Humbly Yours by Val Crawford

No More Generational Excuses 

“… Put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 

Joshua 24:14-15 King James Version (KJV) 

ABBA FATHER – Thank YOU for another opportunity to speak to YOUR children and those YOU want to adopt. Speak LORD! YOUR servant daughter is listening! Allow these words to minister to us and as they do, bring the Glory, the Honor, and the Praise to YOU because It belongs to YOU! In JESUS Mighty Name!

I recently saw the following post on Facebook and was so moved by it, I had to repost it:

“It ran in your family until it ran into you. GOD says, ‘You have been anointed to break the cycle. Generational curses stop with you’ …”

I love that! THAT is Good News! That is a wonderful reminder that our habits do not have victory over us. ‘We got that V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!’ (Thanks to Anthony Brown & Group Therapy!)

A few weeks ago, I was graced with a D.C. snow day and found myself engrossed in day-time court shows. One show stood out…Divorce Court. When the judge asked the defendant if he wanted help with his drinking problem, he said something that broke my heart: “No – it’s in me. It’s generational.”

That made me so sad because he seems to have chosen to embrace the bad habit. That single statement was one filled with forfeit, surrender, and defeat. I wanted to scream to him, “Nooo!! Don’t let that thing own you! You don’t have to stay there!”

Several years ago, different ministries began teachings on “generational curses.” They referenced Deuteronomy 5:9, which cautioned on the curse that could fall as the result of disobedience - not only on the disobedient person but also on his (or her) children and their children's children.

Now - I have a couple of issues - not with the teacher and certainly not with the scripture. I take issue - with us. So often, I notice that we seem to stop at the curse. We embrace it! We quickly latch onto the worst part of the passage and hug the sins that fell on Daddy or GranPa … or Uncle Charlie. After all, “a child will live what he sees, quicker than what he is taught…” Right? We’ve all heard it said to someone (if not to ourselves): 

“You look just like your triflin’ daddy
and you act like him, too!” 

And if GranPa drank ‘shine and Daddy smoked weed… then no one is surprised, sadly, when BaeBae … is a crackhead. After all, “he is just like …”

But … let’s look a little deeper. We should recognize that the Bible specifies that the curse would fall on ‘those who hate’ GOD. The Message translation says it this way:

“…I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God. I hold parents responsible for any sins they pass on to their children to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation. But I’m lovingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments....`

Deuteronomy 5:9-10 Msg 

If Baebae and then NaeNae become crackheads, GOD will hold Pop responsible first because the pattern started when BaeBae was watching him drink.

And that would be so sad too… BUT (there’s that conjunction that negates everything that was said before it!) … But GOD says that HE will show Lovingkindness to the thousands that love HIM and keep HIS commandments!

Wow! What a Promise! Somehow, though, we’ve opted to skip right past that. If we decide to show GOD Love and strive daily to keep HIS commandments, HE PROMISES to be lovingly loyal to us. And GOD never makes a promise HE doesn’t keep.

When I was three years old, my paternal grandmother died at the age of 42, from kidney failure. Growing up, I always heard, “Val, you look so much like Ms. Mahala.” One day, my sons found a picture and even asked, “Mom, who is this man in this picture with you?” “That isn’t me. Those are your great-grandparents.” So, I hope it isn’t surprising when I share that, for a little while, the closer I got to 42, I held a secret fear of birthday time. I mean, I looked like MaMa, was built like MaMa and had MaMa's DNA in me. But I hadn't seen the poster yet! The poster that assures me: “Yeah – it DID run in your family …. UNTIL … it ran into you!

I am happy to report that 42 came and went and now I KNOW! I know the extent, I know the height, I know the depth and I know the width of GOD’s Loving Loyalty toward Me! And because I know all that, it’s why I wanted to scream to Mr. Court Show, “Nooo! Don’t stay there!”

As I watched him, I couldn’t help feeling like someone, at some point in his life, had planted the “you’re just like … seed” in his life. And he did what we all do when something is planted. He watered it; he fertilized it, and he gave it sunlight. We all have. Then we look around and wonder where all these weeds of confusion and hurt and pain came from? How did all these ‘little g’ gods get in our lives? And HOW did they get so strong?

When he said, “It’s generational…” My heart filled with tears and I thought, “He has a stronghold in his life.” One definition I found for stronghold is:

“a hotbed; a bunker; an environment promoting the growth of something, especially something unwelcome…”

Believe it or not, THAT definition gave me hope! Because IF the ‘something’ is UN-welcome, that means we can EVICT it! Yes – I know that the current environment may be promoting something's negative influence, BUT we do NOT have to CONTINUE to fertilize it, water it or give it any more sunlight! I have decided, and I hope this helps someone else to decide to do what Joshua urged in chapter 24:14-15:

LISTEN! I KNOW we were 400 years a slave! But we aren't in Egypt any more! Put away alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual promiscuity, gambling - WHATEVER your ‘little g’ god may be – and serve the LORD Today! And if you think it’s too hard to serve GOD, choose what you want, – the addiction, prison, wayward lifestyle – do you. BUT as for me and everybody in my house – we WILL serve the LORD!

The Valerie translation 

I decided to embrace the Promises of GOD my FATHER! When I did, that’s when HE reminded me of HIS “BUT Promise” in my life! His Loving Loyalty toward me! That’s when HE put my fear of birthdays to rest! Because my maternal Great-Grandfather Fortune Haskell founded the Tabernacle Church in Eutawville, South Carolina! My Grandfather, Frank Haskell and my uncles Henry Haskell and Fortune C. Haskell all pastored Tabernacle after him! They chose who they would serve and that filtered into my life! I am blessed! My sons are blessed! My grandchildren - not yet formed in their mothers’ wombs - are B-L-E-S-S-E-D! And you are, too!!! We ARE the Head and NOT the tail! We are Above and NOT beneath!

Are you currently afflicted with a concern, issue or habit? Hold on Baby! Do NOT feed or water that! Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NASB) that this:

“… momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison…”,

Let us listen to Joshua and to Paul – put down those habits and behaviors and traditions. Stop feeding and watering those weeds! We are more than conquerors through CHRIST JESUS! We are a Royal Priesthood and a Chosen Generation! And there WILL be Glory, a Praise, and a Testimony! GOD Promised!!

Val Crawford

Contributing Writer