The truth is that most of us can think of occasions when we blew it, or when we made bad decisions that had some kind of impact on our children. Although we long to be released from the guilt that weighs so heavily on us, we cannot go back in time. We cannot change the past. So then, how can we move beyond the guilt?

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Think about that. It says ALL have sinned. That includes everyone including us AND our kids which means they are making their own choices in spite of us or anything we have done or not done. So, we must use both reason and faith to move beyond our guilt to experience the joy of being forgiven and loved by God. We did the best we knew how to do and if we wronged our child, as most of us have in one way or another, we need to respond to the conviction of God’s Spirit so that we can experience His grace.

Maybe your child likes to remind you of the ways in which you failed him or her in the past. Whether real or perceived they often blame us for their problems. They are angry and bitter, and they are not ready to accept responsibility for their own actions. So, who better to blame than the one who loves them unconditionally and will always be there for them – their mom. But, whether they forgive us or not, once we are able to accept God’s forgiveness and to forgive ourselves, we can say to our child, and mean it, “That was then, and this is now. I cannot go back and change the past, but I can be the best mom I know how to be to you today. Going forward I refuse to take responsibility for the choices you are making.” There is a lot of freedom in not only being able to say those words, but to believe them!

Think about David’s words in Psalm 38:4 & 15 where he said, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. LORD, I wait for You; You will answer, Lord My God.” Ask the Lord to take away any guilt you have so you can move forward in peace. He will answer you.