How to Talk with Kids About Hard Things From Before You Were A Christian with Jamie Ivey

Everyday Theology + Questions Kids Ask

We talk a lot about what's different from before we were Christians to deciding to follow Jesus, but that doesn't mean it's super easy to talk about with our kids. That's no different for Jamie. Of course, we know that there's no weighting of sin in the Lord's eyes and that even one of the "tiniest" sins is deserving of death (Romans 6:23), there are some sins that do have weighter consequences. In Jamie's life, those "big sins" were premarital sex and abuse of alcohol, and sometimes we don't want to tell our kids because we don't want them to think less of us or to give them permission to do the same - because we want better for them.

I don't think we are giving them permission to do what we did, but are instead giving them a picture of the pointing them to a Savior. When we share, our focus has to be not what we did, but what Jesus did. We always point back to the gospel, being confident that we aren't so much sharing our failures, but shining a great big spotlight on our Savior.

Mistakes or failures DO NOT mean that we cannot be a good example. We will always fail God even when we love Him dearly and are following Him. We've been sinners since Adam, yet God chose to send Jesus to pay for sin. The Gospel is why we can share our story and point to Jesus instead. How gracious God is that He would send Jesus and forgive us. I pray that my kids won't remember what their mom did so much, but that they'll see a God who pursued their mom.

Read more of the show notes at www.marycwiley.com/podcast/before-you-were-a-christian