Creating a Positive Life Path for Your Family Without Repeating Negative Generational Cycles

I remember sitting in a church service and the pastor was talking about breaking generational curses. It intrigued me because it was something new to me that I never heard before. To sum up his message, he said that you do not have to accept the negative things from your family history that have been carried down from each generation. You can decide to make a change in your life and the life of your family. Hearing that was very profound to me.

Sharing this with others is so important to me because sometimes we can feel trapped and feel like we have to accept and repeat negative patterns because that’s how it’s always been in our family line. But that is not true. With God’s help you can create a beautiful life for yourself and your family. You can live a life with vision, joy, purpose, and abundance.

I’m going to list examples of breaking negative generational cycles.

Example 1:

A man comes from a family where adultery is the norm. He observes that the faithfulness of marriage is not respected and families related to him are destroyed because of it. He can make the decision that he and his wife will do marriage God’s way, by keeping Him first and at the center of their marriage. He and his wife will honor their vows, by promising to work together to solve problems. They will acknowledge the fact that no marriage is perfect but that they will commit to be there for each other no matter what challenges they face. They will set boundaries in their marriage so that others won’t interfere and destroy it.

Example 2:

A woman comes from a family where affection wasn’t shown. She never heard her parents tell her “I love you”. Her parents always complain about how her grandparents were never there for them. Quality family time never existed in the home. Instead of repeating the cycle, she can decide that love will be a part of her family. She will be intentional about telling her husband and children how much she loves and values them on a regular basis. She and her husband will model God’s love for their children. She is determined to do what needs to be done in order to have a loving household.

Example 3:

A man comes from a family of drug and alcohol addiction. He saw lives destroyed and the emotional trauma left on the family. His grandfather and father were addicts. His family tells him that he will become one too because that’s just how it plays out in their family. He has made the decision that he does not want to follow in this negative pattern. He can make the choice to trust God and use wisdom in his decision making to avoid becoming a victim to drug and alcohol addiction. He can have boundaries in his life and stay away from family members who would try to persuade him and his family to participate in this type of behavior. He can be intentional about teaching his children about the dangers and detrimental effects of substance abuse. He can be proactive and get help if needed to prevent this negative generational cycle from repeating.

John 10:10 (ESV) says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” This Bible verse is so powerful. The thief in this verse is the devil, who is our enemy. He wants to steal our happiness and joy. He wants us to be stuck in the bad generational cycles and to miss out on the good things that can happen in our life. But the good news is that Jesus said that He came to give us blessings of abundance in this life. Don’t miss out on the blessings that God has for you and your family.

I want to encourage you to be determined to live a wonderful life and not let negative generational cycles hold you and your family back. In life, we all have choices. It’s up to each individual to decide how bad they want something and how hard they are willing to work to obtain it. Breaking negative cycles will take work and faith. As Christians, we have the benefit of receiving God’s power and wisdom to guide us through life and receive the abundant blessings He has promised to those who obey Him.