Surely the word "religious" can be found all through the Bible? It is a favorite word in our society. To my shock I found it only twice in the entire Bible. One of those times, Acts 13:43, uses the word "devout" in NIV. The second time I find it is in James 1:26. "If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religious is useless." A useless religion?
Websters New Dictionary Of The English Language gives this definition: "related or devoted to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity. scrupulously and conscientiously faithful. devout".
With that generic definition it seems one can be religious to most anyone or any thing! We have a world of religious people. So, is being "religious" enough? You know in your heart it is not. If one's goal is being a religious person or faithful devotee of a religion he or she can fall woefully short.
I remember on my only visit to Rome many years ago, seeing an older woman wrapped in a black shawl, slowly climbing on her knees, step by step, a huge stone stairway. She was pausing on each step briefly to bow lower and kiss the step before going on. I have always had this little un-named old lady in my memory as one who was deeply "religious". Today, we live among peoples who are devoted to beliefs they will kill for. They do. You may be on their list. Their targets are other peoples who also are religious, but in a different way than their own.
If being religious is one's goal he or she can be left woefully empty at the end of their religious quest.
James took the subject one small step more. He was not building a religion in this statement. We know that. He was, however, adding a positive challenge to those seeking to be religious. Here are his further words: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)
Take a good look at those who claim to be religious....and ask....."To what? To whom?"
