Messing me up

Playing Lego's on the floor with my boys.

Austin passes gas.

Ah-hah!  A teachable moment.

Me: "Oops!  Austin, say excuse me.  We need to remember to try not to do that when there are girls around (Let's face it. A house with four boys, I'm not going to be able to eliminate it all together.) It is a bad manner. Girls won't marry you if you have bad manners.  Girls want a husband who is polite and brave and hardworking.   And when you find a girl, make sure she loves Jesus with all her heart."

Jack, who had been quietly listening, speaks up:  "Well, I tried that when I was young." 

Me: "Tried what?"

Jack: "Following Jesus.  But it didn't work.  Sin kept messing me up."


Woah. woah.

Where do I even go from here?

Have we pushed him too hard that now he's discouraged?  Or is this a step in the process of learning about grace?  How do we encourage this strong boy who needs lots of correction?  Who needs to be taught patience with his brothers, taught to control his anger.  He's got so much potential.  He's so strong.  He loves knowledge. He loves justice.  He loves the weak.  We want to help him learn to control his emotions so that he will be able to be used by God.

But after a comment like that I wonder if we need to change things up or just encourage him more.

I did encourage him.  But mostly I just wanted him to know that what he was feeling was normal.  That's what the Christian life is all about.  It's about us not being able to do anything to get rid of our sin.  No matter how hard we try.  We can't beat it.  We only have one hope: Jesus.    

So I told him this:  "I know Bud.  It keeps messing me up too."