Inherited Weaknesses

Call To Prayer

Title:  Inherited Weaknesses 

By: Njuacha Hubert

Date: 31.01.2026

18 For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold,   ( 1 Peter 1:18  Amplified Bible)

Sometimes families, tribes, or even countries are known for certain behaviours or traits because they are prevalent within those groups. These traits could be negative, such as pride, arrogance, laziness, stinginess, sexual immorality, and anger. Such traits are perhaps learnt by association, but some studies show it is perhaps also inherited biologically.

Talking about inheriting bad traits, let us consider Moses’s anger issues. For instance, he killed an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew (Exodus 2:11-12). Now connect this to his ancestor Levi, who, together with Simeon, also killed men in revenge(Genesis 34, Genesis 49:5-7). Could his anger weakness be an inherited trait? Regardless of the answer, we have seen how people continue to repeat the mistakes of their parents from one generation to another. Contributing factors could be genetic transmission, ignorance, or curses. 

However, we thank God that in Christ we have been set free from all these useless ways of life inherited from our forefathers, whatever the method of transmission. Nonetheless, the transformation from the old sinful self to the new creature in Christ is both instant(spirit) and a process(mind). So we obtain Christ’s righteousness at baptism in our Spirit, but we must also be transformed mentally to reflect this finished work in our Spirit. (2 Corinthians 5:2, 12 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 3:18).

So, there are inherited weaknesses, and the first step is to recognise them as the Lord exposes them to you either through the word or any other form. We can’t continue to identify with these weaknesses and undermine them because they are still sinful, even if you inherited them. 

So what we must do as people who have been born into God’s family is that we have to continually die to this old nature and become more like Christ. The transformation comes through the word and prayers. Purge yourself. Renew your mind. Your identity is first and foremost Christ before your family, church, tribe, or nation. A believer in China must reflect the same love as a believer in America because they are all in Christ. 

Prayer Points: 

• Let’s thank God for His word today.
• Let’s pray that God will help us recognise any family, tribal, national, or association-related weaknesses that don’t reflect Christ to whom we now belong. 
• Let’s pray that God will help us purge ourselves and renew our minds. 

First Written: 01.02.2025