I’ve heard it said that it’s important to finish strong. While I believe most of us would agree with that concept, how we start is important as well. Anyone who builds in construction will tell you the importance of a good foundation. If there are cracks in the foundation or if the foundation is not level you are going to have major issues as you continue to build. We can see this same principle in our family history. Each of us are born into a family with roots and foundations. These building blocks not only form our DNA but also reveal family patterns in behaviors and mindsets that have been practiced and reinforced sometimes for generations. When I work with individuals in therapy, God often directs us to generational patterns, which are the root source for these individual struggles. The Bible gives us numerous examples of generational patterns passed down from one generation to the next. Abraham, known in scripture as a man of faith, lied twice about Sarah being his wife and allowed her to be placed in a harem; Isaac, his son, did the same to his wife, Rachel. Jacob lied to his father Isaac to steal the birthright from his brother Esau. Years later, Jacob’s sons lie to him about Joseph, telling their father he had died, when they had sold him into slavery. And yet, there is redemption as God established a covenant with Abraham and reaffirms the covenant with Isaac and later with Jacob. When God revealed Himself to Moses in preparation for bringing His people out of Egypt, He called Himself “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Exodus 3:15) In his lovingkindness, God has made a way for us to come out of the bondage of the sin patterns from past generations.
Through Jesus we enter into this everlasting covenant that brings us freedom.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV)
Some Steps in Laying New Foundation Generationally,
- Recognize negative generational patterns and prayerfully confess and repent of the impact. Begin making a choice to break the cycles.
(2 Chronicles 7:14, Daniel 9:4-19, James 5:16)
- Practice forgiveness for yourself and past generations for choices and behaviors that brought destruction. Ask God to forgive your family and yourself for any hurt that the old patterns have produced.
(Psalms 86:5, Matthew 6:14, Colossians 3:13, 1 John 1:9)
- Find verses of scripture that promote the truth that you are pursuing and begin laying new foundation by declaring these truths over your life and your family.
(Psalm 23:6, Proverbs 19:23, Proverbs 22:4, Isaiah 54:17, 1 Peter 2:24, John 16:33)
Jesus gave a parable about two builders that really summarizes the importance of laying a solid foundation in Matthew 7:
Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation. (vs. 24-25, TPT)
Removing old generational roots and faulty foundation can certainly be a major renovation project. We all have work to do in this area, but it’s beautiful to see God restore the gifts and beauty of his design in our families!
Continue the Pursuit,
Denise
