Theme of the week: Losing My Religion
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Who Said It … Fil Anderson
Fil Anderson is a spiritual director, conference speaker, writer, and retreat leader. He is the founder of Journey Resources and author of Running on Empty and Breaking the Rules. Educated at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington and Fuller Theological Seminary, Fil served on the staff of Young Life for 25 years. He and his wife, Lucie, live in Greensboro. They are the parents of three adult children.
What he Said … Window Dressing
Religion has only enough power to change the appearance of things. Religion has never been able to get down into and change anyone's heart. It's both a humbling and freeing thing to acknowledge there's nothing we can do that reaches beyond the appearance of things. Only Jesus has the power and resources needed to change what's inside us.
For many of us, religion becomes a container that securely houses "the rules" for successful living. The rules provide the answers to the how-to-please-and-appease-God questions that religion emphasizes. When this happens, our life is reduced to a set of principles, Bible verses, moral absolutes, and formulas. The unmistakable conclusion is that once the rules are understood, we can relax and feel secure because God is no longer a mystery or beyond our grasp. As long as we remain focused on surface issues, life goes well. However, when we hit a stumbling block or two, we face the emptiness of our interior life. Suddenly, "the rules" no longer seem to apply, our life begins disintegrating, and we're forced to change.
Adapted from Breaking the Rules (InterVarsity Press, 2010) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2012 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine.
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