Family Influence...Step 4...Lesson Twenty Five...

 Our family of origin has had an influence on who we are today. Some of us want to pretend that our family was, or is, nearly perfect. Others of us may tend to avoid responsibility for our actions by blaming our family. Whatever the case, when we think about our own life, we also need to deal with our family and the effects its members have had on who we are today.
  We are told the returned Jewish exiles "confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors" (Nehemiah 9:20. They blamed their ancestors for their captivity and the difficult situation they were facing. They said, "[Our ancestors] refused to turn from their wickedness. So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment!...We serve [conquering kings] at their pleasure, and we are in great misery" (Nehemiah 9:35-37).
  It's all right to admit the truth about what brought us into bondage. This might very well involve the wrongs committed by our parents and other family members. It's perfectly all right to express our anger and regret over what has been done to us. We have a right to hold others accountable and grieve over the negative effects their actions have had on our lives. That is all part of the real picture. It's not all right, however, to use this as an excuse for our wrong choices or for staying in bondage. Our relatives may be partly responsible for bringing us to a point, but we are responsible for moving on to a better place for ourselves and our family.

Bible Reading: Nehemiah 9:34-38