Dealing with Dysfunction
God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.
EPHESIANS 1:5 NLT
SIBLING rivalry, parent-child conflict, rebellion, lack of independence, too controlling or no control at all, manipulation, divorce, functional or dysfunctional family? We are all a product or a part of how we were raised.
All families are dysfunctional at some level in their own unique way, and we are not alone. There is no "perfect" family. Dysfunctional families have been around from the beginning of time, starting in the Garden when God asked Adam where he was and he immediately pointed his finger to Eve and said, "It was she! The woman You gave me as a companion put the fruit in my hands, and I ate it" (Genesis 3:12 The Voice).
Thus, the blaming begins. Jacob, Esau, and Rebekah provide us with another example of family dysfunction where we have a mother plotting with her son, against her husband, to steal the birthright from the firstborn son. Now that is dysfunction.
To continue...a story of two brothers named Cain and Abel, where Cain's jealous heart would make him kill Abel because God preferred Abel's offering over his.
The list goes on and on.
Families of origin begin with God. He is the creator of everything, and He desires to create patterns in our lives that honor Him and His people.
Thank Him for the strengths, joys, and accomplishments in your families of origin. Equally, let go of the frustrations, resentments, and baggage of your family of origin and allow God to work because He doesn't see the dysfunction as we see it.
Tangible Takeaway
Pray this prayer over your family: Lord, thank You for loving (fill in the blank with each of your family members) • Help me release to You what I cannot control and handle in my family because I know You love them even more than I do. You are perfect and Your ways are perfect, and I trust in that. Thank You, Lord.
*Excerpt from “We’re Still In This: 90 Healthy Trust for Happy Relationships” by: Susan Goss