Last week, we laid the foundation for the new series, “Releasing Generational Burdens.” This week, we dug a little deeper into our idolatry, what our idolatry means for future generations and ways to break generational curses.
Let’s start with a review of important terms for this series.
IDOL = Anything so essential to your life that if you lost it, you would feel like your life was hardly worth living. Idols are things/people we look to, rather than God, to give us peace, happiness, comfort or security.
BLESSING = Enjoyment and full participation of the will of God in your life.
CURSE = The misery/emptiness of not fulfilling your divine role or purpose.
GENERATIONAL CURSE = An idol that has been adopted or inherited from one generation to the next because of rebellion against God.
Before you can begin to break a generational curse, you must first be able to recognize its presence in your life and understand the consequences of not addressing that curse immediately through the power of the Holy Spirit.
a. Bondage as Normalcy = Matthew 12:29 reminds us that Satan can only hold a family in generational bondage when he has succeeded in holding a parent/head of household captive. The moment you decide that God doesn’t have exclusive rights to every area of your life (idolatry), Satan steps in to hold you captive. Your captivity is often viewed as normalcy to your children, then they unknowingly adopt your captivity and pass it on to the next generation.
b. The Power of a Curse = It’s important to know that God does not punish us for the sins of the father. God punishes us because we practice the sins of the father. In Matthew 12:43 we are advised to destroy generational curses quickly. Refusal to do so gives Satan the opportunity to attack future generations seven times stronger.
Three Ways to Break a Generational Curse
1. Refuse to live with idols anymore (Eph. 1:19) = Be careful to truly defeat idols rather than re-invent idols.
2. Recognize your authority and power (Eph 1:22) = Satan has been defeated and placed under our feet. We have the authority and the power to put Satan under our feet.
3. Make the right choice (Ex. 20:6) = Choose to follow God faithfully, giving Him exclusive rights to your life, and He will bless you for generations to come.
