TRADITIONS CAN LIMIT YOU

As a young child, I still remember a conversation between my dad and a mechanic about the purchase of a new car. My dad was considering buying an “Automatic” Car (that is, a car with an automatic gear transmission). That mechanic said to him, “Why would you buy a car that, when it breaks down, you would not be able to push and jumpstart?” Some people even refer to such cars as “The car for the lame”. They feel that if your two legs are intact, you should drive a manual transmission car. What a mindset! But today, what do we have on our roads? A lot of automatic transmission cars.

Traditions can be a great enemy of progress. You can have a traditional mindset that gets used to the way things are, that you do not believe that anything can change about it. Some people told the Wright Brothers, who made an attempt at flying, that it would never be possible. Look at us today- We can fly from one end of the world to another. Beyond that, we are now exploring space.

A traditional mindset limited the ministry of Apostle Peter to the Jews only. That was never the intent of God. Apostle Peter was the first person that God spoke to about ministry to the Gentiles. It came in a vision, but what was the response of Peter to what he was not used to?

Acts 10:13-15 NKJV

And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." [14] But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." [15] And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."

Eventually, Apostle Peter went to the house of Cornelius. But it was soon revealed that Peter’s traditional mindset was a major stronghold. In the book of Galatians, we have this account:

Galatians 2:11-13 NKJV

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; [12] for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. [13] And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

Apostle Peter should have been an apostle not just to the Jews alone but also to the Gentiles, but his traditional mindset limited him.

Your traditional mindset can see progress and still say “No”. There are new ways and approaches to doing a thing, but you refuse to change. Does anyone still use a typewriter or a typist? You must understand the power of innovation as things evolve. Do not get stuck with tradition. Things change. Are you willing to grow also?

Ask questions. Let your mind explore. Grow your scope!

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa