--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We try to do a little better than the…" description: "\"“We try to do a little better than the previous generation and find out in the end we’ve made the same mistakes without intending. Instead of striving ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/francine-rivers-4154_first-love_we-try-to-do-a-little-better-than-the-pr_1965030.jpg" --- # We try to do a little better than the previous generation… ![“We try to do a little better than the previous generation and find out in the end we’ve made the same mistakes without intending. Instead of striving to love as God first loved us, we let past hurts and grievances rule. Ignorance is no excuse.” quote by Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/francine-rivers-4154_first-love_we-try-to-do-a-little-better-than-the-pr_1965030.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/francine-rivers-4154_first-love_we-try-to-do-a-little-better-than-the-pr_1965030.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/francine-rivers-4154_first-love_we-try-to-do-a-little-better-than-the-pr_1965030.jpg) > ““We try to do a little better than the previous generation and find out in the end we’ve made the same mistakes without intending. Instead of striving to love as God first loved us, we let past hurts and grievances rule. Ignorance is no excuse.”” [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It highlights the cyclical nature of human error, repeating past mistakes despite intentions, and warns that lingering resentment blocks divine love. **In simple terms:** We repeat past mistakes and let grudges block love. Key Takeaway Break the cycle of resentment. Themes human nature forgiveness spirituality mistakes Mood thoughtful hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - community healing - spiritual practice Key Concepts cycle of error love grudges Questions to Reflect On - What hurts keep you from loving freely? - How can you break the pattern of repeating mistakes? A Different Perspective Forgiveness requires confronting deep pain, which can be difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-love/) [God first](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-first/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Ignorance Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance-excuse-1911684/) [Mistakes Intending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes-intending-3265468/) [Past hurts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-hurts/) [Previous Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/previous-generation-335141/) ## Related quotes > [Ignorance is no excuse, it's the real thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-peter/ignorance-is-no-excuse-it-s-the-real-thing/) [Irene Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irene-peter/) > [People used to say, "Ignorance is no excuse." Today, ignorance is no problem. After all, you have "a right to your own opinion" -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/people-used-to-say-ignorance-is-no-excuse-today-ignorance-is-no/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“For Obama, ignorance was never an excuse. Ignorance was a strategy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-cashill/for-obama-ignorance-was-never-an-excuse-ignorance-was-a-strategy/) [Jack Cashill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-cashill/) > [“There's one thing you need to understand," Larry said. "We love because God first loved us, even in the face of all our unloveliness."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/there-s-one-thing-you-need-to-understand-larry-said-we-love-because/) [Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/) > [Life is short. Make the most of it. Put God first. Love deeply. Forgive quickly. Laugh a lot. Find and live out your purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-gumbel/life-is-short-make-the-most-of-it-put-god-first-love-deeply-forgive/) [Nicky Gumbel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-gumbel/) > [“God first love us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/god-first-love-us/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“We live in a moment in which old conflicts, much altered during their subterraneous years, have boiled up again. The struggle to own the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/we-live-in-a-moment-in-which-old-conflicts-much-altered-during-their/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [It's always been the children who have saved the universe from the previous generation and remade the universe in their own image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-duane/it-s-always-been-the-children-who-have-saved-the-universe-from-the-2/) [Diane Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-duane/) > [Being an artist and a musician, I have witnessed the previous generation taking the art form, not as a way of making a living,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-finckel/being-an-artist-and-a-musician-i-have-witnessed-the-previous/) [David Finckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-finckel/) > [I don't subscribe to the view that talent is deteriorating. I think every generation is brighter than their previous generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashok-soota/i-don-t-subscribe-to-the-view-that-talent-is-deteriorating-i-think/) [Ashok Soota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashok-soota/) > [The reason people blame things on the previous generation is that there's only one other choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-larson/the-reason-people-blame-things-on-the-previous-generation-is-that/) [Doug Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-larson/) > [It's always been the children who have saved the universe from the previous generation and remade the world in their own image. ---Carl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-duane/it-s-always-been-the-children-who-have-saved-the-universe-from-the/) [Diane Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-duane/) > [“What do we owe for what has come before us, the previous generation?... The problem is that we can never enter this shadow world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-vann/what-do-we-owe-for-what-has-come-before-us-the-previous-generation/) [David Vann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-vann/) > [The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/the-next-generation-product-almost-never-comes-from-the-previous/) [Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/) > [One of the hallmarks of the baby boomer generation is that it doesnt live like the previous generation. It hasnt yet given up jeans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-klugman/one-of-the-hallmarks-of-the-baby-boomer-generation-is-that-it-doesnt/) [Ron Klugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-klugman/) ## More by Francine Rivers > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [I used to believe the purpose in life is to find happiness. I don’t believe that anymore. I believe we are all given gifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/i-used-to-believe-the-purpose-in-life-is-to-find-happiness-i-don-t/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [I'm going to give you God's truth, little girl. All men want to do is hurt you. Once you give them your heart, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/i-m-going-to-give-you-god-s-truth-little-girl-all-men-want-to-do-is/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [And if it (life) were easier, would i have given my heart so fully to God? Put your hope in Him, and you won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/and-if-it-life-were-easier-would-i-have-given-my-heart-so-fully-to/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heaven. MILTON”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/the-mind-is-its-own-place-and-in-itself-can-make-a-heav-n-of-hell-a/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [The Lord will provide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/the-lord-will-provide/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [Maybe it's only those who've made such chaos of their lives who can understand the heights and depths of God's mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/maybe-it-s-only-those-who-ve-made-such-chaos-of-their-lives-who-can/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [“Word of the Lord,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/word-of-the-lord/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [“It's not easy for me either, but if we allow anger to reside in us, we're more guilty than they are because we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-s-not-easy-for-me-either-but-if-we-allow-anger-to-reside-in-us-we/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [That is one of the reasons I write: to feel the Presence of God and know He is speaking to me in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/that-is-one-of-the-reasons-i-write-to-feel-the-presence-of-god-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [Lord, you are God! You made us. Who better to know how to fix us when we've gone wrong? who better to set us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/lord-you-are-god-you-made-us-who-better-to-know-how-to-fix-us-when-we/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [Never doubt God in the darkness what he has given us in the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/never-doubt-god-in-the-darkness-what-he-has-given-us-in-the-light/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [“Concerns buzzed like flies in her head, and she swatted them with prayers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/concerns-buzzed-like-flies-in-her-head-and-she-swatted-them-with/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [“Other birds fly in groups, only eagles fly alone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/other-birds-fly-in-groups-only-eagles-fly-alone/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [The battle would not take place in the mountains, valleys, or plains of Israel. It would take place in the wilderness of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/the-battle-would-not-take-place-in-the-mountains-valleys-or-plains-of/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) [Explore all 114 Francine Rivers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) ## More First love quotes > [“It was December, I had never felt so cold, the eel soup lay heavy on my stomach, I was afraid I'd die, I turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/it-was-december-i-had-never-felt-so-cold-the-eel-soup-lay-heavy-on-my/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Lord I come before you, I repent all my sins; forgive me. I repent on behalf of my children forgive them Lord. Help them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/lord-i-come-before-you-i-repent-all-my-sins-forgive-me-i-repent-on/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [Love is the Key started in 1994 with a simple idea: that Love is the Key that would open all the doors in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-is-the-key/love-is-the-key-started-in-1994-with-a-simple-idea-that-love-is-the/) [Love Is The Key®](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-is-the-key/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [“First love is stripping down everything to essential truths, setting aside your fears and doubts and seeing who you are in someone else's eyes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-thurlow/first-love-is-stripping-down-everything-to-essential-truths-setting/) [Chloe Thurlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-thurlow/) > [I don't want to be like Romeo & juliet, Prince Charming and Cinderella, or even Ken and Barbie..I want to make a story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-want-to-be-like-romeo-juliet-prince-charming-and-cinderella/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To every soul, God will look like its first love because He IS its first love. Your place in heaven will seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/to-every-soul-god-will-look-like-its-first-love-because-he-is-its/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [We blacks were the first people embracing Obama, long before the people at expensive fundraisers were supporting him. We gave him his first love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/we-blacks-were-the-first-people-embracing-obama-long-before-the/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [When I first did theatre, I was always doing comedies; it was always my first love. But it wasn't what I was picked for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/when-i-first-did-theatre-i-was-always-doing-comedies-it-was-always-my/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [“When the first time I saw you, when you have been totally stranger, suddenly, somehow everything completely disappeared and I realized that I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rati-tsiteladze/when-the-first-time-i-saw-you-when-you-have-been-totally-stranger/) [Rati Tsiteladze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rati-tsiteladze/) > [Your EX < Me > your next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-ex-me-your-next/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/but-maybe-that-isn-t-so-bad-you-can-t-love-anyone-that-way-more-than/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Follow your heart, but don't leave your brain behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-van-zyl/follow-your-heart-but-don-t-leave-your-brain-behind/) [Matthew Van Zyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-van-zyl/) > [Mourning your first love is as important as meeting your first love. It's the whole cycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-anderson/mourning-your-first-love-is-as-important-as-meeting-your-first-love/) [Jane Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-anderson/) [Browse all 1,440 First love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-love/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We try to do a little better than the previous generation and find out in the end we’ve made the same mistakes without intending. Instead of striving to love as God first loved us, we let past hurts and grievances rule. 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