I think we all have things in our lives that we look back on and realize they weren’t the best choices. Often times we suffer the consequences of our behavior and end up learning a valuable lesson from them. I can think of countless lesson I’ve learned by making unwise choices.
I know that these are valuable lessons I can share with my kids in the future. My story, my mistakes, my life is a tool I want to use to help my future children not makes the same mistakes I made. It’s not easy to admit you were wrong and it’s even harder to admit you were wrong and tell someone not to, or that you’re not allowed, to do the same thing you did.
It seems hypocritical to tell your children not to move in with someone before you get married if you first did it. It seems hypocritical to tell your children not to try drugs if you did it. It even seems like you don’t have a RIGHT to tell them not to do it. But those are just lies. It’s not hypocritical to tell your children you love them too much to let them make the same mistakes you did. It’s your right (and privilege) as a parent to use your life experience and especially your mistakes to help lead your kids down the right path.
I remember being a teenager and learning about some of the dumb things my mom did as a teenagers, and my dad did, and my small group leader did. I remember them telling me what happened after they made that decision. I remember deciding not to male unwise choices because I knew what would happen if I did. I had the wisdom and foresight to see the results of my actions because I had adults in my life tell me threw their own personal experiences what the outcome would/could be.
Your story and your mistakes are a powerful tool to teach people right from wrong and wisdom. They are a way to teach your children how to make wise choices. And as a parent you have the job of leading them down the right path and sometimes that means appearing hypocritical because you love your children too much to let them repeat your mistakes.
I want to be the type of parent who uses my testimony to teach my children lessons. I want them to learn from my poor choices and not from them making the same mistakes I did. People don’t have to learn lessons for themselves, sometimes they can learn them through other people. I want to use my story and past experience to help my future children and others I know not go down the same path I did.
