"Religion, is what we do in and with, our solitude."
When the day is over, when I have nothing left to study, take notes on, no one left to talk to, what do I think about? What do I desire more than anything? What makes me who I am? What do I want to define me?
These are all questions that everyone asks, whether one is a Christian, Atheist, Buddhist, or whatever other ism is out there. We love to pick causes (pro life, gay rights, recycling, helping the homeless), and we cling to them like there is no tomorrow. We flood our facebook statuses with updates, encouragements, pleading for others to convert to our cause. We all have great apologetics on the death penalty issue, abortion, or global warming. We all wish we could bench press 15 more pounds, lose another waist size, have a cuter boyfriend or girlfriend, have no boyfriend or girlfriend, be married (if were single), be single (if you're married), have a better job, retire, be smarter, be nicer, be more reliable, be more easy going. We constantly have something that defines us. Often, for fellow Christians, it's "I must serve at the church. I need to get involved. I need to have daily meetings with Christians that need my wonderful counsel, I need to read more, look at my theological beliefs, see how many verses I put up on Facebook?"
Some might look at the things I wrote as examples and say to themselves that there is nothing wrong with them. In of themselves, there isn't. But, are those things what we do in our solitude, and with our time? Are those the things that at the end of the day we desire most? If so, our lives will be so futile, and to be honest, pathetic. We will look wonderful on the outside, yet despise ourselves, use the people around us, hate God (whom we often passively or actively deny authority in our life), and be hopeless. Because our lives depend on such meaningless things! We really care if we have a nice iPod, if people like our hair, or if we have a nice car. WHO CARES! In 100 years, we will ALL be DEAD. And you're worried people talk about you behind your back? I care that I need to perform in all aspects, get smarter, have a good job, so my wife will be provided for, so I can have kids, and they can have a good life, and then we can take a vacation, and then they can go to a good college. Whoa!!! I'm 18, in my second year of college, and what drives me is my future kid's college plans? I can die tonight in my sleep. Worried about my kid's college fund. When I don't even have a ring on my finger. Silly what our hearts love to worship, what our hearts will do to achieve power and comfort and control over our lives.
This is because we all want to be God. We all want to sit on our thrones and tell our little kingdom and creation what to do, how to do it, and why. Because we know all, and we know best. We are to be worshipped and glorified. We are to be sacrificed over. People should want to hang out with me, make time for me, listen to my problems, and make accommodations for me. I am the sovereign lord and king.
No. Jesus is whom we give our lives to. He is the One we worship and glorify, and sacrifice to. We devote ourselves to Him. Not to our religion, to our intellectual team, to our cause. Those things all pass away. And what a scene it will be when some stand in front of the risen Christ as He is judging the world, and say "but I told people to recycle to save the trees, and I was passionate about human rights, and I gave my life to creating solar energy". And Jesus will reply with "You didn't tell people about Me, you weren't passionate about Me, and you didn't give your life to Me... depart from me, I never knew You. "
Jesus, please save me from myself. Please allow me to only be focused on You. Not what I do, want to do, or will do, for You. But just You, Your person, Your character, who You are. Not because of what I get, but because of who You are.
