Try This
Have each member of the family share one their “hidden” talents. They can sing a song, play an instrument, throw/catch/hit a ball, perform a card trick, play their favorite video game, or even do their make-up. The only rule is that the family must encourage each another during this impromptu talent show.
Note: To set the tone, dad should be prepared to go first.
Say This
Doesn’t it feel great to know that you are really good at something? Have you ever considered that the only way you can master something is if you are willing to fail at it first? It is said that before he was successful with inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison had 1,000 unsuccessful attempts. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." The truth is that failure is a part of life, and everyone will experience it. It is how we respond to failure that will largely define our lives.
Watch This
Watch this interview of Nick Foles, quarterback of the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles sharing his thoughts on failure.
Say This
It's interesting that Nick could have talked about anything after winning the Super Bowl, and yet, he chose to talk about failure. The Bible is full of people who failed, but who were not failures. One of the greatest examples of this was Peter. Of all the disciples, Peter was the biggest personality in the room. He was one of Jesus’ closest friends and confidants, and was the only disciple willing to try walking on the water (Matt. 14:28–29).
Read This
The Story of Peter’s Denial of Jesus (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75)
Say This
When Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him, Peter proudly declared that he would die before he would deny Jesus. Only hours later, Peter was confronted and accused of being a follower of Christ. As Jesus predicted, Peter denied him three times. Thankfully, Peter’s failure did not exclude him from Christ’s plans. Instead, Peter was the first of the twelve that Jesus appeared to (Lk. 24:34), and he would eventually become the leader of the disciples, preaching the first evangelical message after which more than 3,000 people get saved (Acts 2:14-36). We must learn that as Christians, failure doesn’t have to define us. God knows that we are going to fail, and his desire is to use those failures to mold us into His image, and ultimately use our lives for His glory.
Ask This
- When did you learn to ride the bicycle? Tell us about that experience. (Point out that each failed attempt taught us what we needed to do to stay up on the bike…)
- Why do you think God allows us to experience failure in our lives?
- What is something God could teach you through a recent failure in your life?
Pray This
Heavenly Father, we are grateful for opportunities to grow in our relationship with You, even if it means learning from our mistakes. Help us to not see mistakes and failures as dead ends, but opportunities to grow and learn more about ourselves and about You. Remind us that we never fail alone because you are with us every step of the way. Thank you for using our failures to help us learn about your mercy, your forgiveness and your power. May our success show others how much you love us.