Can God punish my family?

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Chabambou

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More specifically, can God punish my family because of me? Say for instance, I did a mortal sin which is only involves me. Would he punish my family in some way (for e.g. dragging on financial situations) in order to make me rethink what I do? So if I stop that sin then in turn he will show some mercy on my family?
I’m not trying to make God sound like a tyrant but sometimes I feel this might be happening. But I’m not familiar with how God chooses our penances if we don’t choose them ourselves.
 
God doesn’t do that.
You can’t blame him if things don’t go well.

Our penance is something we get from the priest during the act of reconciliation. We don’t assign it to ourselves.
 
Have you read the New Testament or the Catechism? Your concern that God would punish your family as part of a penance for your mortal sin is not Christian. What do you read or listen to that would make you think this? Please seek sound Catholic Christian doctrine my friend.
 
Yes I read the bible and the catechism when I can. It’s just with this particular topic, of how God punishes people for their sins until they repent that I’m not familiar with.
And I do understand that God is merciful and loving. But I try not to forget that He is also Just.
 
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When we sin especially mortal sins, we separate ourselves from God’s grace in this state anything can happen to us, as we have removed ourselves from God’s protection. This is why it is important to repent and turn back to the lord. It is important to note that is is not God who destroys but rather the devil.

This is what happened with Job the Devil got God to remove the protection he had over him and then the devil was able to wreak havoc.

“Did you notice my servant Job?” the Lord asked. “There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil.”
Satan replied, “Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. But now suppose you take away everything he has—he will curse you to your face!” “All right,” the Lord said to Satan, “everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself.” So Satan left.
Job 1:8-12
 
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Correct me if I’m wrong, so you’re saying that because I mortally sinned my temporal punishment (apart from the possible eternal punishment if I were to die now…God forbid 😬) will have more effect since I’ve lost God’s protection?
 
I’ve just thought the question a bit better now- are the bad things in my life and my family’s the result of our sins, therefore making us open to more temporal punishment?
 
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No because once we repent and turn back to the lord through confession we regain this protection from the lord. To Stay in this grace make sure to go to regular confessions and keep a close connection with the lord.
 
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We shouldn’t stay in our state of sin we must make every effort to turn back to the lord where we will experience his peace and graces upon us.

I would like to remind you of the story of:

The Woman Caught in Adultery​

Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them. The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?” They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?”

“No one, sir,” she answered.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.”

John 8: 1-11
 
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Chabambou said:
I’ve just thought the question a bit better now- are the bad things in my life and my family’s the result of our sins, therefore making us open to more temporal punishment?
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I suffer from the same problem.

But the fact is, this is life & it’s not easy. I have to remember that it’s not about me. I’m an ant (so to speak). Everything that happens is for the glory of God. Hard to see. Hard to explain. But the cosmos doesn’t revolve around me.

As far as God punishing us. He spent 2000 years to explain to us that He doesn’t punish us. He spends all of His “time” trying to get us to understand just how much He loves us. There are laws he set up to govern our reality, but it’s no more punishment than gravity. You jump from a 12 story building, gravity is going to do it’s thing. Not as punishment but as a course of nature.

We need to understand these laws, as they lead to the life God set up for us. Love God above all things as He is the creator & redeemed & sanctifier of all things. Love your neighbor, do him no harm. He too is an adopted child of your loving Father.
 
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Chabambou said:
More specifically, can God punish my family because of me? Say for instance, I did a mortal sin which is only involves me. Would he punish my family in some way (for e.g. dragging on financial situations) in order to make me rethink what I do? So if I stop that sin then in turn he will show some mercy on my family?
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Sin and has consequences, blessing also affects the family when we praying for them and keep them safe .God knows the heart .he knows what is good and bad for us ,we have to do the will of God according to our stare of life God has called us .

That’s God’s love for us, to correct us and punish and reprove us when we sin Revelation 3:19 I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.
Chabambou said:
I’m not trying to make God sound like a tyrant but sometimes I feel this might be happening. But I’m not familiar with how God chooses our penances if we don’t choose them ourselves.
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Wisdom 12:2 2 Therefore you correct little by little those who trespass, and you remind and warn them of the things through which they sin, so that they may be freed from wickedness and put their trust in you, O Lord.2 Corinthians 7:9-11 Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance; for you felt a godly grief, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter.

Psalm 7:8 The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
and according to the integrity that is in me.
 
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From today’s Mass
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
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So on the one hand we have biblical evidence that God does in fact punish us for our sins. On the other we have the Holy Spirit telling us God does not. So which is it?

I believe the answer is both. The last line of the Psalm explains, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.”

The goal is not to punish, but to instruct. To guide. Like the pain felt when touching a hot stove. That’s not punishment. That’s a consequence. We learn not to touch the hot stove.

I think it’s dangerous for our souls to identify bad fortune as punishment for sin & good fortune as reward for a job well done. We can plainly see that’s not the way the world works. The sun shines equally on the just as the wicked & the rain falls equally on the just as the wicked.

People who toil day & night for money, power, & wealth generally get it. But that may be all they’ll get. People who toil day & night for the Kingdom of God may receive all the above, they may not. But they will receive much more. In this world & the next.

I think the best way to quantify if we are being punished or not is the state of our soul. The fruits of our labor. Are we slaves to mortal sin? Have we been set free? If God is punishing you, you’ll most likely be left to your vices. & you won’t be concerned with whether you are being punished or not.

If you are in His favor you’re most likely living a saintly life.

Most of us fall somewhere in between. Rich & poor alike. God loved Job. At all times, he never stopped. Regardless what trials the devil brought upon him, Job understood that.
 
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Thanks. I think I understand now.
It’s just a little hard for me because every time I fail it seems like something bad happens just hours after, you know what I mean? Maybe I’m reading into it too much.
 
Chabambou said:
Thanks. I think I understand now.
It’s just a little hard for me because every time I fail it seems like something bad happens just hours after, you know what I mean? Maybe I’m reading into it too much.
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I know exactly what you mean. Just this week I’ve been dealing with similar issues & I came back to this understanding. You asking this question reinforces the understanding I just shared with you.

I completely believe everything happens for a reason. There are no accidents. My mind quickly wants to go to the, “You’ve done something wrong, offended God & now he’s punishing you.” Mode of thinking.

I consistently have to slow down. Thank God for taking an active role in my life & realize the truth. This is not about me. God is in our midst working wonders. & He has good things planned for me & you.

All I can do is the best I can do. & as long as I do, leave everything else to God, everything will work out the way he plans.

How familiar are you with St. Faustina Kowalska?
 
I would say that it’s almost impossible for a person to sin mortally and not have it naturally effect his family. There are very few sins, if any, that don’t send out a ripple effect into the world and obviously, those closest to us are going to get hit with the wake when it’s biggest. That’s not really God punishing your family, but more the natural consequences of your sin effecting them. Most likely, God preserves us from a lot more of the consequences of sin than we think. I think back on some of the stupid things stupid members of my family did growing up and realize that it’s only be the grace of God that we’re all still alive, incarcerated, and in relatively good physical health. Seriously, without going into detail, I should have attended a LOT more funerals by now. God is good.
 
I think a better way to look at this is not punishment but consequences. God allows for the consequences of sin. And yes, that affects others that did not participate in the sin.
 
How does one’s personal sin like the solitary vice affect one’s family? I can see how sin ripples to people if it involves them but if it was something totally personal?
 
If by the solitary vice you mean masturbation it can affect marriages and the way you see and treat the opposite sex. Including your family. All sin has consequences larger than the personal. When you disrupt your relationship with God you disrupt your relationship with others.
 
If you can believe that by your good acts God may be pleased on you and also on your family ,then you have to believe that the consequences of your sin also may reach out to your family.Further the principle that the effect of ones good acts or sin will perpetuate to one’s family or descendants is not new to Bible where you can find several examples for the same.
 
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