What are “Generation Habits”?
Generation habits are deeply ingrained patterns, behaviors, values and coping mechanisms passed down from ancestors to children.
- As children we tend to imitate what we observe - it is a “caught more than taught” principle
- Many of our habits, mindsets and behaviors that shape our life today did not begin with us.
Destructive habits:
Anger
Alcoholism
Domestic violence
Silent treatment
Unhealthy relationships
Fathers not present
Money struggles / Materialism
Pornography / unhealthy sexual views
Racism
"Many of the things we do today aren't because we are malicious; it’s because it’s the only language we were taught to speak.”
The list above are some destructive habits in our life, but not all habits are destructive.
Constructive Habits:
Forgiveness
Repentance
Humility
Gratitude
Self-control
Generosity
Serving others
Worship and daily devotion to God
Fable:
A traveler was touring the beautiful gardens of a royal palace and noticed an armed guard standing at attention in the middle of an empty, grassy lawn.
There was absolutely nothing around the guard—no gates, no treasures, no person, it was just a patch of grass.
Intrigued, the traveler asked the head guardsmen: "Why is that man stationed there?"
The head guardsmen replied, "I don't know. It’s a tradition. There has been a guard posted on that exact spot of the lawn for eighty years."
The traveler decided to look through the palace archives to find out why the post that guard was standing at was created, since it was guarding nothing.
After hours of searching through dusty old journals from the previous century, he found the original order signed by the old king.
It read: "Post a guard out on the lawn today. The bench near the castle gate has just been painted and I don't want anyone sitting on it."
Isn't it amazing how easy it is for us to continue doing something simply because that's the way it's always been done?
Your family history may explain your struggle, but it never excuses your sin. Scripture explains to us that we are all responsible for our own actions
Ezekiel 18:1–4 “The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “ ‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.”
Ezekiel 18:30–32 ““Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
Recognize:
Sometimes the hardest habits to recognize are the ones we normalize
2 Samuel 11:2–4 “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her....
2 Samuel 13:1–2 “In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.”
2 Samuel 13:28–29 “Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.”
What habits, beliefs and patterns have shaped you that were passed down to you through your family? When someone / your discipler calls you out on a destructive habit you have, what is the first thing you do?
2 Samuel 12:13 “Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.”
Let us recognize the patterns and habits in our life that are leading us away from the Lord and start the process of getting rid of them
Release:
Let go of destructive habits
Do you make these excuses?
That’s just who I am
Anger is just in my blood
Nobody is perfect
My pornography usage isn’t hurting anyone
Everyone cusses / slanders / gossips, why cant I?
That’s just how I was raised
Instead of making excuses for our destructive habits and our sin we should confess them and seek the Lord
Psalm 139:23–24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,”
What needs to stop with me?
Replace:
Build good constructive habits
Genesis 18:18–19 “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.””
Ephesians 4:22–24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
What new habits should begin with me?
Reproduce:
Pass these habits on to the next generation
2 Timothy 1:3–5 “I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
2 Timothy 3:14–15 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Proverbs 22:6 “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
