IS IT A BELIEF OF YOURS OR TRADITION?

Mk 7:6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Mk 7:7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’
Mk 7:8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”
Mk 7:9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
Mk 7:10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
Mk 7:11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),
Mk 7:12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.
Mk 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
________________________

A funny example of a tradition for you, that a friend sent to me:

Now and then for a family get together Sheila will cook a ham. Before she bakes it she cuts the end off. Like a BIG chuck she cuts off.
I asked her why and she said that's the way her mom showed her to do it. She called her mom and asked her why she did that, thinking she would hear something about the flavor or something like that she says...that's the way her mom did it so that's what she does.
Well Sheila took this as a mission and upon further research; and talking to family she found out that it was something that her great gmaw did, and she did it because she did not have a pan big enough to fit the ham.
so for 3 generations they have been cutting the end off the ham

Imagine that!! All of that wasted ham because of a tradition that had been passed down year after year, until the original reason they were doing this had been lost. Everyone at a certain point was simply just doing what they were told for the recipe. They did not realize that the end was being cut off to suite the roasting pan of one person, and it had nothing to do with the outcome of the ham.

I feel as if a lot of people are walking this same route in regards to their relationship with God. They have been taught to worship a certain way, and whether it resonates with their Spirit or not, they feel as if they must continue on because that is how it has always been done. I encourage you to take a look at your relationship to the Father. Does it feel like a real relationship? Are you drawing closer to God because of what you have been taught, or do you feel there is still a void that you have been unable to fill, or are there feelings of guilt or fear associated with it? I challenge you to research all of the things that you have been told, and feel to see if your heart is really into it. If not, it may be time for a Spiritual over-haul. Jesus taught many times that he wants a true relationship with you, and not a follower of tradition or ritualistic gestures performed in order to show your love for Him.