Family Tradition

"...But lately some of my kinfolk, have disowned a few of us and me
I guess it's because, I kinda changed my direction
Lord I guess I went and broke their...Family Tradition"

Family Tradition ~ Hank Williams Junior AKA "Bo Sheevus"

Alot of us wouldn't think of country crooner Hank Williams Junior as delivering a religious message.  Conservative, yes, but religious?  Bo Sheevus spent a good portion of his career addicted to alchohol and drugs, which he makes famous in the same song...

"Lordy I have loved some women, and I have loved Jim Beam
And they both tried to kill me, in 1973
When that doctor asked me, son how'd you get in this condition?
I said, hey sawbones I'm just carrying on an old...family tradition"

Can you see the lesson here?  Many times we get set in destructive behaviors just because we know no other way.  Traditions can be passed down from generation to generation, or they can be aquired from the people/environment that surrounds us.  A few years back, I found myself with a bad attitude and foul language simply because that was what I was surrounded by at work on a daily basis.  It took me some time, and a few mentors kicking me in the butt, to realize and address that issue.  Others have carried over addictions to alchohol, drugs, abuse and other bad issues either from upbringing or environment.  For me, I was surrounded by a negative environment at work every day.  That was a conscious decision on my part to engage in the negativity.  So, is there a cure for this?  Absolutely!  If we are products of our environment, is it safe to assume that a change in our surroundings or how we look at them cann produce change?  For me, it was the relationships with a few mentors that opened my eyes to the fact that what I was exhibiting was not the "True Scott"  The true Scott is not a failure, addict, negative personality.  When Christ is in us, WE ARE a part of him!  Scripture tells us that we were crucified with Christ, we are a part of him.  It is no longer our "Old Self" who defines us, but our new selves bestowed by Jesus.  So, knowing this, how can we change our environment around us?  We can start by developing a few relationships with fellow Christian guys/gals.  Sound easy?  Perhaps, but it's something even I struggle with.  See, it's easier to sit on the sidelines waiting for people to come to you than it is to seek out a few brothers.  How much easier would it be if we were all part of one Christian community?  In a sense we are, God does not want ANYONE to perish, but for all to come to Christ!  In a way, we're just building that community from the ground up :)