Loosing My Religion

I was listening to Kirk Franklin on my Pandora, and one of his album titles really stood out to me, “Loosing My Religion.” It’s like these words truly hit me tonight… and I knew I needed to blog about it. Lately, I couldn’t quite figure out what this season in my life I’ve currently been going through is called. I couldn’t quite put a name to it. But I could feel God deepening my growth and taking me into a new elevation of growth and spirituality. 

Over the last couple of weeks, I was really overwhelmed and frustrated. Now that I’ve spent time with God, I’m able to identify the root to my chaos lately. Y’all ready to hear it? Here it is… I’ve still been a slave to religion and I was placing unnecessary pressure on myself.

I started running from God and my leadership in ministry because I thought in order to minister to other people; and in order to be a role model to others, I had to have it all figured out myself. I had to be perfect myself. I was battling with,

“How can I be a Christian blogger and lead souls to God and give all this advice when I’m feeling low myself right now, when… I’m tired myself…”

But tonight, I realized one thing for its entirety—God is love. That’s all God truly is, He is love. And all He wants us to be is love. We place all that other unnecessary pressure on ourselves.

I’ve always told people, “I’m not religious, I have a relationship with God.” But truth is, we turn into a slave of religion every time we start to run from God out of the fear of “not living up to holiness” or in other words, out of thinking we have to be perfect; or thinking we have to do things a certain way in order to be fully loved by God. Believing we have to be drowned by a set of “godly” rules in order to attain God’s promises.

If you pray and read your scriptures ONLY because you think it leads you to heaven or because you think it grants God’s favor and blessings to you, you’re living as a slave to religion.

Religion tells us we have to be righteous and perfect in order to receive God’s love.

Religion tells us God loves us only when we are clean. Religion tells us we only receive God’s favor and blessings when we live “right”.

But what if I told you God isn’t concerned with loving you only when you’re lovable.. He loves us equally in our mess and in our best. And guess what else? Have you ever been blessed with goodness while you’ve been a mess? and wondered, “I’m so unworthy…—But God.” That’s God for you.

He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve. We treat ourselves as our sins deserve.

It’s not enough to read your bible only because you think it’s what you’re supposed to do as a “Christian” or because you think its what will get you into heaven. Or because you think it will unlock God’s blessings for you. It’s not enough to read your bible only because you think it’s what you have to do as a leader in ministry. Religion tells us that’s why we should read the Bible.

Lose religion.

Read scriptures for your soul.
Read scriptures for your healing.
Read scriptures to clarify your confusion. Read scriptures to feed your spirit.

Pray to God not because your religion tells you to,
pray to God to find God for yourself.
Pray to find closeness and friendship with God.
Pray to be in-tuned with God.

Don’t do good for people solely for them to see you as a “Christian”, or for people to see you as a “good” person.

Do good to bring goodness. Do good for God.
Do good to heal others. Do good because God is good. Do good because it’s the right thing to do. Do good to save souls. 

Don’t only pray because you’ve been taught it’s the right thing to do; don’t only pray because you’ve been taught it’s what Christians do. 
Pray because your soul needs it.

It’s deeper than that. 
Pray because it brings restoration.
Pray because it brings peace. Pray because it brings self love.
Pray because it brings closeness with God.
Pray because you want change.

If you only pray because you think it’s what you “have” to do as a Christian or because it’s what your religion tells you to do, you’ll end up running from God every time you find yourself messing up, because you’ll feel unworthy.

Release the chains of religion, rules and regulations that run us away from God when we can’t live up to perfection.

Do good the best way you know how. If you simply focus on being love and light the best way you know how, God will show you how to walk your walk in your style. Because what works for me, may not always work for you. And what works for you, may not work for me.

We all have our own unique relationship with God, how you connect with Him, may not be how I connect with Him, but the important thing is having a connection with Him. He is the answer. He is healing.

No one can tell you how your relationship with God should be. That’s between you and God. Just find Him and embrace Him the best way you know how. 

…………………………………………………………………………………..

A special note to you:

To you reading this, I love you. And I’m going through this journey called life with you. I’m still figuring things out too, but one thing I’ve figured out—God is real and He is love. And He changed my life, let Him change yours too. I’m rooting for you.❤️

……………………………………………………………………………………

JesusChristChangedMyLife because He is a manifestation of everything I need.

-Padriana Grace

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me, will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.“
-John 6:35