Hello everyone! I hope you have been doing well and ready to dive into His Word. Today we are going to learn how traditions can become an idol. Open your bibles and read Mark 7:1-13.
Traditions are a beautiful thing that make us feel connected to our families and those who have walked before us. Holiday traditions are the sweetest of all. Being around your family, the people you love most are all gathered around, and we carry those traditions down to the next generation. We hold on to heirlooms, customs, beliefs, and we carry them with us. We can enjoy and celebrate these traditions and utilize them for knowledge of a previous time.
As we think about traditions, there are many things to consider. Traditions for Christians must always be developed and continued under the banner of glorifying God in everything we do. 1 Corinthians says, ” So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” This is so important to remember when it comes to traditions. Some traditions we continue today without any real knowledge of why we do it, and have no real understanding of whether the origin came from something good or harmful. We even have traditions that are hurtful, insensitive, or dishonoring to God. They might cause division and arguments, they may be exclusive towards outsiders, they might lead to sinful thoughts and/or actions. We need to pay attention to see if the traditions are honoring towards the Lord. If they don’t, well it is time for a new tradition.
Traditions become idolatrous when we hold them to a higher standard than the Lord. Do we seek and ask the Lord if these things are pleasing to Him or are we just telling ourselves that it is an old tradition and no one gets hurt, and it’s fun. But is it really? During the holidays, I want you to look closely at your traditions and ask the Lord if they are pleasing to Him. Ask yourself what is the purpose of this tradition? Does it please and honor the Lord? Why is this tradition important to me? These are important questions to ask yourself as we examine our hearts.
Let’s discuss what we just read. I have some questions that I want you to think about, write them down, and if you’d like to comment below we can discuss them together!
- How have you been tempted to idolize traditions?
- In what ways, have you elevated a tradition to the place of law or biblical necessity?
- How can we enjoy traditions in a way that is honoring to the Lord and that is in service of others?
It is easy to fall into our earthly ways and place law above the Lord. The Pharisees did this with Jesus (Mark 7). When Jesus came to earth He pushed those traditions aside, the Pharisees were so caught up in their traditions that they didn’t even see that the Son of God was standing before them. Keep the joy of the Lord in your hearts this season, and always remember to praise Him in the midst of everything.
I hope you enjoy this study and decide to come back. Tomorrow, we’ll learn about Ministry and how it can become an idol. I hope you enjoy the beautiful sunset that was made by our loving Father and y’all have a wonderful night.