THE BELIEVER AND HIS TRADITION 1

1 Corinthians 11:2 (NET)
I praise you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I passed them on to you.

Sandra had a lingering misunderstanding with her mother-in-law because she and her husband were believers and they decided not to follow certain traditions that were not spiritually edifying. For some reason, Sandra’s mother-in-law insisted that Sandra was to blame for this (because she was another ethnic group). With patience, great wisdom and show of love, Sandra succeeded in winning her mother in-law’s heart.

There are hundreds of different traditions and cultures in the world today, and many of them stem from the religion of the people that practice them. It is often said that culture is the cloak of religion. For the believer, every traditional must be screened through the lenses of scripture. If a tradition or custom is contradictory to the truth of God’s Word, it must be discarded by the believer. But if a tradition is not in contradiction to the truth of God’s Word, it shouldn’t be discarded.

As believers, we are a Holy nation (1 Pet 2:9), and we have our own traditions that are peculiar to us everywhere. Even though some outward interpretations of them can vary because of the cultural influences, the spirit of every Christian tradition must be understood and upheld by believers. Walking in these ensures that we walk in the blessing.

Underlining principles and pillars of the Christian tradition are virtues such as love, honor, kindness, diligence, compassion, self-control, moral purity, justice & fairness, patience, humility, orderliness. Any human tradition that contradicts any of these principles should be discarded.

Go into today remembering that you are first and foremost a citizen of heaven. Every custom and tradition you practice must be vetted by the truth of God’s Word and not found wanting. Some traditions must be rejected and done away with because they are mediums through which demons invade people’s lives. 

Source: Devotional