Hope 4 Today: Influence Culture by Staying Connected to GodSample

Do This in Remembrance

Although my husband and I had been raised in families where baked turkeys were the norm for Thanksgiving, early in our marriage we discovered how to smoke meats and smoked turkey became our family’s tradition. One year when my girls were pre-teens, we traveled several hundred miles to my brother’s home for the holiday and had a wonderful meal of traditional foods with an oven-baked turkey. All the way home my family begged me to smoke a turkey because in their minds they hadn’t had Thanksgiving yet without it. The new tradition had taken hold and there would be no compromising.

Traditions die hard. 

Our Creator God instilled in us a need to celebrate – to stop, take notice and remember special days or significant events. Jesus created an act of remembrance with communion, sometimes called The Last Supper. He instructed us to “do this in remembrance of Me.” Although the elements and frequency of partaking are often done differently, there is to be no compromise on the focus.

Throughout I and II Kings we read of a succession of kings who compromised their worship of God and allowed the worship of pagan gods. Asherah poles, child and animal sacrifices, and other pagan rituals were allowed, infecting the people with evil. Consequently, kingdoms failed and the people suffered.

King Josiah was the exception. He ascended to the throne at eight years of age and determined to follow God uncompromisingly. He didn’t allow his people to possess idols, perform rituals or celebrate other gods and he ruthlessly destroyed all places of pagan worship. He changed the wicked traditions of the people. He had seen the compromises of his ancestors and was determined to turn the nation around. His people prospered with abundance and peace because of it.

Are there areas in your life where you’ve compromised your worship? Turn your focus and remember God.