As long as he can maintain his self-deception, man can pretend to be happy without a right relationship with God, but he will always feel like there is some incompleteness in his life. He can attempt to fill this emptiness with things of instant gratification, but will always feel that emptiness, that need for more instant gratification, until he realizes the nature of the 'more' he is looking for, that space in himself which he is trying to fill is the place where God is supposed to go. Religion is not necessary to have such a relationship. Religion is what man does to God. Spirituality is what God does to man. Bless you.
P.S.
Funny how we all think the other is engaged in self-deception, isn't it?