Religion isn’t a bad word, It is simply the external acts of worship by which we express fear and praise to God. False religion has no regard for personal holiness or love for the least of these. Jesus loves these things, so those who abide in Him will not only talk like a christian, they will act like Christ.
Much of Western christianity has emphasized know God’s word but never getting around to doing anything about it. For many others obedience to Jesus consists of a legalistic list of duty. God’s solution is to reflect on the gospel of Jesus, remain there with Jesus, and then do what He says. There is a difference between following laws written from afar by distant rulers, and obeying commands given from close by your friend and Lord. This is the relational obedience Christ wants which brings true life.
When we are facing trials, we have two choices: fight or surrender. Often we get angry as a way to perform what we think is just or right, but that will never bring transformation in us or others. Instead we need to put off the old ways of “doing” and receive the gospel afresh in our hearts. Jesus is doing the work, not me.
Trials are hard, but God never intended for us to go through them without help! He offers His wisdom and counsel to anyone who is willing to draw close and ask, but we must really believe that He will give it. If we doubt, we effectively push him away and He can take a hint. If we don’t want to be near him, He won’t force us. But we will experience even greater turmoil.
God doesn’t save us from the trials and troubles of life, He has allowed these trials to test our faith. God’s goal in our life is to use hard times to point us back to Him, and as we learn to cling and abide in Christ even through the most difficult situations (or less difficult) He will cause us to grow to be like Christ, perfect and complete, lacking nothing.