Tell Me More About is a podcast with our Lead Pastor Whit George. Whit will answer questions and talk about things he didn’t get to talk about on the weekend.
In episode one, Whit and Casey talk about analyzing and navigating family culture, and answer questions like, why should I have to do something about something that was done to me? How do I fix a situation that feels broken beyond repair? Where do I even start?
Joseph is an epic story within another epic story: the book of Genesis. Throughout Genesis, you see God promise that He will redeem creation through a family. But this gets complicated, because, well, family is messy.
It can feel really overwhelming to even know where to begin in navigating family culture and figuring out how to move forward. Here are some good places to start:
It’s all too easy to avoid, ignore, and deflect. Maybe the unhealth in your family feels out of your control. It’s tempting to view it as “their” problem.
Bring these things from darkness into the light. Acknowledge these areas of unhealth and talk about it in a safe space with people you trust.
A huge part of understanding how you’re shaped is understanding where you come from.
The Family Excavation Tool (adapted from Pete Scazzero’s book The Emotionally Healthy Leader) is really helpful in starting to ask some honest questions about your family of origin.
The very act of putting words to things is powerful. Words bring form to that which is formless and give name to feelings and experiences you’ve never identified.
The simple step of using the tool could lead clarity and realization.
After you’ve done this, it may be helpful to unpack your findings with a trusted friend or counselor.
The reality is, you can’t undo mistakes in your past or your family’s past. But you can make the next right choice. You can take the step in front of you and let God deal with the rest.
On one hand, why should you spend time obsessing over things you can’t control? You may have heard the adage, “let go and let God.”
Well, maybe a better saying would be, “Do you part and let God deal with the rest.”
In scripture, it’s clear that God invites humans into partnership with him. Revelation 21:3 says, And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
Yes, God is in control. But we still have a part to play in partnership with Him. We see this play out in the story of Joseph .
Joseph’s family gets themselves into a situation that can’t fix. And Joseph isn’t the one to fix it. God is. God worked something in and through them because of Joseph’s obedience.
Give yourself grace. This isn’t easy and change won’t happen over night. Just focus on the step in front of you. What step can you take in obedience? God will lead you from there.
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