I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
True Religion
What do you think about when you hear the word religion?
Maybe you picture a church building. Maybe you envision a cross. Maybe you imagine statues or cathedrals or altars or pews. Maybe the thought of religion brings you comfort, or it makes you want to run in the opposite direction.
Here's what the Bible says religion truly is:
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James 1:27 NIV
True religion in God’s eyes is looking after the hurting and most vulnerable, as well as honoring Him with your life.
You can do this in countless ways. Here are just a few:
Physically: You could deliver groceries to a neighbor, teach a kid to read or play catch, invite a new friend over for dinner, or even foster or adopt a child (or support those who foster or adopt children).
Financially: You can give generously to ease the financial burden to those who don’t have much support. You could find a local church or charity to donate to, or offer to help with utility bills, kids’ extracurricular activities, or even pay off debt.
Emotionally: You can be the hands and feet of God—by showing up, listening, encouraging, and simply being present.
Spiritually: You can offer spiritual support or prayer to those who could use guidance, direction, or even reminders of what they already know to be true.
James writes that true religion in God’s eyes also involves keeping yourself “from being polluted by the world.” How can you do that? You can trust God’s heart. You can surrender to His ways. You can keep your eyes on Him.
Being “religious” isn’t about a showy facade or a spiritual checklist, but loving God and serving others—which, ultimately, makes us more like Him.
God is Close
No matter what we face, we can always seek our unchanging God. We just need to call on Him in truth.
Praying with truth requires recognizing our own brokenness. That means we need to accept and acknowledge that there is nothing we’ve done that makes us worthy of talking to our Creator.
God draws near to us because He is good, kind, merciful, and humble. And we call on Him in truth when we humbly submit our will to His and genuinely delight in Him.
This doesn’t mean we need to call on Him perfectly—we can’t. We simply need to come as we are, and acknowledge our deep need for His grace, mercy, and love. You don’t need to have your life together. You don’t need to be free from anxiety, depression, or fear. In whatever moment you find yourself, God wants you to honestly and intentionally talk to Him.
And even though we might not always sense that God is near, the Psalms remind us that God will come to anyone who calls out to Him. God’s presence is not reliant ...
