Friday Fight 166: Our Timeless Traditions
Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF166.
What comes to mind when we hear the word traditions? Maybe it's flashbacks to playing a particular card game on family vacations or something more simplistic, like always sitting in the back row at church. Reflecting on this word may include how gifts are exchanged at Christmas or who prays before dinner each night. Whether they are traditions started by us or distant relatives, we all hope our children will keep them alive in some way. What generational traditions can we begin now that will enrich our spiritual lives and future lineage to come?
Our Timeless Traditions:
For a routine to evolve into a tradition, it must be passed down from one generation to the next. I have had numerous discussions about family customs, from celebrating the first snowfall to naming vehicles or giving a family name to the first-born son. One of my fondest memories is when my mother-in-law shared her delicious meatloaf recipe with me, which has since become a cherished tradition in our family. Just like this, we begin nourishing the souls of our future loved ones by cultivating a spiritual legacy that instills a heart for God. Proverbs 13:22 says, "A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.”
My father was a pastor and frequently traveled to different places to preach. I vividly recall him leading the Lord's prayer at the end of one of the gatherings, and it left a profound impact on me. Years later, when I started my own spiritual journey and traveled to pray, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to pray the Lord's prayer at all our travel destinations. This simple act has become something I hope will extend to my children and grandchildren at some point. It is a source of great joy to know that God enabled this prayer to be lifted in the streets of Taiwan, villages of Zambia, and during our plane's descent into a country so consumed with fire that the ground was not visible. Every tradition must have a beginning, and that could be right now.
As we pray and contemplate applying this post to our lives, we may find that our once-cherished practice of praying or reading Scripture before bed has been disrupted by changing circumstances. It's important to acknowledge that establishing and maintaining traditions can be challenging, especially as our families grow and our lives become busier. What often happens is that our good intentions begin with the older children, and then, due to a lack of time and energy, we unknowingly fail to implement them with the younger ones. However, with commitment and perseverance, we can overcome these challenges and continue to enrich our spiritual lives and those of future generations. Let's seek God and His guidance in making these timeless traditions our legacies by investing in the spiritual growth of future generations.
Pastor Shannon
NewLife