What can be done about generational curses?
Discussion question for October 8, 2010.
A curse can be handed down from one generation to another through nature or nurture (heredity or environment). What does God have to say about such curses? How can a person identify when a generational curse if affecting their life? What can be done about it?
Here’s my summary of our discussion.
Generational curses are part of the influence played by one’s family of origin. It works like a pipeline, in that either good or bad things get passed down. Generational curses are a description of the bad things that get passed.
They can affect a person through physical, emotional or spiritual means, and create an influencing situation or a predisposition toward a particular activity or value. A child of alcoholic parents is predisposed to abuse alcohol, genetically and by example.
Sin is the result of a someone choosing to act according to the proclivity. For instance, the child of an alcoholic choosing to seek peace through drunkenness as modeled by their parent(s), and as a result becoming addicted to it. That is different than someone without that tendency choosing to experiment with alcohol, yet not becoming addicted to it.
Curses have their power based on authority, and that authority is conferred (or believed) by the one initiating the curse and the one being under the curse. A hex, curse or black magic controls the person that allows through their belief to give it authority. This is very similar to the power of demonic influence. In both cases, whether knowingly or not, authority can be retaken through the blood of Jesus.
Breaking a curse comes from believing the Truth (Jesus), and may be accompanied with forgiving the perpetrator. Generational curses that were reversed in biblical history came after confession of the sin and a plea for forgiveness. When we forgive our ancestors for their role in sinful behavior, then we are agreeing with God for the forgiveness of their sin. God releases us from the bondage of the curse by making us new creations in Him.
A tricky challenge is to know when you are under a curse. Because it is passed down from your family of origin, it is your “normal”. We rarely question our foundational beliefs, frame of reference, or value system.
Whenever we are stuck in our spiritual growth, or have an area of our life that is resists being surrendered to God, this is a sure sign that a curse (or underlying belief) is affecting us. We need to pray into that, asking for Truth to set us free.
More information on this topic is available in this article: More on this topic is available in this article.