Mark 7:6-9 English Standard Version

⁶ And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; ⁷ in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹ And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

Our churches are ripe with traditions. Let me be clear on this issue, traditions are not a bad thing if we hold these two boundaries.

Traditions are not doctrine.

Traditions must not be allowed to replace God’s instructions.

Romans 14:21-23 English Standard Version

²¹ It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. ²² The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. ²³ But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Traditions vary from denomination to denomination. We must take note that we are not to judge another’s performance of traditions. We can hold to traditions that we observe by faith. If anyone within fellowship abstains from participating in common traditions, we are not to insist they must participate. If it is a matter of faith, that is between them and God.

Proverbs 18:19 English Standard Version (ESV) A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

Freedom in fellowship is important. Insisting on matters of tradition can harden a heart and that is not good for anyone.

2 Corinthians 4:13 English Standard Version (ESV) Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,

Proverbs 16:9 English Standard Version (ESV) The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Because God is involved in every aspect of our lives we can imagine secular comparisons in many different things we do in life. These comparisons are our flesh trying to make sense of the sovereign ability of God to direct our paths. Here is my latest thoughts.

I use the telephone app Android Auto to navigate to places I have never been before. I do a search on Google Maps and get directions. Then I send the directions to my phone and it loads into my car as I start my car and connect the phone.

Now that is a lot of connecting. That alone will take up a whole page of scripture to say how the Word reveals the desires of my heart in searching as I do in Google Maps. No need to go there as there are more important aspects to relate to God’s Word and His plans for us.

On long journeys where I even know where I am going, I still use Android Auto for services that go beyond just directions. The most important is what is going on in the world ahead that I cannot see through my windshield. The app communicates with many other aspects on the planned path to identify accidents, obstructions, slow downs, delays and even offers up detours to avoid trouble and time delays.

The knowledge collected and shared with me is so much like our God who knows all things in real time and in planning out our safest path.

Minor things appear that are helpful. Truckers can often obstruct my view of posted speed limit signs and changes can cause me to be speeding. The app shows the speed limits so that I will not violate the law. It will even give verbal announcements of speed traps ahead allowing me to check myself.

These are secular comparisons and we as writers use them often but none of them should replace our use of His Word to direct our lives.