Exodus 34:6 says, "I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations" (NLT).
A lot of your men are affected by the "down stream" consequences of their parent’s, grandparent’s, and even great grandparent’s sins. For example, when a man abandons his family, he sets negative forces in motion that will impact his entire family lineage for several generations (at least).
Christ is a Redeemer, and no amount of pain and dysfunction is beyond his reach or interest. Nevertheless, once a cycle of brokenness begins it takes so much more emotional energy and so much more of society’s resources to restore what should have never been broken to begin with.
Teach your men to consider the costs of starting a cycle. Teach your men how to break the cycle. Make it a badge of honor in your church to be a cycle breaker. Make it a point of honor for men to say, "By God’s grace, it stops with me. I am going to set my family line on a whole new course for generations to come."
Yours for changed lives,
Patrick Morley, Ph.D.
Man in the Mirror
DOLM Legacy Blog 