Pastor’s Corner: Am I a religious person?

" Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matt 6:19-24 (KJV)

When a person makes the statement, “I’m not a religious person,” what do they really mean? The statement itself is as varied as the number of people who make this declaration.

For some it can mean that they reject organized religion but believe in a supreme being of some sort. One-quarter to one-third of Americans describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. There are people who attend church multiple times a week and don’t consider themselves as being religious at all.

Some people use the statement to validate their disbelief in a god of any sort. In essence, our lives reflect our commitments or what we do religiously.

Does one shower regularly? (Boy, we hope so). Does he or she pay their bills consistently? How often do you watch your favorite show? Are we kind and loving to our spouses or loved ones daily?

There are certain things that we do like clockwork while not acknowledging that we are religious. Some people are religious gossipers. Some are religiously lazy. The apostle Paul religiously persecuted Christians because of what he believed. Some are workaholics. An addict is a religious person, or they do what is necessary to maintain his or her addiction.

My friends, we all do something religiously. So, the issue is not whether a person is religious; the issue is where do we apply our consistent affections.

In the past, I have read priority lists to determine what things mean the most to us. Listed is a brief exercise we can share together. Write out a priority list based on how you spend your time. Next, write one based on how you spend your money. Now write a list based on what you feel most strongly about. Now, write a list on what you think about the most. Finally, write a list based on what you talk about most.

If you were on trial about your priorities and these distinctive lists were given to a court for evidence in determining your true priorities, how do you think the court would rule? What would you be found guilty of? We all do something or some things on a religious or consistent basis.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

No person was ever great for God or in life who failed to discipline themselves to live by godly priorities consistently. How would you categorize yourself? Disciplined? Focused? Committed? My friends, no marriage is worthwhile if there are not two people who are loving, respectful, communicative and committed on a consistent basis.

Child rearing is optimal when that child has parents who are front and center in that child’s life dependably. A great worker is not a person who not only performs his or her duties well, but also if he or she can be counted on to be where they say they are going to be when they say they are going to be there.

The proof text of faith is faithfulness. It is very easy for one to say that he or she loves God, but how is it proven? Faithfulness in relationships is putting your money where your mouth is.

My religiousness flows from being a lover of Jesus. It should be shown in my actions. It is easy to say we’re putting Christ first, but do our lives really reflect this commitment?

I have failed in different relationships because I was not religious in the love mandates of those respective relationships. The evidence is in the actionable quality of who we are. I used to say I am not a religious person. But I have found that I am a religious person because of the faithfulness God proved to me and how I desire to live my life forward.

David Horsager, who wrote a book called the Trust Edge, stated that another term for one’s credit score is a “trust” score, or that the score is an indication of how you can be trusted to repay a loan. I pray that the “trust” score of my life is an indication of how religious I am in life, and relationships. I’m shooting for an 850! How about you?

• Michael F. Cole is the pastor at the Worship Center and Dixon Church of the Brethren.