This guy I know post questions on social media every day for connection and entertainment. He recently posted, “How much of your life is impacted by religion?” His followers are mostly non-Christians, so I was not overly surprised at the number one answer, “none.”

The second-highest number of responses did surprise me a little. It was “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” The best I could gather from their comments was that most of the people liked the idea behind faith. They loved the concept of heaven and really wanted to go there. These people knew there were things in this world that cannot be explained by natural means. They were trying to live “good lives” (whatever that means) and “be kind to others.” It was also clear from their words that these people did not want anything to do with the Church. They wanted God with no structure and no rules. They like what faith has to offer, but they want it on their terms.

My response is quite the opposite of those I read on that post. I am religious but not spiritual. On my own, I have no real concept of God, heaven, or even what it means to live a good life. There is no standard of right and wrong without God’s word. While I may have some crazy ideas about what lies beyond the known world, I need the one who lives there to explain it to me. As a result, I read my Bible and pray daily, I spend time with Christian people in organized groups, I attend worship each week, and I am a member of the local Church. I want to come to God on his terms.

Both groups of people want the good things that faith has to offer. One group wants it to be a free for all pursuit with no requirements of behavior or actions. The other wants to commit to the things God desires of us and allow him to run the show. We need a system of belief and worship to bring us closer to connecting with God and not a bunch of unique ideas that lead us back to ourselves. Religion might seem restrictive, but it is the only way to know the one true God.