The 3 Rs: Religion, Righteousness and Relationship

I stumbled on this verse at a time when i really needed to see it.

ROMANS 3:10
"as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;"

One of the important lessons am being forced to learn is the difference between Religion, Righteousness and Relationship. Religion/Religious, to cut a long story short, is not it. Being religious puts emphasis on doing all the "right" external stuff with what goes on the inside relegated to the background. It is more concerned with the outward appearance of holiness. But men i need God to fix me inside and not really bothered by how people view me.So thats straightforward. I dont want to be religious.

But i desire to be righteous. Yes it is said that God is more concerned with having a relationship with me as opposed to my obedience, but both are intrinsically linked. Sin affects your relationship with God. It either burdens you will guilt that makes you feel unworthy to come to His presence. But thats where the verse above comes in.

"None is righteous, no, not one;"

Does this mean i can do whateva i want and just read my bible everyday. No!!!! Is about focus. Focusing on your relationship God allows you to draw on his power rather than relying on ur own strength which is doomed to failure. I desire to be righteous. Just need to centre my life on God and trust him. I also need to understand why i do the things i do.

Ive been reading a book recently and it talks about how the devil tricks us into meeting God-intended needs in unholy ways.
- The need to be loved he turns into lust
- The need to be respected and accepted into pride
- The need to be successful into greed

Now, this is not an all encompassing list of all sins but it helps but better understand the root causes of our actions. Since i started this blog ive been on a search to find out who i am and why i behave the way i do. I trust deepening my relationship with God will give me additional insight in the matter.

Soul searching is a very tasking journey... But you only get to the end when you figure out you dont find your soul but find God.

Have a great day everyone.