When we think about the nature of religion. It is manipulation. I don’t desire to spend a lot of time talking about negative attributes but it’s important to explain that life in Christ has freedom attached to it. A religious lifestyle makes everything feel forced:

Prayer feels forced

Love feels forced

church and community feel forced. 

Disciplining yourself to make good choices is healthy. Discipline is for moments. We are meant to be fueled by passion. If discipline becomes the primary thing then we are living the forced life that religion requires. Discipline preserves passion but discipline doesn’t replace passion. 

1 Samuel 13:10-13

As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “ You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.