What is Religion to You?

This is a contribution from Brianna Angel, a writer out of Los Angeles. Religion or Spirituality is so personal to everybody, to speak out loud your belief system can be very vulnerable. What I love about Brianna’s open letter is how she speaks truthfully of her experience. Brianna is a genuinely kind woman who supports her friends, family and peers without hesitation, but with total grace and love.

Religion is law*1. Religion is rules and regulation. Religion, meant to bring us closer to God, has drawn us farther away from Him. Religion has caused more fights among the people I love most more than anything else in my life. Religion rejected me, told me I would never measure up to its standard. And when I didn’t measure up I was punished for it. Religion told me I had to be perfect if I was ever going to see heaven. As hard as I tried, perfection has always been far out of my reach. There was no condemnation or guilt that ever saved me. But I remember when I fell in love, now that changed things.

No longer under religious rules, but accepted exactly as I am. I found myself in a relationship with the man who, while he lived a short time on earth claimed to be God, and his name is Jesus. Now, relationship is different. Relationship is involved. Relationship is communication, it’s intimate, it’s romantic, and it’s something we all desire. Don’t get me wrong, relationships are hard. I am not denying that. I think so often what we miss is when relationships do get hard, most of us fight to get away. But with God, and in any relationship, the fight must be to stay.

I don’t know everything there is to know about religion. And I’ll never know all there is to know about Jesus. He is immeasurable and infinite and magnificent; it will take forever for me to see his ever increasing beauty and majesty. But from what I do know, in short, Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. From what I understand, religious law was only intended to point me to my sin. Everyone can look at the world and see this is not how it should be. Clearly there is something wrong. We are human, therefore we are flawed. Prone to failure. I don’t know about you, but I fail a lot. Usually, I fail more often than I succeed. But in those defeated moments, God still loves me the same. No matter what I’ve done, it’s never changed how he feels about me. Jesus is not out to point out my sin. He wants to take my sin from me. I am a sinner. He shows me more of my sin every day. It is ugly and I do not deserve the way He loves me. But there lies his loving power. He died for me when I was still *2 a sinner. No other religion in the world is going to tell you, you can do bad and get good.

My human mind has a hard time comprehending this kind of outrageous love. I will not live a perfect life. Jesus did that for me. I will not be punished for my sin. Jesus did that for me. He took my 3 place. Jesus did everything right so he could pay the price for everything I did wrong. That’s grace. 4 That’s mercy. That’s love.

In the Bible the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming the curse for us.”*5 All this means is God knows I’m a mess, he knows how weak I am. Which is exactly why he did what he did when he sent his son Jesus to take my place. By only believing in Jesus, God looks at me and no longer sees a sinner, but he sees me blameless before Him. As the days go by, my relationship with Jesus has never gotten easier, but I can tell you from what I’ve experienced, it has only gotten better. I am more free than I have ever been. The only thing I really want is more of him. And as he continues to give me more of himself, any difficult circumstance I find myself in fails in comparison to how big he is and how much he loves me. God is far bigger, more amazing, and more incredible than I am even able to think he is. The hardest part I have is believing its truth.

God is patient and gentle and no forcing religion down my throat ever changed me. God, with all his love called me to himself when I was broken. I hit multiple rock bottoms only to discover Jesus was my rock at every bottom. God says those who seek him will find him6. The best part about that is, in all my seeking and chasing after the things of God, I’ve discovered he is the one seeking after me7. And chasing me faster than I will ever be able to keep up. Jesus is God coming to man, and it’s the only “religion” that is a response. Therefore, solidifying the relationship. Jesus sought me, and he loved me first*8. I’ve only responded.

I’m sorry if I’ve ranted. But that’s what happens when you’re in love. You lose track of time and space and reason. My life has become the overflow of love that I have for the man who loved me when I was rejected. Jesus changed my life. You don’t have to believe what I believe. I know how crazy it sounds to be in love with someone you can’t see. But that’s love isn’t it. Usually you can only see it if you’re paying attention. Love is the most powerful force that has ever existed. I don’t think we know it when we see it, I think we know it when we’ve experienced it and when we feel it. All I hope you know, is that you matter and you are loved. And as you search for love, remember love has already found you.

xx Brianna Angel

1 Romans 3:20

2 Romans 5:8

3 1 Corinthians 5:21

4 Romans 3:23-26

5 Galatians 3:13

6 Proverbs 8:17

7 Luke 19:10

8 1 John 4:19