And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the mantle and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and asses and sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones; they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. (Joshua 7:24-25 RSV)
I believe in family, I work for family. My biggest stress is family. My mother, step dad, my son, my siblings and my wife are the most important beings in my life. I trust them and am sure am not alone in this. However, one day, I was involved in a discussion where my aunt was talking to my uncle about how their generation was suffering from a curse and it was likely that their children (am one of them) would suffer that very curse.
I listened to all the facts and examples that Aunt laid before us and at the end of the conversation, I told both my uncle and aunt that from that time I ceased to be part of their family. I told them I was not ready to take on the generational curse and I ejected myself from their line and declared myself a foreigner.
Why did I begin by bothering you with my family stories? I will tell you why. The family is a very crucial aspect for personal growth, success and victory.
Many preachers and teachers will draw many lessons from the story of Achan, but for me, I see a single family member who is holding back the entire tribe. Israelites are doing everything right but whenever they attack the enemies, the enemies beat them handsdown. Not because the enemies are stronger than them but because the enemies have an agent within the family of the Israelites.
To be victorious in life you need to be sure each and every family member is audited properly and you know who is who as far as this mission is concerned. If you are a hard-working wife but with a husband dragging you down every now and then, then you can be sure you won’t get there any-soon. However, much family is important one family member is not worth your victory. We cannot all die because of one family member.
Joshua and Israelites were not kind to Achan and his entire homestead. The question was: Why did you bring trouble on us? Am telling you today there are some family members who are opposed to your victory. As long as you keep them around and involved, you will not be victorious. You have no option but to eject them however much you love them. You cannot make peace with your failed family member and be victorious at the same time.
Jesus blatantly told us in Mathew 10:34-39 that:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. (Mathew 10:35-39 RSV).
Some of us are failing because of family members. It could be your children, wife, husband, in-law, or your parents. Whoever they are, I want you to understand that no single family is worth your destiny.
Jesus as a man was victorious in life because his definition of family was not Biology based but Belief-based. One day (Mathew 12:46-50) his Biological family interrupted his mission and called him out of the mission field and he asked: WHO IS MY MOTHER? WHO IS MY BROTHER?
Some of us will not go anywhere in life until we eject the Achan-like family members.
God bless you, I invoke Truth, Reason and Faith.
Pr WHITE
The Gospel Hawker
iTiS Well of Worship Ministries (John 4:24)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 