{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Is Traditional Church & Religion Distracting You from REAL LIFE CHANGE?!","description":"This is a topic I\u2019ve been meaning to address for awhile. However, I have recently been very convicted to share, due to an overwhelming concern we may be placing our focus, and more importantly our dependence, on something that could be ultimately hindering our growth & development in our work and lives.   The reality is that we ALL want to live amazing lives\u2026but I believe we are relying and depending on the wrong things and are ultimately going in the opposite direction of what will allow us to experience the amazing life we envision.   Here is what I know, and believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, because it is true\u2026   Consistent & Close Relationship with God will make EVERY AREA of life better!   Relationship with God Will make you a better man and the man you are looking to be. Psalms 37:4 makes it very clear\u2026   \u201cDelight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart\u201d   Very simply put\u2026\u2019delighting in the Lord\u2019, means to build a healthy delightful relationship with the Lord\u2026and you can expect life to get better (aka. the desires of your heart).   However, my concern is that people are NOT seeking RELATIONSHIP because they may be distracted by religion!!   I define religion as \u2018the set of rules and regulations\u2019 one must follow to be in \u2018right standing\u2019.   Example: Because I know how powerful relationship with God is\u2026when I ask someone to describe their personal relationship with to me\u2026they immediately reply with something related to their attendance to up church.    MY CONCERNS: People(including us men) are relying more on religion than we are relationship with God People(including us men) are missing out on the real transformative power of a close relationship with God There is a misconception, within many that believe in God, that in order to live a life of success, significance, impact, fulfillment and meaning, that it you find this outside of relationship with God Let me make this clear. When you have a consistent and close relationship with God, he becomes your\u2026 Source of strength, energy, & fulfillment (providing endurance and happiness) Secret to peak performance in your work and life (providing more productivity) Solution to any problem or challenge you face (providing peace of mind) People live like their faith is a part or aspect of their life\u2026instead of a way of life.   Therefore, this results in\u2026 Many church goers\u2026not a lot of Christ followers Not enough examples of real men Christ followers for other men to model after   This idea of religion and traditional church vs relationship with God, what brought to my attention as a result of my personal story during the peak of the Covid pandemic in 2020. I noticed when the churches shut down, one of 2 things happened to peoples\u2019 faith: It decreased because their faith was dependent on \u2018traditional church\u2019 It increased because they learned how to build a more personal relationship with God that was NOT dependent on traditional church. I experienced #2. And the more I developed a more personal relationship with God, I saw every area of my life (family, marriage, work, business, health) improve, including my ability to handle conflict and crisis.   THE CHALLENGE: Many are depending on church more than they are God Traditionally we have associated our faith with (1)church attendance, (2)serving in the church, and (3)tithing to the church. Therefore\u2026 Church has traditionally been perceived as the place where you go to worship God Many believers view service as primarily taking place within the walls of the church Tithing is associated with being a good \u2018church goer\u2019 We feel like we are doing what we need to do for the \u2018faith part of our lives\u2019, by checking those 3 boxes off of the list\u2026and therefore believe we are doing what we need to do for our faith.   Yet unfortunately, many people still feel stress, depressed, unhappy, unfulfilled, life lacking meaning, don\u2019t know our purpose, making bad decisions, can\u2019t hit our goals, etc DESPITE checking off all the boxes of faith.   I once thought this exact same way\u2026but here is what I discovered\u2026   We often depend on religion and traditional church to replace the relationship God is seeking with us in order to transform us. Relationship is the answer\u2026not religion and traditional church!   Don\u2019t get me wrong...i\u2019m not saying church is bad! However, what I am saying is that it doesn\u2019t replace the thing that actually transforms you\u2026it doesn\u2019t replace what you are ultimately looking for and need!   Example: Imagine being dehydrated. Water is what you need\u2026water is what will rehydrate\u2026water is the solution. However, if someone gave you orange juice instead\u2026it would give you hydration, and maybe even some good flavor\u2026but it IS NOT WATER! Don\u2019t get it confused\u2026relationship with God is the water you need for the dehydration of your spiritual life. And dehydration looks like stress, unfulfillment, vices, bad habits, etc.   Church as we know it\u2026is supplement, not sustenance! Relationship with God is sustenance! Nothing replaces it!   MY STORY: Once I realized this\u2026my life drastically changed! I was no longer dependent on any place, event, or deed for a connected spiritual life. I became personally responsible for my faith and building this relationship as the foundation and sustenance for my life. This translated into showing up as a great husband to my wife, father to my children, leader at work, clarity in business & life\u2026aka REAL LIFE CHANGE!   Nothing replaces relationship with God\u2026not even church!   Spend DAILY TIME with God that is NOT DEPENDENT on anything but you and your time with Him. Build an actual relationship\u2026I Dare you!! Watch what happens!     If you need help, book a 1:1 Discovery Call with me at https:\/\/drbradmd.com ","author_name":"ELITE PerforMENce with Dr. Brad","author_url":"https:\/\/drbradmd.com\/","html":"