WHAT ARE “LEGACY BURDENS?”
LEGACY BURDENS, or “generational curses” (as scripture refers to them), are the emotional, behavioral, and even spiritual weights that have been passed down to us through our families or our cultural experience - almost like an inheritance.
THE FALSE SELF
The FALSE SELF is the identity we create to meet the expectations placed on us. Often, this isn’t who we truly are. It’s a result of “legacy burdens,” or “generational curses.”
The only way to discover our TRUE SELF is to confront these burdens we’ve inherited and release what doesn’t belong to us.
I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. —Exodus 20:5-6
Things left unhealed don’t simply vanish; they often ripple through generations, affecting relationships, self-worth, and identity.
Abraham’s family was haunted by the generational ghost of fear and deception. But here’s what’s really beautiful and important: God didn’t abandon them.
God has no intention of condemning us to repeat the past. Just the opposite. He’s inviting you and me to be the generation that stands up and says, “This ends with me.”
Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. —Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus invites us into a partnership where the burdens we’ve inherited aren’t ignored – they’re transformed.
In Jesus, we can find the strength to break old patterns…to stand up and say, “This ends with me.”
QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:
What is one burden that I’m carrying that isn’t be mine to carry?
Jesus wants to unburden us from the weight of the past. He invites us to bring it to him.
Imagine the legacy you could leave if the burdens of the past no longer held you. Imagine the freedom and strength that could ripple forward through you to the people that you love - because you took the time to let God work in you today? —Pastor Brad
4 PRACTICAL STEPS FOR RELEASING THE BURDENS OF THE PAST:
Step 1 | RECOGNIZE AND NAME THE BURDENS YOU CARRY.
Step 2 | LAY YOUR BURDENS DOWN. LET THEM GO.
PRAY :: Each day this week, take short time to name each specific weight that you’re carrying to God. Say it out loud: “I’m giving this to You because it’s too heavy for me to carry alone; and it’s not something that I asked to carry.”
MEDITATE :: Meditation is taking the time to sit quietly in the presence of God, and to focus all of our attention on God’s love for us - a love that sees us, knows us, and accepts us just as we are right now.
CONFESS :: Confession is a very specific way of praying, where – either privately with God, or with someone you trust – you talk about the guilt or shame that is tied to these burdens you’ve been carrying.
STEP 3 | REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE
‘Finding yourself’ is not really how it works. You aren’t a ten-dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right here, buried under cultural conditioning, other people’s opinions and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. ‘Finding yourself’ is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you. —Melli O’Brien
OUR TRUE IDENTITY ISN’T SHAPED BY THE PATTERNS OF OUR FAMILIES OR THE BURDENS WE’VE INHERITED. IT’S DEFINED BY GOD’S LOVE AND HIS PURPOSE FOR US.
STEP 4 | REACH OUT TO PEOPLE WHO CAN GUIDE YOU
• Set up a spiritual direction session with Pastor Brad HERE.
• Reach out to a friend or mentor
• Seek professional counseling
THE STORY OF HIROO ONADA
Hiroo Onada was a Japanese soldier sent to a small island in the Philippines during World War II. He had orders to stay and fight until his superiors returned to relieve him. So, when the war ended in 1945, no one told him directly, and he just kept going. Leaflets were dropped, telling him the war was over. His family even sent letters. But he thought it was all a trick, enemy propaganda. So, for nearly 30 years, he kept fighting a war that was already over. It wasn’t until 1974, nearly three decades later, that his old commanding officer came to the island, personally told him the war had ended, and finally Hiroo Onoda surrendered his sword.
WHAT BATTLES ARE YOU STILL FIGHTING THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO FIGHT ANYMORE?
WILL YOU OPEN YOUR HEART TO JESUS?
Life has a way of handing us things we never asked for—baggage we didn’t pack. But the good news is, we don’t have to carry it alone. Jesus invites us to bring all that weight to Him, to lay it down, and trust that He’s got it. He knows what’s been weighing us down, and He’s offering us freedom, a fresh start. Today, we want to invite you to take that step. If you’re tired of carrying those burdens, this is the moment to let Jesus help you unpack and experience the peace and freedom He offers. PRAY WITH US:
God I’m tired of carrying stuff I was never meant to carry. I need Your help. Right now, I want to give You the fear, the worry, the shame—everything that’s weighing me down. I trust You to take it and give me peace in return. Help me let go of what’s been holding me back and give me the strength to step into the life You’ve made for me. Jesus, today I’m ready to give You my heart. I know I need You, I want to follow You, and I trust You with my life. Thank You for loving me and for always being here to help. In Jesus’ name, Amen.