Lent Devotion | Day 15

Mark 7:7-8 (NIV)

"'They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

The Pharisees had a habit of adding their own rules to God's law and then enforcing them on God’s people. Rather than calling for obedience that comes from love, the Pharisees tacked on more rules to aid in their appearance of being holy.

Christ followers are guilty of much of the same. We can fall into the trap of spouting off a bunch of rules (some of which are of our own making) about what it means to follow Jesus, and miss the point of truly following. Jesus boldly points out in Mark 7 that God isn't interested in people following a bunch of rules for the sake of appearances. Above all else, God wants our hearts.

When we surrender our hearts to the Lord, obedience that comes from love will follow. Perhaps you are participating in various traditions this Lent season or all year long.

May these traditions not merely be done out of habit. Instead, lay yourself before the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to examine your heart.