I Refuse To Do That

I often find myself coming to the place where I have been neglecting reading the Bible for way too long and then when I am ready to get back into it I just don't know where to start. I did that today for awhile as I was reading various beginnings of books or trying to just open to a random spot and see if God would speak to me through it. Well, I ended up in Galations, one of Paul's letters. I love these books, they still remain to be some of my favorites. I was reading about how our lives are not set right before God by rule keeping but instead through our relationship with Jesus. Trying to improve myself does not necessarily please God. It also talks about how this same idea applies to how I relate to others. It is not important that I appear righteous before others either and that peer pleasing religion wreaks everything that makes my relationship with God free and personal.
Sometimes I wish there was this big list of rules. I am for the most part a rule follower and sometimes I just think life is easier when I am just told what to do. I think that is why I always did well in school. But when I really think about what following a big set of rules would do for my relationship with God it would just become another thing in my life that I get done. I would get it finished for the day and then move on to whatever is next. That is so not my desire and my relationship with God is nothing like that. It is a relationship, it is personal and unlike anyone else's because I am unlike anyone else. I guess this is why it doesn't help me to compare myself to others or try to convince others that I am perfectly righteous. Of course I want to be encouraged and encourage others but I want to make sure I am doing it for the right reasons. Christ lives in me. God is already impressed by me. I want to continue to rely on the Holy Spirit living in me to shape and control my thoughts and actions. Hopefully in doing this I may encourage all those that I have the opportunity to influence.

If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.
Galations 2: 21 (msg)

Julie