Have you noticed differences in the way your siblings or children tell stories differently than you remember them? Does your sister, brother, or cousin tell a story from childhood that has a different point of view than yours?

I am a firm believer our birth order affects how we interpret events as we go through life. It can color how we see situations that happen around us.

God created families to be a safe place for children to grow and learn. In Jeremiah 29:11, He revealed He has a plan to prosper us and give us a future and hope. But, according to John 10:10, we have an enemy whose sole goal is to kill, steal, and destroy what God has ordained as good.

My parents were 22 when I was born. My dad was a football coach and was absent a lot. My mom was a hardworking school teacher and went back to work when I was only three weeks old. I am the oldest child in our family of three daughters which makes me the Firstborn Child. As I’ve studied this and looked at my life, I have been able to discern how my birth order affected the way I viewed life.

I mistakenly decided I was responsible for my sisters and wanted no part in it. It was an ungodly belief that formed in me as a young child. And instead of a life-giving belief the Holy Spirit could use, it became a thorn of rebellion.

I am not blaming my parents for the way I internalized my obligation in all this. They were doing all they knew to do in a demanding, stressful world.

One my favorite authors, John Eldridge, authored a book called Waking the Dead. It helped me discover the damage done in my life for believing I was responsible for things that happened outside my control. But more importantly, it helped me learn how I could change this belief system the enemy planted in me early on.

In an article from the Huffington Post called How Birth Order Affects Personality, insight is given into the different roles of the Firstborn, Middle, and Youngest Child. It is a helpful tool to understand you and your family better and how to positively impact your children’s lives.

We are all different products of different parents that come from many walks of life and cultures. This article is to give you some resources that can help you understand how to be proactive and overcome negative belief systems we take on at an early age.There are many articles written on this subject. Be a Berean and search out how you may have been affected by your birth order.

Are stories shared in your family that differ from what you remember as a child? Does this article help you see that your birth order may have some impact on the way you have reacted to circumstances in your childhood?

I’d love to hear how this article has helped bring some light to areas in your life you’ve always wondered about.