His Tradition Keepers

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.” 1 Corinthians 11:1

Have you ever seen the musical, The Fiddler on the Roof? Tevye, the father and narrator of the story, prompts this great song at the beginning of Act I after he asks “And, how do we keep our balance? I can tell you that in one word: Tradition!” Although we as a society often mock traditionalism, attributing it to our “old-fashioned” ancestors, I have observed a deep appreciation for rituals and habits in my children over the years, especially with holiday observances; Christmas and Easter traditions being the most important in their minds. With eager comments and questions like, “Can we make a scripture verse scavenger hunt again for Easter?” or “I can’t wait to put up the tree and Christmas decorations on the day after Thanksgiving!” and “When will we make ornaments this year?”, it is quite apparent that the offspring in our household hold traditions dear, too! And, there is such value in keeping our life-giving traditions alive.

God’s Word emphasizes the importance of keeping traditions throughout Scripture. For example, the LORD modeled an observance of a Sabbath rest day in Genesis 1 and commanded in Exodus 23:12, “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that…you may be refreshed,” Our all-powerful God did not need to rest, but He knew that we finite beings do need weekly rest, so He made it a simple command—not for His sake, but for ours. God further instructs His people in Exodus 23 to host festivals of remembrance for when He brought them out of Egypt; out of slavery. Woven throughout the Bible, we see these traditions: rest, feasting, fasting, and annual celebrations like Passover and Purim to remember God’s eternal goodness and provision.

Friend, why would the Father and Narrator of your story stress the importance of continuing traditions and keeping His commands? Because He who created each one of us (Psalm 139) understands our forgetful natures, so by keeping His traditions, we make them unforgettable to ourselves and our children. During this season of remembering the Savior of the world, born in a humble stable; cherish the festive traditions of your family but do not neglect the ever-important, God-given tradition of weekly rest for yourself and your family, in addition to daily time with Jesus through His Word and the continual dialogue of prayer.

Without these habits—without Him, we will never keep our balance, sweet mama, and our children need to know the importance of this as we model being His tradition-keepers.

Love,
Bek Measmer and the Help Club for Moms Team

Bek Measmer

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