When the angel of the Lord called Gideon to free the people of Israel from the Midianites, there was some family business he needed to sort out first. Gideon’s father Joash had built an altar to a false god called Baal. God said, ‘Pull down your father’s altar to Baal…Then build an altar to the Lord your God’ (vv. 25-26 NLT). Things like anger, addiction, and anxiety may be part of our family history, but they don’t have to be part of our future. Not only will God heal our heart and hurts, He will use us to heal the hearts and hurts of those who come after us. We don’t have to let things continue in our family. We can be the ones to make a change, to stand up for what’s right, to create new and healthy family traditions. We can bring things out into the open and lay them before God. Revealing leads to healing. We can see a counsellor and talk things through. The Bible says: ‘Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think’ (Romans 12:2 NLT). It will take time to heal, and God will work with us day by day until He has made us whole. Sometimes, our family won’t like the fact that we’re trying to change things, even if that change is for the better. When Gideon tore down the altar to Baal, people in the town wanted to kill him. ‘The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar”’ (Judges 6:30 NIV). But let’s make the decision to start the healing process. Let’s tear down the things that shouldn’t be in our lives, and instead build lives that honour God.

What Now?

Is there something that has run in your family that doesn’t honour God? Ask Him to help you be the one to make a change and live your life differently.