As a child, I was always considered the “good kid.” At least I was good in relation to my younger brother, who was certifiably a bad seed. I was docile. My brother was unruly. I was (mostly) obedient. My brother was always testing what he could get away with. I was good, he was bad.

When we grew up, my brother got better but I got worse. He learned that bad behavior has consequences he didn’t want to pay. But I learned you can behave sinfully and still retain your reputation as the “good kid” as long as you’re compared to someone objectively worse.

I wish I had learned the lesson offered by Jimmy Needham: “‘Good kids’ can easily miss their need for God’s grace.” In his recent article, “Love Your ‘Good Kid’ Enough to Show Them They’re Bad,” Needham shares how to help your child understand the difference between “inside bad” and “outside bad,” and how that should lead us to confess and repent. Only by doing so can we “good kids” realize how our sin requires the grace and forgiveness of our good Father.