The Dalton brothers were infamous outlaws during the late 1800s in the
US. They started out on the right side of the law as officers. But then they
followed a gradual descent into crime and became known for bank and train
robberies. Their day of reckoning came when they tried to hold up two banks at
once. Hearing of the robberies, the townspeople armed themselves and began to
fire on the Dalton Gang. When the smoke cleared, Emmett Dalton was the sole
survivor.
After serving 15 years in the penitentiary, Emmett was pardoned and set
free. While in prison, he had come to see the error of his ways. So when he was
released, he wanted to deter young people from a life of crime. Drawing from
his own experience, Emmett wrote and starred in a film about the Dalton Gang in
which he showed the folly of being an outlaw. In many ways, Emmett’s film was
telling others: “Do not enter the path of the wicked” (Prov. 4:14).
In a similar way, when we have sinned but have genuinely repented and
experienced God’s forgiveness, we can tell our own story. We can encourage
others not to make the same mistakes we have made. James wrote, “He who turns a
sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death” (5:20).
If others learn from our mistakes, And it saves them from the pain That
we ourselves experienced— Then it wasn’t all in vain. —Sper
When we learn from our mistakes, we are less likely to repeat them. (RBC)
