Un-traditions
One definition of tradition is this,
“The transmission of customs or beliefs from one generation to another”.
Many things can be passed down from generation to generation. Some of these are positive things like: hair and eye color, a healthy heart, and even nice teeth. There are times however, when things get passed down from one generation to another that are not so good. Some of these are bad habits or patterns of behavior that are repeated throughout generations.
Some examples of these are: ignoring a problem exists (denial), adding a price or attaching something to love (conditional love), aggression, impulse control, worry, and sometimes even the ability to trust others. These behaviors are learned rather than inherited. But unfortunately, many times we watch those whom we are closest to do these things, and start mimicking their behaviors ourselves in our own lives.
The good thing about these behaviors that are learned and not inherited, is that they can be changed. With Christ, hard work, and determination, we can change the way we react to different situations. Creating new habits or patterns of behavior that are repeated, is a great way to tackle these unwanted behaviors.
So, maybe the question you are asking yourself is, how can we change habits that we have unintentionally picked up from previous generations? The first thing you can do, is to realize that you have the bad habits in the first place. This is also referred to as an internal inventory of yourself. Ask God to show you things in your life that need improvement. Then, ask Him to help you make a commitment to change that behavior.
One way to start working on this is to take an account of where you had challenges in your day. What were your successes and failures? Keeping track of these things will help you as you start making changes in your life. Another question to ask yourself is, how do you feel as you grow into the changed person that you and God want you to be? Remember to have compassion for yourself when you make a mistake and slip back into your old behaviors. This will happen. Stand back up, dust yourself off, and continue down the path towards changed behavior. Grace goes both ways, don’t forget that part!
I would love to talk to you about your journey towards changed behavior. These are things we can work on together at Celebrate Recovery. We meet in room 138 every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. Come join us as we seek to find freedom from our hurts, hang-ups, and habits!
