I had a dream the other night where a friend and I were discussing our ideal environments for making disciples. It was to apply to all ages, and be extremely practical. Here’s my dream:

My perfect scenario was a 4pm meeting every day of the week, where we’re talking about walking with God in holiness. Then I would orient my whole day around that meeting…. Or would that make us religious? Would one meeting kill the whole thing? We decided it would. Even one structured thing would be too much for us to handle.

Unfortunately, the dream reveals my heart. I say I want to walk with God, but instead, I want to have a meeting to talk about it. And then I would orient my life around an event with people, instead of the presence of God.

Religion kills us, even in small doses. Just like rebellion kills us, even in small doses. We revolve around our laws or sins and they just grow bigger and more powerful until they consume us. Shoot. They are both addictions. Or idols.

This would explain why God got so upset in the Old Testament over seemingly small sins.

• Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them, his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. – Numbers 11:1-2
• Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. – Leviticus 10:1-2
• The Lord said to Moses, “…Speak to that rock….” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff…. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” – Numbers 20:7-8,11-12

And why Jesus got so upset in the New Testament with the religious leaders.

• Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. – Matthew 23:15
• Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “…You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” – Matthew 15:1-3,7-9
• Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it. – Luke 11:43-44

Sin and religion are the two ditches we fall into. Each is equally bad, and equally popular.

• Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. – Matthew 7:13-14

I asked God about my dream. He told me, “Relax. Rest. These are the words of the kingdom. Believe. Abide.” I mentioned that I was working pretty hard last week. He said “At your religious job. When I asked you to work in the kingdom.” Ouch.