Religion or Relationship?

My wedding day was June 18, 1994. On that date, I officially became a married man.  We held the ceremony. We tied the knot. We said, "I do." We have a certificate to prove it (as well as 4 kids, 2 dogs, and a mortgage...but those are for another post).  June 18th was a very significant day for Michele and me, but it marks neither the beginning nor the end of our relationship.

The date our relationship truly began was March 26, 1992.  That was the night I met this beautiful girl from Beggs, Oklahoma in a Whataburger in Waxahachie, Texas.  She was wearing a blue denim shirt with a Mickey Mouse sequin tie.  That was when I first saw her green & brown eyes up close & personal. That was when I saw her smile.  That was when I found out she loved Jesus, loved basketball, and loved Larry Bird.  (It was the trifecta I had spent my life looking for!)

From that night on, I pursued a relationship with her. I wrote letters (remember those days?). I stood at a pay phone in a dorm hallway with a pocket full of quarters, hoping time would stand still for just a few more minutes. I sent cards, gifts, flowers.  It was long-distance relationship for the first few months, so I planned trips to Oklahoma as often as I could.  And somewhere along the way, this "like" turned to "love" and I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

Eventually, there came a ring and a question. Then, a Yes. Later on, there was a wedding...and a honeymoon. A few years later, there came one baby, and then another, then another, and finally one more. All in pink, no blue. 

The family grew.
The waistline grew.
And all the while, the RELATIONSHIP grew.

But along the way, I've learned a valuable truth: My relationship with my wife is at its best when I continue to PURSUE her. She's already "mine," right, so why pursue something I've already caught? Wrong!  If I want our relationship to keep growing, I must pursue her heart. July 18, 1994 was a great day, but what about August 2, 2011? The wedding day is gone, but TODAY is a new chance to love her. I don't value the contract, I value the intimacy. I don't value the certificate, I value the marriage.  And it's still up to me to pursue the relationship with the woman I love.

I am finding this same principle applies to my relationship with Jesus.  I remember some "good times" we've had. The day I first trusted Him for salvation.  The day I was filled with the Holy Spirit.  The day I sensed a call to preach. Many other highlights jump out at me during our long-lasting relationship, thus far.  But if I want this relationship to keep growing, it's still up to me to pursue Him. 

He says, "Seek me, and you will find me."
He says, "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you."
He says, "Fix your eyes on me."

My relationship is over three decades old (going on four), but what really matters is TODAY. If I will pursue a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus through daily prayer, meditation, reading the Bible, He will fill every longing of my heart.  If not, I am left with "RELIGION"...and who really wants more of that?!?

Try this today, and see what happens:
A thoughtful deed for your spouse, and a prayerful moment with Jesus.

And watch both relationships grow deeper, right in front of your eyes!