What Does it Mean to Have a Relationship with God?

Even as a Christian growing up in the Church, I was always confused when I would hear believers say that Christianity was “a relationship, not a religion.” This phrase is so common today that many non-believers are likely familiar with it. When I first heard it, it seemed like a catchy phrase that did not have much substance. I simply thought it was a way for Christians to distance themselves from the ugliness associated with the word “religion.” I just assumed Christians didn’t want to say they were religious but didn’t know how else to put it, so simply adopted the term “relationship” instead. Leaving aside the question of whether Christianity should be called a religion (I am not sure in what way Christianity could be said to not be a religion, but that is probably best kept for a topic another day), my main trouble with the phrase “a relationship, not a religion” was the “relationship part.” Sure, it sounds nice, but what does it really mean that…