HOUSE OF ROBERTS BLOG

I read something somewhere that said, “You know when you have become a healthy and mature adult when you are able to look at your parents and see them as mere women and men.” What they were getting at with this statement was we are ONLY human mom and dad. Trying and endeavoring (for most) to do the best job we can. When our kids are little they see us as superheroes, perfect in every way, unable to sometimes comprehend that we too don’t have it all together, and that surely we are never scared or intimidated by life. And although I think it good for our kids to see us as strong, healthy, consistent, brave, and steadfast individuals I think it can be just as powerful for them to see us fall and get back up in life, ask for forgiveness, see us do something scared, and see us overcome in an area. 

One of the things we tell our kids OFTEN is that it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to fall short, it’s how you get back up that counts. In fact, one of the statements in our daily confession we have them say is “When I fall, I get back up.” We do this because falling in life is inevitable, it’s a part of our humanity, it’s why Jesus had to come and thank God he did—to make a way for our fallen nature. When Jesus did what He did, it didn’t eradicate our fallenness, but it did give us the POWER to be able to get back up and walk in a better way next time. Until Jesus comes back we will make mistakes and fall short so we have to get good at getting back up. 

I don’t think our kids have to wait until they are older or make some really major mistakes to get good at this. I believe they can learn now…In the small ways. By our instruction and our demonstration. By teaching them about humility and showing them how to ask for forgiveness. By teaching them that they can do all things through Christ Jesus and then showing them how to do something scared. By teaching them that God's word in them makes them wise and showing them when you make an unwise decision. By teaching them that a righteous man falls seven times and gets back up and showing them how you had to get back up in your business. 

Now I am all about shielding my kids from certain things. There are battles that they will fight but not until they are older. However, sometimes I think that out of love we shield our kids from too much. We play into this false, ego-stroking reality that we are superheroes never making mistakes and therefore making falling short an uncommon, shameful reality for them and us.  I want to raise kids that are good at getting back up! Resilient, Enduring, Hopeful, Humble…That know Christ is with them and for them, not based on how “good or perfect” they are but HE IS! Kids from toddlerhood to adulthood are gracious to others and themselves, forever cheering and believing for themselves and others to GET. BACK. UP!