Religion is where you try to DO spiritual stuff. You try to make up for past failures. You try to earn God's love. You try to work your way into God's good books. But the trouble with religion is that you never know when you've done enough.
Religion has no quota.
And it leaves you to go nuts. Or live in fear or uncertainty. Or throw everything spiritual away, as an unsatisfying waste of time. Let me tell you that a loving God doesn't leave us on the dead-end road of religion. He loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will NOT die, but have everlasting life.