Giving an Answer

Almost always when I meet someone new, eventually the conversation comes around to religion.  It seems like lately there have been many opportunities to answer the questions, "What religion are you?" or "Where do you go to church?"

Both these questions indicate to me that a person is trying to find the quickest way to discover who I am, what I believe and whether or not they can identify with me. Unfortunately, it seems like my answers to either question do not gain them favorable insight.

I am a Christ follower and have an intimate relationship with the creator of the universe. I am not religious, though. I am not bound by a set of traditions or rules that govern my behavior; rather I try to walk in love and compassion, which Jesus says fulfills the law. I consider myself to be part of a family, where God is my Father and Jesus is my brother.

I believe in the New Covenant offered by the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and believe that I am saved, redeemed, healed, prospered, delivered, righteous, and that all the promises ever given to anyone in the Bible are yes and amen to me. I believe that faith, the measure of which is given to every believer, is the cornerstone of seeing the life of abundance we are promised in the Scriptures--not only in the New Heaven and Earth, but here, now, in this life.

I believe that we are free to make choices, and to a large extent, we control the world as it affects us based on what we are willing to receive from God. There is nothing else He has to do for us, it has all already been done. Laws were set in motion at the creation of the world that continue to perpetuate, and we are responsible for applying them to our lives, whether they seem visible or "real" to us or not. God is only in control if we invite Him to be, and we do not need to live as fatalistic victims of circumstance because His grace empowers us to live beyond our circumstances.

Now, while that is a very sketchy view of our beliefs, and barely touches how fully life encompassing our love-relationship with God is, it is still more than I can offer in answer to the casual acquaintance who querries! It is vastly different than the reply, "I am a Christian," an answer that is interpreted in so many ways from narrow minded to liberal thinking, or, "I am a Protestant," which really only narrows that field slightly. If I say I am Charismatic, which in some ways I am, that conjures up a whole different set of images and depending on their perspective or experience with others in that group may completely put them ill at ease.

How do you tell someone you are having a love affair with your Maker? What do I say to define how God has changed my heart, my mind, my life, my relationships, my goals, my perspective, my philosophy, my health, my feelings and my dreams? If you can tell me, I'd sure appreciate your insight, because I  don't want to be boxed in, nor do I want to lead someone down a path that will keep them from experiencing the joy and love I have been blessed with because of some past experience they have had with someone who professes to have faith in God.