As parents (or grandparents), we must teach our children the fundamental truths about God for two overarching reasons.
By D. Scott Hildreth
The Bible tells us after He created everything, God declared this world “very good” (Genesis 1:31). However, we know this is no longer true. Sin and its accompanying consequences have corrupted every aspect of our lives. But there’s still hope. God has not left us to ourselves forever. He promised a new heaven and earth; everything would one day be “very good” again.
If you’re a Christian, the above paragraph presents a simple summary of your basic worldview. While painful and problematic, the corruption in this world doesn’t shatter your faith in God’s goodness or His ability to right wrongs. The writer of Hebrews reminds us belief is biblical faith, believing that God is and that He rewards those who seek Him; we hope in what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1, 6) This faith sustains us through the twists and traumas of life.
As parents (or grandparents), we must remind our children of these fundamental truths about God. In these formative and impressionable years, their minds are being shaped. The beliefs they develop today will guide decisions throughout the rest of their lives.
As they endure heartbreak, bullies, the instruction of skeptics, global and personal crises, and the countless consequences of their sins and the sins of others, our children will need to know God. They will need to learn to pray (and believe) the words of that simple prayer many of us learned in Sunday School:
God is great; God is good; Let us thank Him for our food.
However, it’s essential for each of us to remember these truths are not self-evident. We must teach our children to have correct beliefs about God for two overarching reasons.
“As they endure heartbreak, bullies, the instruction of skeptics, global and personal crises, and the countless consequences of their sins and the sins of others, our children will need to know God.” — @dshildreth Share on X1. It’s biblical
The apostle Paul tells parents it’s our responsibility to raise our children in the “training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4, CSB). Commenting on this passage, John Stott says the goal is not simply to raise children who behave a certain way but that they also “come to know and obey the Lord.”
We have a biblical mandate to introduce our children to God—to help them know Him, believe in Him, and grow to love Him more and more.
We receive similar instructions in the book of Deuteronomy:
Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. – Deuteronomy 6:4-7, CSB
A. W. Tozer reminds us: “What comes to mind when we think about God, is the most important thing about us.”
Parents, the Bible is clear we must shape what our kids think about God.
2. It’s beneficial
It’s probably enough that the Bible calls us to help our kids know God. But we should also be reminded of the great benefits of grounding our lives in God’s goodness and greatness.
One of the top arguments against the existence of God is the challenge to His goodness and ability to control the world. Borrowing words from Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” our children are growing up in a world with devils filled that threatens to undo them. As they face these challenges to faith, we want our kids to be armed with biblical truths affirming God’s goodness and greatness.
“As they face challenges to faith, we want our kids to be armed with biblical truths affirming God’s goodness and greatness.” — @dshildreth Share on XLife’s challenges cause us to question God’s character. Our kids live in the same world you and I do. They encounter scary, hurtful, discouraging, and painful things. They deal with prayers that seem to go unanswered and guilt and shame from bad behavior. And they suffer because of decisions people bigger than them make. We need to help our children know God is there and He is good to them. We have to teach our kids to walk by faith.
Our kids teach others about God. I bet we’d all be amazed to know how often our kids (and grandkids) tell their friends about God. No one has convinced them of the lie that they should keep quiet about what they learn at church or home. In casual comments and conversations, our kids play the role of missionaries in school and on the playground. What we teach them about God, they will teach others.
If you want a resource to help you teach your children about God’s goodness and greatness, see “God is Good, God is Great” by D. Scott Hildreth.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
D. Scott Hildreth
Scott serves as Associate Professor of Missiology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Together on God’s Mission and the co-author of Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out. Both books are published by B&H Academic.
