What’s the difference between relationship and religion? Relationships are intimate, they are turned on, and they are a safety zone. Religion, even the word turns people away. Let’s examine this just a little further.

Think of your closest relationships. They are built on a foundation of trust. Trust takes time to build. You feel like you can be yourself around your closest friends and family. There’s no need to pretend to be someone you’re not.

Religion evokes guilt, shame and judgment. This is because many religions use these as tools to get your attendance and your money. That’s not what God wants. He wants a personal relationship with us, even when we are at our worst. Yes, you read that correctly. God isn’t looking down on us with His arms crossed condemning us. No. God created us and He hasn’t forgotten about us. We are always on His mind.

I encourage you, and myself, to pursue a deeper relationship with God. Study the life of Jesus. Jesus was a rebel and he was a badass. He took away guilt, shame and judgment while calling out the hypocrisy of some of the religious leaders of the day. He is here for us, even though we don’t see him…