The Ones Who Have Gone Before You

Because of the circumstances of my childhood, I used to tell God that I didn’t want to have children unless I could be the mother I needed to be. I refused to bring children into the world and not be capable of doing the right thing as their mother. I would not wish the things I went through as a kid on any child. As a result, I was very intentional about starting a family. 

There is an irony to growing up and experiencing trauma. Although brokenness can lead to dysfunction, it can also be a powerful force that leads to great awareness and healing. My pain may have been great, but it also made me more aware of what I did and did not want for my life. I saw enough to know what I needed to do to break the cycle. I learned valuable lessons from the ones that went before me. I was determined not to become them or make the same mistakes they did. 

I am reminded of a sermon my husband preached in which he said, “If we are not careful, we can become what we hate.” He was sharing about how his father was an abuser and a womanizer. He hated his father for that and how his actions had impacted his family. He described how his feelings for his father were so strong that they blinded him. He had not even realized he was gradually becoming like him as a young man. It was not until the Holy Spirit had revealed this to him that he was able to see a pattern. Then, he broke the cycle and became a better man, married, and became a father. 

This has been something that I am very passionate about as a believer in my own family and others. Due to me knowing what curses and cycles are present in my own family, I remain diligent in keeping my children covered in prayer and warring on their behalf when I see the enemy attempt to attack. It is alot of responsibility, but I am determined to change the tide of sin that has plagued my family for as long as I can remember. In the Bible can, we can see many examples of how the sins of the father impacted families for generations. 

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.

Yet, there is good news. There is a God who sent His son to break the curse of sin and death on all men. Jesus came to snatch the grip of sin and its ugly residue off of the lives of all of us. We have the power to do that in our own families. We have to activate it and allow the Holy Spirit to teach/ lead us. 

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

I don’t know about you, but I want my life to produce an incense of righteousness that will bless my children and future generations. I want to leave a legacy of blessings and not curses. I want them to live off the fruit of my prayers and faith. Furthermore, I want my seed to have a heritage of faith, so those that follow will benefit and continue the legacy.  

The ones before us may have set the stage for cycle to continue but the cycle breaker has come and lives inside of us. He can take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for our good. We don’t have to pursue the same path. Instead, we can forge a new one.

What have you learned from the ones that have gone before you? Regardless of how bad it was, you can use it to change your life. Why? Because God has empowered you to do so. Break the cycle. Change your story. Rewrite its ending. So, God can get the glory out of your life. Pray for me as I pray for you. 

Blessings, 

Nia

©️ FREE 2021 All Rights Reserved.