As I read thought the Gospels, I am amazed at the number of times that Jesus would rebuke the Pharisees for the life they were living.  Most people looked at the Pharisees and thought they were the very creme of the crop, and were the example that everyone needed to follow.  Their commitment to religious exercises and obedience to their laws were unrivaled, and even held as the standard for all.  The problem was, these were not God’s standards.  They were standards that were made by men to help keep God’s law.

I have no doubt that every intention in creating their man-made religious laws were done with great intentions.  After all, they did want to please and obey God.  But after time, the focus moved from pleasing and obeying God to making sure people met the standards man set up to keep God’s law.  No longer was it good enough to keep God’s commandments, but you had to keep the rules and regulations that men had set up in order to please God, which was, of course, totally wrong.

Today’s quote speaks to this.  It is found in a book by Bruxy Cavey titled, “The End Of Religion.”

Religious people miss the message and turn to the rituals and regulations, ethics and activities prescribed to them as the way to achieve what God has already offered them as a gift. In so doing, they miss the life of God and fail to satisfy their spiritual thirst.

Picture a thirsty person holding a cup of water. Now picture that person licking the outside of the cup in an attempt to quench his thirst. That is the picture of religion. Religious people tend to focus on the cup and forget about the contents.

I think there are many Christ-followers that have grown up in church thinking that doing is more important than being.  In other words, doing all of the prescribed things that man has set up for us to conform is more important than being like Jesus.  We have been taught to focus on the outside of the cup rather than what is inside the cup.

Jesus taught people to focus on the inside of the cup.  It is what will quench your thirst.  It is what gives you life.

The difference between the outside and the inside is this: one is based on rules, the other is based on a relationship.

I am focusing on the relationship.  That is what will make me more like Jesus.