Why Religion

Religion gives meaning to life - USA Today
This morning I read this article.  I didn't really care to much for it, my faith has some to do with religion, but I don't follow Christianity, I follow Christ, To me my faith is so much more than just a way for my life to have meaning.  What really got me (and normally does) is reading the opinions of people that have read the article at the bottom.  Either a lot of people got up on the wrong side of the bed, or their are a lot of people with something against religion.

As with most things, it is so easy to focus on the negative side of things.  Look at all the wars, and murders and evil done in the name of religion (people with this view are the same people probably complain about wall street greed, which has nothing to do with religion).  But what about all the good?  What about the hospitals, schools, ministries that are out serving good to so many people. Maybe if as a society if we had more grounded morals (not what is good for me is what I am going to do), we would have a better society, but where does that come from if not from religion.  Look at Mother Teresa's life, do I think she served in Calcutta for all those years, because she needed to find some meaning in her life?  She didn't make large strides in improving the life of the people in Calcutta, she didn't do it for that, she didn't do it for the fame.  I would say she served, because there was meaning to her life, she realized how blessed she was to be one of God's children, and wanted to bless others because of that. 

My belief in Christ as savior does more than give meaning to my life, it gives me a direction and a focus. It allows me to not be concerned with just my own well being, but with the well being of those in this life with me.  I don't follow Christ out of fear [of Hell], I follow Christ out of the knowledge of what he has done for me, and what he has opened up for me.

I don't know all the answers, and this may just be a bunch of rambling, but I do know that no one else walking this earth knows all as well.

What I do know is that we as the Church of Christ need to become relevant again, we need to be the hands and feet of Christ so that this world may see by our fruit that we are of Christ.  We need to let our light shine from the hill top, and not hide it.  We need to be the salt again. 

Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.
Gilbert K. Chesterton