Generational Blessing

While there may be some sinful patterns passed down from your forebears, there is something much greater that has been passed down to you – the generational blessing!

The love and blessings of God are designed to flow ever-increasingly from one generation to the next.  God is “ … a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:5-6, ESV). Yes, curse is passed on. But it is limited in scope. Blessing, on the other hand, goes on and on.

Because I come from a broken, alcoholic home, I have spent a great deal of time addressing the soul wounds that hid underneath my consciousness. The journey of healing from shame has been extraordinarily worth it, and I am committed to helping people on that same journey. To be healed requires facing deep wounds. It requires divinely empowered forgiveness. It’s unquestionably important to break generational sin patterns, but embracing generational blessings is even more important.

For example, though my father left home when I was in fourth grade, leaving me with a cavernous need for acceptance, my dad was a remarkable man. He was one of the earliest TV reporters in our community, and one of the best I’ve ever seen. He was intelligent, articulate and poetic. Everywhere we went, people recognized my dad, and he was always gracious. I was proud of my dad’s career, and even more proud of the way that he cared for people.

A couple years ago, one of our staff members had a word from the Lord for me: “Alan, your gift for communicating came down from your father.”

Yes! My heart leapt. I had spent so much time mending my heart that I had left little room for embracing the blessings that came down from my father. I had received irrevocable blessings from God, through my father! And, even more extraordinary, those generational blessings are designed to grow exponentially unto my children and onward. No matter what pain your family handed down to you, the power of generational blessing is greater. You can claim it as your own.

And that’s the Gospel!