opens up – we begin to experience a profound peace and freedom and can enjoy life to the full, as God intends:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life” (Matthew 11:28, The Message).
This article first appeared at https://irenefrances.wordpress.com UBP
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