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A few months back I took my three sons hiking in a small lagoon by our house. To be honest I wasn’t really sure where we were headed or how long it would take us. My two oldest boys were super bummed that I made them walk outside in the sun light with out an electric device in their hands. Sure they were hiking but they weren’t happy about it.

My youngest on the other hand was having a blast. Exploring trees, throwing rocks, looking under bigger rocks for animals, and on every given opportunity he would climb and jump off of anything and everything. At one point I asked him what he was doing and he looked at me with a smile that couldn’t get any bigger and he says, “I am choosing adventure.” I was so proud.

As we hiked and hiked throughout the day there was one time where I looked up and I couldn’t see my youngest. I had the moment of panic that only a parent knows and as I spun around and started yelling his name and a second later yelled back “What daddy?”

I asked him what he was doing and he laughed and said, “I’m following you daddy. I am walking in your foot prints and I am going to walk where ever you walk.”

I have thought about that moment many, many times over the past few months. I have wondered exactly where am I leading my sons? Would I be proud of where they followed me? Would I be excited to see my sons lead their sons in the same steps?

It’s moments like this that get me really thinking about who I am and what I claim to be.

See my dad would tell you he was an average guy that at times might lose his temper… I can tell you that I learned to punch walls, throw tools and growl through my teeth from watching my dad.

I learned first hand that a man is explosive and dangerous at times.

Where are my kids following me? What are my sons learning about anger, purity, sobriety, humor, language? What am I teaching them about loving their future wives, raising future children? What am I showing them about character, honesty, integrity?

Now I know we all have struggles, blind spots and shortcomings but what are we teaching or even more modeling for our kids?

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

I love this verse because it shows that dads aren’t supposed to be passive or absent in the parenting process. We start our children off in their lives not just by our words but by our actions as well. We can tell our kids anything we want, but they are going to watch us live out what we really believe.

Dads, future dads, brothers, mentors – you are the example that your sons, daughters, siblings and students are going to follow. They wont remember your words, but they WILL reproduce our actions.

Are you leading by example or saying about one thing and living another way?

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