Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“Curses: The Next Generation”
Categories: DOCTRINE, FAMILY, OLD TESTAMENT, RELATIONSHIPSCan you tell me something about generational curses? Aren’t they a special kind of curse and not for everybody?Sincerely,
Checking The Family Tree
Dear Checking The Family Tree,
Children pay for the choices their parents make. People pay for the sins of those who have gone before. If your father was an axe murderer, it would affect you, your children, maybe even your grandchildren (Ex 34:7)… but eventually he would be forgotten, and the consequences of his behavior would dissipate. That is what the generational curse is – that children must live with the repercussions of their parents’ choices. Everyone has baggage and troubles that are brought on them by the generations that have gone before.
However, every person has the God-given gift of free will (Matt 7:13-14). In spite of what the generations before have done, we all have the ability to work out our own salvation and change our lives (Php 2:12). Our physical lives are often dictated and controlled (at least partially) by the choices of those around us, most notably our parents, but the state of our soul is our own responsibility. Each of us must seek God (Col 3:1) and serve Him regardless of what previous generations have done.
