This same logic holds true for the human being, as well. When many cracks appear on the surface, there's almost always a deep crack that was formed at the very core of our structure. As with the building, it's necessary to fix the crack at the core - the foundation - before the others can be addressed. If not taken care of, the entire structure can - and will - collapse! Since those cracks are in the basement, in the deep, dark parts of ourselves, how can we identify them? That process is not easy, and it wasn't something I was able to do by myself.
Cathy and I were fortunate enough to be invited to a seminar on Restoring the Foundations. Restoring OUR Foundations. In this seminar, we were shown how cracks can develop because of events that have happened in our lives. Those events may even appear insignificant at the time! The program is broken into four parts: Generational Sins and Curses, Ungodly Beliefs, Soul and Spirit Hurts, and Demonic Oppression. Each of the four parts has significance and all must be addressed in order to patch up the cracks, starting from the inside out!
Generational Sins are not too difficult to understand. There are sins that parents, grandparents, and even ancestors further down the line can commit. These tendencies can pass to the next generation, making it easier for a son or daughter to commit those same sins. There are also instances in the Bible where curses can result from generational sins. These curses will also carry down the line until they are revealed and broken. It is necessary to ask forgiveness for these sins, renounce them, and break the curse they have on your life!
Ungodly beliefs are just that - beliefs that aren't from the Lord! They are beliefs that perhaps someone pressed upon you, saying "You're not good enough" or something to that effect. These beliefs could also originate from the devil as he whispers negative thoughts into your ear. He certainly doesn't want you to believe the truths God is telling you! Finally, these are beliefs that could come from yourself. Things you have made up about yourself that are contrary to what the Word has to say about you. It takes time to identify these ungodly beliefs, but once you do, be sure to rebuke it and replace it with a new godly belief (one from Scripture) that will encourage you!
Soul and Spirit Hurts get a little more complex. I am sure all of us have an event or events in our lives that have had a very powerful effect on who we are today. Some of those events are good, and others can be quite bad. The bad events result in burdens that we choose to carry from that moment on. After all, what else can we do with them? Jesus asks us to give all of our burdens to Him so we don't have to carry them anymore! Finding the source of these burdens can be difficult, though. In order to discover them, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us where those painful memories reside, so we can cast them upon Jesus. Ahh, it's such a liberating feeling!
Finally, and just as equally important, is dealing with Demonic Oppression. Many of us don't fully understand the power demons can have over us, if we let them. They come in many shapes and sizes, from greed to murder to laziness to anger to feelings of rejection. They each have one purpose, and that's to make us feel a certain way. This is all the devil and his minions can do to stop us, but it can be very crippling if we don't take care of it! Thankfully, by the blood of Jesus we have power over all demons - even the devil himself! We can tell them what they can and can't do, and we can certainly tell them to leave us alone! It's important to call the demons by name and ask them to get out of our heads! If anger consumes you, ask the demon of Anger to leave you in the Name of Jesus! If it's lust, do the same thing! Just remember to ask the Lord Jesus to fill those voids with His peace and joy.
I had a chance to run through this process about a week ago. It feels a little bit like a therapy session, but in all honesty it's a ministry. It can be very difficult and painful at times, but we collect "junk" inside us that we need to let the Lord deal with. How often do we take half a day and really let the Lord come in and clean all that stuff out? It took a big push from God to get me to go to this seminar in the first place and realize that it was something I needed to do. I am very glad I did. There were a lot of things that the Lord revealed to me that I had never addressed, and many things that I had just left to collect dust. We are the Lord's temple, and He wants to use every ounce of that space for His good! There's no room for junk that gets left around. Cathy wrote a blog about an experience she had, read about it here. Even if you don't have access to a really neat program like this one, spend some time with the Spirit, and listen very carefully for God to speak to you. Let the cleaning begin! (After all, there is no end - it's one of those things you need to keep doing all your life!)