I love
good, homey traditions. I think that’s one
reason Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
Being with family, the food, the football,
whether you’re really interested in the game or
it’s just background noise to the cooking and
visiting going. It’s a great time to be alive
and take special notice of all the wonderful
blessings God has given.
Maybe
you've heard the story about the young wife
preparing her first roast dinner. Watching her,
the husband asks why she cuts the ends off the
roast. "Because that's what mom always did," was
her answer. Later she asks her mother why she
cut the ends off the roast. Her mother answered,
"Because that's what my mother always did."
Later still grandma was asked, "Why do you
always cut the ends off the roast?" Grandma
replies matter-of-factly, "Because the roast was
always too big for my pan."
Sometimes we do what we do because of tradition.
Most of the time traditions are quaint, harmless
and sentimental. We'll hold on to them because
they connect us to our past and we cherish that,
as well we should. But sometimes traditions can
become a serious problem in our relationship
with God.
How
can we tell when a tradition or at least the way
we view a tradition is wrong?
1.
When the
tradition itself contradicts the Word of
God.
This is what the Pharisees had done
(Matthew 15:1-9). Often people today
come to realize that a belief or
practice that they've held all their
lives is either not supported by or
outright prohibited by the Bible. They
are then faced with the unpleasant
decision to either obey God, forsake the
tradition and risk hurting those they
love or cling to the tradition and
continue to disobey God.
2. When we
elevate the tradition to a level with
the Word of God.
Some traditions are not wrong at all -
they're just traditions. But when our
attitude towards them carries the ring
of a "thus saith the Lord" when no "thus
saith the Lord" exists, we've got a
problem. We are guilty here when we
insist that others accept our opinions,
interpretations, conclusions and ways of
doing things to be deemed "faithful".
God
has blessed us with the Bible to "light our
path" (Psa.119:105) and "equip us for
every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16,17).
Sometimes this guidance takes the form of
specific commandments and prohibitions.
Sometimes it takes the form of principles that
have a broad application. When we are faced with
a fork in the road to either continue in error
or follow the Lord, may we have the attitude of
the apostles when they said, "We must obey
God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)
God bless you with a wonderful Thanksgiving,
Brad Fry
