My False Traditions

Many years ago, I sat in a large congregation where the speaker posed the question,

“What comes to mind when you think of false traditions?” Immediately, my mind went to the people of another country, a people I had grown to dearly love, but who, I felt, had strong ties to false tradition, ties I felt were holding them back in their lives.

Interrupting my (somewhat self-righteous) thoughts, the speaker posed a second question,

“Now, consider what false traditions you have in your life right now. “

I was so taken aback by his question, I nearly fell off my chair.

A Treasured Friend

“What false traditions could I possibly have?” I wondered, entirely perplexed. The question would not leave my mind, however, and sixteen years later, the question has become more like a treasured friend.

Over the years, as I have asked myself the question about false traditions, answers have come. I have always been a fan of the Good, Better, Best philosophy.

The moment I decided that I wanted to reap the consequences of the “Best” category, my decisions became easier, and false traditions started making their presence known in every area of my life: TV, music, books, movies, recreational time, food, friends, holidays, and more.

I began ridding my life of these “false traditions”, or things I felt would not bring about the blessings I longed for, and have never looked back. While ridding my life of these things has not always been easy, for many were family habits and traditions that had been passed down for generations, it has been so worth it.

Blessings

As the blessings began to flow, I lost my desire to try to justify things like “why we got rid of our TV” and “why we choose not to read certain books”. Instead, when people ask questions about our lifestyle choices, I simply explain what choices we’ve made and share some of the blessing that have come from making those choices. I then allow them to decide for themselves how they would like to live their lives. No judgment. Period.

The Law of The Harvest

You might think watching TV is fine, and the books I have listed in my “good” section might be located in your “best” section. It matters not, for God will reward our individual decisions with perfectly matched consequences. It’s the Law of the Harvest—we reap what we sow.

So decide which consequences you want to receive, friends, and let your decisions follow.