Allieu spent hours in a deliverance session with his pastor. He believed he was cursed by his father because after his father died, things went from bad to worse for him. He wanted the pastor to reverse that curse. Allieu is not alone in thinking about how his life can be affected by a “curse” from a more powerful person. Many people believe the prosperous are “blessed” and the poor are “cursed.” In part, this misunderstanding comes from confusion over the meaning of the words blessings and curses.
Fear God, Not Man
Only God can curse or bless people. For instance, God promised Abraham to bless those who bless him and “curse those who treat you with contempt” (Genesis 12:3). Another person cannot send trouble or death to you by invisible means, which is why Hebrews 13:6 says, “We can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’ ” (see also Psalm 118:6; Proverbs 26:2).
Allieu spent hours in a deliverance session with his pastor. He believed he was cursed by his father
God’s blessings and curses frequently come as a result of obedience to him. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 is very clear about the choice God gives us. “You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord… You will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord” and worship other gods. (See Deuteronomy 27:14–28:68 for blessings and curses that come from obeying or rejecting God’s commands). Moreover, sometimes God chooses to bless us, and sometimes he chooses to send us troubles that will build us up so that we might return to him (Romans 5:3-4). Even if such troubles do not make sense to us at that time, they are part of God’s plan for our lives.
Is My Suffering a Curse from God?
It is important to note that not all prosperity is a blessing from God and not all troubles are punishment from God. It appears as if many evil people continue to prosper, while the righteous people experience suffering (Job 1:8-12). The experiences Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 11:25 are not because he was cursed. For believers, suffering is sometimes a blessing in disguise. In other words, the experience is meant to help us grow.
Not all prosperity is a blessing from God and not all troubles are punishment from God
Generational Blessings and Curses
Some people talk about a generational curse or blessing, but Christian believers are not bound by either. If a father gives a son a farm or business, the father has blessed the son with an opportunity. Not all sons will make a success of their blessing. If a man’s grandfather and father often committed adultery, that will be a bad example to the man. But he is responsible for his own actions, not those of his grandfather and father.
“The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins” (Ezekiel 18:20). If the son chooses to obey God, that example will have little effect. We do not have to be slaves to what some call generational curses or blessings. In short, Christians should avoid spending energy on the above ideas, because Christ has dealt with that issue.
Freedom from Fear
The truth that only God can curse or bless a person does not stop a witch from trying to pronounce a curse on a person. This can make that person live in fear. The apostle Paul talks about the “curse of the [Old Testament] law,” but that “Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing” (Galatians 3:13). God is more powerful than any witch. He allows us to live freely from fear of evil or any curse that someone tries to put on us (Psalm 118:6-7).
