We are ALL affected, positively and negatively, by our upbringing and the people who were most involved in it. We have all been given hand-me-downs from our past, but we have also been given the opportunity to decide which to try on and wear - and which to throw out.

We don't get to choose our genetic makeup. We don't have a vote in who our parents will be or what kind of job they will do raising us. We can't change the positive or negative decisions they made along the way or the emotional struggles they endured.

But, God does. He designed our genetic makeup. He chose our parents and family for us. He knew the teachers, coaches, and friends that would shape our lives and lead us to where we are today. Whenever I find myself feeling like a victim or comparing my past to other people's - I have to stop and remember that God orchestrated all of it. The good and the bad, and that He has promised to "work all of it together for my good" (Romans 8:28) if I will trust Him and walk with Him. I am not a victim, I am a victor.... in Him.

As a child of the King of Kings, forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus, you have the authority and opportunity to throw the unwanted hand-me-downs away for good. The sinful inclinations and actions, the emotional dysfunction, and the ongoing visitation of generational iniquities can stop with you - today.