rebelling against low expectations

My Parents’ Sin Does Not Define Me

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Am I my father?

Satan has told me that I am trapped by my father’s sin.

That I will never lose weight because he never has.

That I will never read my Bible consistently because he never has.

That I will never be able to create margin in my life because he never has.

That I will never overcome addiction because he never has.

Satan tells me that I will never change because my father is 50, and he has not changed. Satan is lying to me, and I have let his lies trap me for 17 years.

Maybe Satan has lied to you. Maybe you are trapped with no hope of ever changing, either by the pattern of your own sins or by the pattern of the sins of your father or mother.

Romans 7:11: “For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.”

Romans 7:19: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.”

Romans 7:22-24: “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”

I have believed that the generational sin that exists in my family will define my future for too long. Recently, someone told me the truth.

Romans 8:11: “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

You see, our father or mother’s sins do not define our future.

Romans 6:6-7: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”

You and I are not only free from our own sin, but the sin of our parents as well. The fact that my father has not changed does NOT mean that God cannot change me.

Romans 6:14: “For sin shall no longer be our master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

I am free, and you are free too.

It is not my earthly father, but my heavenly Father who determines my future.

Romans 8:14-15: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.'”

Through the Spirit, I have hope that I can change. And I will change.

I am not my father.

Romans 7:25: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

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About the author

Haley Seba

is an 18-year-old farm girl in rural Missouri who is on fire for Christ. She is homeschooled and spends her summers working on her family’s farm. Theatre, fiber arts, and reading are her hobbies, but her passion is foster children. She loves spending time with family, and her perfect evening would include a family dinner with lots of laughter and card games.

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By Haley Seba
rebelling against low expectations

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