behavior that you can�t stand but you can�t seem to break free of? It is often said that history repeats itself, and this is true of the deadly sin patterns that have plagued our parents, grandparents, and generations before them. Divorce, alcoholism, abuse, and poverty, as well as an effortless inclination to complain, criticize, and control, are just a few of the countless types of bad behavior in our bloodlines that people have battled - including us. But why? Why does the sin pattern repeat itself over and over again? Is there a way to break this generational curse? Understanding the Curse Remember the time you were in a new doctor�s office? Remember how you filled out that questionnaire about your family�s disease history? People in the medical field know that if your mother and grandmother or your grandfather and great-grandfather had certain diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, you are much more vulnerable to the same diseases. Well, sin is the disease of the soul, and it too has a tendency to get passed down from one generation to the next. Many of us can look back at our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents and see how some of the same problems we are dealing with now, they were dealing with in their lifetime. For me, there was alcoholism, violence, sexual abuse, negativity, fear, and a whole bunch of other deadly baggage. Like many of you, my life had been �hijacked� by my family�s bad choices - other people had made choices that I had no control over, yet they were affecting me. I had multiple messes from previous generations that I needed to work through. In Exodus 20:5 God says, �for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me. This means that our sinful behavior not only affects us, it affects our children, our grandchildren, our great- grandchildren, and even our great-great-grandchildren. In other words, the problems we are dealing with today are some of the same problems our past generations dealt with. And unless we make some changes, they will be the same problems our children will be predisposed and vulnerable to tomorrow. Let me illustrate with this true story: A Tale of Two Families Two families from the state of New York were studied very carefully. One was the Max Jukes family and the other was the Jonathan Edwards family. The thing they discovered in this study is remarkable: like begets like. Max Jukes was an unbelieving, non-Christian man who married a woman of like character who lacked principle. Among his known descendants, over 1,200 were studied. They discovered that 310 became professional vagrants, 440 physically wrecked their lives by a debauched lifestyle, 130 were sent to prison for an average of thirteen years each (seven of them for murder), and over 100 became alcoholics. In addition, 190 became public prostitutes, sixty became habitual thieves, and of the twenty who learned a trade, ten of them learned it in a state prison. This cost the state about $1,500,000, and the people made no contribution to society. In about the same time period, the family of Jonathan Edwards came on the scene. Jonathan Edwards was a man of God - a key player in the first Great Awakening that caused thousands to turn to Christ in the mid 1700s. He married a woman of like character, and they began a family. Among their known descendants, 300 became clergymen, missionaries, and theological professors. Over 100 became college professors, over 100 became attorneys (thirty of them judges), over sixty became authors of good books and classics, sixty became physicians, and fourteen became presidents of universities. Additionally, many became giants in American industry, three became United States congressmen, and one became vice president of the United States. My point is that every choice we make brings consequences to us and those around us. This example clearly illustrates how our choices affect and influence the lives of those in our natural bloodline. But even if you don't have children, there are people all around you that your choices are affecting. So what can you and I do to break free from living under and passing on a generational curse? Finding the Way Out I am so thankful that God didn�t leave us helpless. Right after He tells us about visiting the sins to the third and fourth generations, He also says that He will show mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and who keep His commandments (see Exodus 20:6). Now God is not saying He will only bless those who have a perfect performance. He is just saying, �If I could just get somebody to serve me with their whole heart�not be a Christian in name only and just go to church on Sunday, but keep my commandments and abide with Me in covenant relationship�I will not only show him love, but also his children and his children�s children for generations to come.� Yes, even if we do wrong, God the Father will correct us, but He will be more merciful and loving in His correction than if we did not have a heart after Him. You see God has opened a door of freedom for every generation from every generational curse, and that Door is Jesus Christ (see John 10:9). Through our faith in Jesus�that He is God�s Son Who took our place, paid for our sins through His death on the cross, and rose again to eternal life�we are set free from the curse. Galatians 3:13 says, Christ purchased our freedom (redeeming us) from the curse (doom) of the Law (and its condemnation) by (Himself) becoming a curse for us�. So if we believe and receive what Jesus did, the curse is broken. The sin patterns of our father and our father�s father no longer have power over us. The only thing still needed to see sin patterns stopped is for us to begin living a life leaning on God and making right choices that are in line with His Word. What Kind of Legacy Are You Leaving? Getting to the root cause of sin is painful at times, but it can be accomplished through making right choices. Ask yourself, �Is what I am doing producing the life God says I can have in His Word?� Then ask God, �Is there something I am doing that is creating or perpetuating my problems? Why am I acting this way, Lord?� God is faithful, and just as He has revealed to me the root causes of my behavior, He will reveal it to you. Remember, every good choice you make works to overturn the bad choices that others (and you) have made before. You may have had a negative past, but you don�t have to have a negative future, and you don�t have to pass it on to your offspring. The choice is yours. As you readily and willingly leave what God wants you to leave and change what He wants you to change, you will establish a new trend in your bloodline - a trend of blessing! by Joyce Meyer Enjoying Everyday Life Joyce Meyer Ministries |
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