Friends For The Journey

7.2.2008

When you are dealing with pain and depression, you need the comfort and power of God. Religion, by itself, may not be much help. Some has defined true faith as God’s search for people, whereas religion is humanity’s search for God.

George Barna did a survey of church attending Christians in the 1990s that documented the fact that only about 1 out of 8 church goers reported having experienced the presence of God even one time in their church services over the course of a year. In the United States, there are the unchurched, the underchurched and the overchurched. Many of the overchurched saturate themselves in volunteering, church services, church ministries and center their entire lives around the church in the hope of pleasing God, but eventually experience burn-out and disillusionment, when they discover that despite their heavy commitment to church involvement, the pain and the problems in their lives do not go away.

Statistically, church goers are nearly as likely to divorce, experience drug or alcohol addiction depression, or teen pregnancy as non-church goers. St. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, predicts a time when people will hold to a form of godliness, but will not experience the transformative power of it.

Eugene Peterson’s translation of Matthew 11:28 puts this dilemma between faith in God and participation in religion very clearly:

28-30“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

One might argue that Peterson is taking interpretive liberties here and in Psalm 31 with the text. Psalm 31:6 in the original is referring to idol worship. Matt. 11:28 does not mention religion in the original. Nevertheless, the spirit of his translations speak a vital point to us: anything other than trusting in God is idolatry: church programs, church leaders, worship services, mission work – all things are intended to be forms of ministry to God – not a source of personal fulfillment or self-identity. Religion cannot replace personal trust and relationship with Jesus. When you have heavy burdens on you, when you are depressed, run to Jesus – not to religion!