Religious Obligation is costly ...

I would just like to take a minute to point you over to an article on family room media's blog concerning the blindness of religious obligation, duties, performance.  

I remember well when the Lord invited me to lay down my religious duties in favor instead of putting all effort and attention towards my husband and three young children.

I can tell you now without any hesitation, that, although I wasn't 100 percent certain at the time that it was God guiding me, I have  through the years come to praise God and thank Him many times for leading me away from religious obligation.  I  am so thankful that He drew me to  being primarily devoted to my family, and this without being under the weight of religious compulsion and duties.  I have seen the positive effect it has had on my family.  

It's wonderful to love,  encourage and  give freely, generously to all who pass my way - without being under the bondage of religion.   To give simply and freely, demanding nothing in return. Without expectation.  That is the way Jesus gave.  

Make no mistake about it - the lost and hurting can see through us when we are loving them and serving them with an agenda or with a motive - "ie to get them saved and to make them a part of the body".  The opposite is true,  .. in order to get them "saved" and "in His Kingdom".. we need to live freely loved  in His Kingdom without  motives.  We need to learn to love others without expectations.  This is the way they will come to desire the love of the Lord and eventually, they in turn will want to express that same love freely to someone else in their journey. We shouldn't love conditionally or with  expectations as religion often does.  As we love freely, we simply need to ask and thank the Lord for  the work that He is doing in us and in them along the way.  We are all a part of Him.   

I have learned that just because it looks, sounds, and appears to be God -  this isn't  necessarily the case.  We really have to know for sure the sound of His voice, what His voice is saying,  and simply obey that voice.  He knows and wants what is best for all of us in His family.  It really is simple.

I've seen soo many women sooo busy, doing "stuff" for God but in this process, ignoring their loved ones.  It is bewildering that religious leaders seem quite fine with this.  It's one thing to be about the Father's business, but quite another to make your husband and children pay for it, and to take a lesser place over your busyness "for God".  (it's really selfish to do this to your famiy)   How does that demonstrate God's love and care for them?

The confusion comes because of the many voices we listen to and assume to be true.  From there, it gets really KRazy when we without restraint, allow these voices to lead us, demand of us, and do this  even when we sense there is something wrong!  Anyhow, here is the post if you are interested:

www.familyroommedia/WordPress/?p=167   "Ignoring the Root"