One of the first things that stood out to me after having my firstborn son was his dimples. The deep dimples in his cheeks reminded me of my father’s mom. Shortly, after we brought him home he would make facial expressions that looks like my mother in-law. When he turned a few months old looked just like my husband when he was a baby. To this day, I examine my son’s face and continue to see similarities not only his physical traits but also tendencies of those in our family tree.
A family tree can be a beautiful depiction of parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc; however, it can serve as a reminder of negative patterns or traits that run in the family. Looking back to examine past generations, perhaps you could identify patterns of disease, divorce, premature death, abuse, or anxiety in your family tree. These are like generational strongholds of past generations.
Identifying such areas of devastation in your life is not easy but it can be addressed. It is easy to accept some things as common, normal, or natural because that’s what happened to your sister, mom, and grandma. But not you! We are not meant to be a carbon copy of our ancestors, grandparents, parents’ past yokes and bondage. You may have grandma’s hands, mom’s hair, dad’s eyes and you look like your family but you are not your family tree (genetically predisposed to generational strongholds). Meaning, when you accept Christ you become a new creature!
When you have accepted Christ into your life you have become a part of a new family tree. You have a new identity. You are not doomed to carry the burdens of your natural inheritance. You can practice this reality by walking in the freedom of the new covenant daily which has been purchased by Christ by His finished work on the cross.
Let these scriptures be a reminder to you that you are a part of a new family tree.
You are made alive together with Christ. You are triumphant over principalities and powers.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (worldliness, manner of life), God made you alive together with Christ, having [freely] forgiven us all our sins, 14 having canceled out the a]”>[a]”>aa]”>]certificate of debt consisting of b]”>[b]”>bb]”>]legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through c]”>[c]”>cc]”>]the cross (Colossians 2:13-15).
You are a new creature in Christ, and have a new life in Him [family tree]. The old (bondage, yokes, strongholds, destructive generational patterns) has been done away with.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life] (2 Corinthians 2:17).
You are not a slave but a son or daughter.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, “a]”>[a]”>aa]”>]Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15).
I strive to be the parent that God would like me to be but I am not perfect. Just as my parents were not perfect, no parent is perfect except God our Father. He has given us an understanding to believe in His power to redirect our entire family trees. I started by making a decision, with my husband, that we are not going to accept anything less than what God calls us in His word. It is an act of faith and a daily walk with Christ to truly believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ. I don’t always get it right everyday but I strive toward God’s plan for my life. Us moms are the ideal candidates and recipients of living a life of freedom in Christ Jesus. It starts with you and me and will ultimately impact the lives of our families for generations to come.
