The decisions we make today often affect (not only us) but our children and their children. The Bible talks about how the sins of the father (or parents) can be passed down for 3 or 4 generations. This means things like bad habits, addictions, negativity, pessimistic attitudes, a critical nature, and sinful lifestyles. Your children will very often take on the very same behaviors that you have lived in front of them, just as you picked some of them up from your own parents. This is a generational cycle that must be broken.
If you are struggling with these types of behaviors, it doesn’t always mean you are a bad person – it does mean you are doing bad things though. You are responsible for your actions, will reap what you sow, and will be called into account for your life. This is a reality none of us can ignore!
If you want to break free from the negative & sinful behaviors in your life, there are some things you must do:
1. Recognize what you are dealing with. Don’t ignore it. Don’t sweep it under the rug. Don’t make excuses for it. Don’t blame someone else. Identify it. Recognize it. Admit it. Deal with it. Say, ”I’m doing some things that have to stop.” The Bible says, “Confess your faults one to another that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). Confess them… out in the open to other people… and you will begin the journey to healing.
2. Take responsibility for your actions. God has given you a free will. You can choose to change. You can choose to stay the same. The choice is yours – no one else’s. Set a new standard for yourself. Every time you make the right choice you overturn the wrong patterns in your family’s lineage. Every time you resist a temptation, you are one step closer to victory. You may have a negative history, but you don’t have to perpetuate it another day. You can’t change your past, but you can determine your future by making right choices today.
3. Trust God supremely. The Bible tells us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. Things take place in the spiritual realm that often manifest themselves in the physical realm. God will give you power to do what you need to do.
This is the life God has given you, and with dependence upon Him, it’s up to you to make the most of it.
If you are struggling with these types of behaviors, it doesn’t always mean you are a bad person – it does mean you are doing bad things though. You are responsible for your actions, will reap what you sow, and will be called into account for your life. This is a reality none of us can ignore!
If you want to break free from the negative & sinful behaviors in your life, there are some things you must do:
1. Recognize what you are dealing with. Don’t ignore it. Don’t sweep it under the rug. Don’t make excuses for it. Don’t blame someone else. Identify it. Recognize it. Admit it. Deal with it. Say, ”I’m doing some things that have to stop.” The Bible says, “Confess your faults one to another that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). Confess them… out in the open to other people… and you will begin the journey to healing.
2. Take responsibility for your actions. God has given you a free will. You can choose to change. You can choose to stay the same. The choice is yours – no one else’s. Set a new standard for yourself. Every time you make the right choice you overturn the wrong patterns in your family’s lineage. Every time you resist a temptation, you are one step closer to victory. You may have a negative history, but you don’t have to perpetuate it another day. You can’t change your past, but you can determine your future by making right choices today.
3. Trust God supremely. The Bible tells us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. Things take place in the spiritual realm that often manifest themselves in the physical realm. God will give you power to do what you need to do.
This is the life God has given you, and with dependence upon Him, it’s up to you to make the most of it.