Section (4) of Ch. 3. (The Power of a Parent’s Blessing)

Blessing and Cursing Impact Generations

 

 As we have discussed, family blessing or cursing often determines the course of a child’s destiny not for one generation but for many generations. Both blessing and cursing are seeds that will reproduce after their kind for generations. Noel and Phyl Gibson in their book Evicting Demonic Squatters and Breaking Bondages discovered some very interesting statistics about two American families (Max Jukes’ family and Jonathan Edwards’ family) when they traced them over two hundred years.

Max Jukes was an atheist who married a godless woman. Some 560 descendants were traced:

* 310 died as paupers,

* 150 became criminals,

* 7 of them murderers, 100 were known drunkards,

and half the women were prostitutes.

The descendants of Max Jukes cost the US government more than 1.25 million dollars in 19th century dollars.

 

 Jonathan Edwards was a contemporary of Max Jukes. He was a committed Christian who gave God first place in his life. He married a godly young lady, and some 1,394 descendants were traced:

* 295 graduated from college,

* of whom 13 became college presidents,

* 65 became professors,

* 3 were elected as US senators,
* 3 as state governors and others were sent as ministers to foreign countires,

* 30 were judges, * 100 were lawyers,

* 1 the dean of an outstanding law school,

* 56 practiced as physicians, one was the dean of a medical school,

* 75 became officers in the military,

* 100 were well-known missionaries, preachers and prominent authors,

* another 80 held some form of public office,

* of whom 3 were mayors of large cities,

* 1 was the comptroller of the US Treasury,

* and another was vice president of U.S. 6

 

 It is amazing that none of Edwards’ descendants were ever a liability to the government. Understanding the natural consequences of the choices made within these two families, one can conclude that someone born into the Jukes family would have been more likely to have had a difficult time in marriage and child-rearing than a person born into the Edwards family.

 That does not mean the family a person is born into determines his destiny. No matter what a person‘s family background, he can always choose to make wise, godly choices that will improve his marriage and family relationships. He can choose to establish a lifestyle of blessing that will put his children and future generations on an entirely different track. At any point, it is possible to recognize and break the power of negative generational patterns and leave a godly heritage.

footnote

6 Nancy and Phyl Gibson, Evicting Demonic Squatters and Breaking Bondages (Drummoyne, Australia:Freedom in Christ Ministries Trust, 1987).

 

 

Key Questions Answered by Blessing

 

In the introduction I mentioned that there are seven critical stages in life during which blessing was meant to be imparted within a family. At each of these critical times I believe God intended to answer a key spiritual and emotional question in our hearts. In the next several chapters we will look at each of these critical stages and the deep heart questions answered at these times. Because this is so critical to any parent wanting to establish a culture of blessing in their families, I have included a chart below that summarizes what to expect in each stage.

 

Major Life Questions Blessing Answers
Critical Time of Blessing	Major Life Questions Answered
Conception	Am I wanted and welcome in this family ?
Time in the Womb	Am I accepted and safe? Do I belong here ?
Birth	Am I what you expected and wanted? Am I OK, or is something wrong with me? Will anyone take care of me?
Early Childhood	Is there anyone I can really trust to meet my needs? Is there anyone here bigger, stronger, and wiser than me who truly loves and cares about me?
Puberty	Do I have what it takes to be a man/woman? Am I adequate to fulfill my calling as an adult?
Marriage	Am I really lovable? Will anyone love me and stick with me in covenant long-term?