WHAT’S YOUR LEGACY? (PART THREE)

We all will leave a legacy, whether good, bad or indifferent.  In my last blog we explored the harmful generational patterns, or “curses”, on some families.  As I mentioned the pattern, or “curse”, will continue on until someone in the family recognizes the behavioral pattern and says, “Enough”!  God tells us that we don’t have to continue to live with these harmful events in our lives.  We can turn to Him any time and pray to break the “curse” and remove and destroy them forever through God’s grace and favor.

God has provided a way for us to be set free from our past and set you and your descendants on a new path of greatness!

Exodus 20:5-6 says, “You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.  I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”

Idolatry and sin often become ingrained in a family or culture and children raised in this environment can easily keep the tradition or curse going.  As you have probably seen, the effect of one disobedient generation’s sin can take root so deeply that it may take several generations to reverse.  However – did you catch that last line in Exodus 20:6?   God will lavish His love on those who love Him and obey Him, for a thousand generations!

Because of God’s grace, which was secured by Jesus dying on a cross for us, we can confess our own sins and the sins of our fathers.

Nehemiah knew this.  He prayed for forgiveness for his ancestors and the people of Israel who had not taken the time to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and were still rebellious and sinful.  Nehemiah prayed, “O Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,  let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.  I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.  We have acted very wickedly toward you.  We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses….. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.  Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”  Neh. 1:4-11.  As Nehemiah’s story goes on, God does indeed grant him success and favor.  (You can read more about his story in Nehemiah Chapters 1-6.)

With God’s power, we can break the harmful patterns in our own family line.  We simply need to become aware of them and then go to God and pray for forgiveness.  As we draw closer to God and follow His word we can change our legacy from one of abuse, addiction or sickness into one of health, success and love.

As I mentioned in my blog in Part Two, my family had a pattern of having babies out of wedlock.  However, several years ago when I learned about generational curses and patterns I prayed to break this “curse” in my family line.  I began by praying for my sons from when they were young teenagers that they would not get a girl pregnant; that there would be no more babies born out of wedlock, and God graciously lifted this pattern from my family line going forward.  However, now that my sons are in their 30’s and I still don’t have any grandchildren, I think I may have prayed a little too hard!

We often can’t see beyond our circumstances and our perceived limitations.  I have always wished I had been born into a family that had dreams and goals and the determination to make them happen.  I wish my family had honored education, self-discipline, and ambition.  I’m certain life would have been so much easier for me.  I wish I had been taught that anything is possible in life.  I struggle to this day with all self-discipline, wishing I was one of those people who just popped out of bed in the morning, put on their workout clothes and went running for an hour, then spent the rest of the day eating vegetables and fish, never once letting a gooey, chocolate brownie pass their lips!  However, wishing doesn’t get us anywhere ….. But God can!  I love those two words – “But God!”

BUT GOD!  God teaches us righteousness and to walk in His ways, which are the best ways!  Jesus changes us once we receive Him.  We’re not instantaneously changed, however, we begin the process of seeking to be whole and healthy and happy.

Remember the family line of Gehazi in Part Two of my blog?  His family was forever cursed with some sort of skin disease or disfigurement.  But God! – With His character of grace and mercy, can even heal Gehazi’s great, great, great, great granddaughter and remove the birthmark on her face.  If we, like Nehemiah, come before God and pray for forgiveness for ourselves and our fathers and ask for God’s healing, Jesus tells us it will be done (see Matthew 7:7-8).

We need to begin to believe what God tells us in His word – that He wants us to have an exceedingly abundant life, with every good thing.  Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “….I came that they (His followers) may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”As we listen to God, as we love God, as we follow God, we can change our legacy and ensure that we pass down to our children and our grandchildren a life of freedom, of peace and of love and success.

My hope for writing this series on Legacy is that you will know that no matter who you are, where you came from, or what your ancestors did, you can create a great legacy for your family starting now!  You can make a difference in your family line!  No more curses, only God’s Blessings and Hand of favor and His salvation for ALL family members.  You can begin building a great legacy now!

“But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.”  2 Chronicles 15:7.