A Father's PathSample

Teaching From My Mistakes

One of the most significant mistakes I made early in my adult years was with my finances.

My wife and I spent money without thinking about it, and we carried a fair amount of debt. This approach not only caught up with us eventually, but it was also a sin, as I was operating outside of what God’s Word said about stewarding money well.

Your children will make many decisions when you are not around, but you can help them make good decisions by talking about your own failures.

Take some time to identify the top three mistakes you have made in your life. Then, sit down with your children—as often as you can or need to—and tell them your story (assuming it is age-appropriate).

As fathers, it is so important for us to look our children in the eyes and say, “I love you so much that I don’t want you to experience the same pain and difficulties I experienced through my bad decisions.”

I remember sitting with each of my children in their early teen years to tell them about our financial mistakes and about God’s grace to help us. They appreciated my honesty, and it opened a door for me to coach them in developing a financial plan for their lives. Each of my children has worked hard and saved up their own money for school. They pay for their own insurance and phones and generously give to Christian ministry. They are learning from my mistakes.

The story of our own failures will help motivate our children to pursue a better path for their own lives.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your grace and forgiveness in my life. Help me to be humble enough to acknowledge my mistakes with You and share them with my kids so that they might avoid the mistakes I have made. Amen.

Reflection: What three biggest mistakes could you share with your children? How would you communicate them with your kids? What lessons would you want them to learn from them?