Devotions from Fil Anderson’s book, Breaking the Rules

Has our religion given us rules, systems and formulas to live by?  Does it give us a god who is obligated to provide the things we want if we hold up our end of the bargain by believing and going the required things? Some of our habits and churchy routines that we think is building a bridge to God, may instead be erecting a wall between us and Him. God is interested in our hearts and wants a relationship with us where He is the giver and we are the receiver.  He wants us to KNOW Him, not fix our selves up to impress Him or win Him over. We can’t mend our ways and achieve a relationship with Him by keeping all the impossible rules and being very, very good!   He invites us to come to Him, to walk with Him, to keep company with Him. We can give up all our masks and drop all our disguises with Him.  In the story of the prodigal the father welcomes his wayward son home even before the son could recite his plea for forgiveness. His unconditional love was lavished on his son. We are his beloved and let us stop running and follow Him and  become our real selves. There is a huge difference between religion and an authentic life with God. Let us live from our hearts, not our heads, from the inside out instead of the outside in!