I remember well receiving a letter on my pillow from my 13-yr-old daughter. It was full of questions that she wanted me to help her understand. I am grateful that I have the kind of relationship with my children that they seek me out as their primary source of information when they are struggling with issues in life.
Much of my life is dedicated to teaching and equipping the Body of Christ to study and defend God’s word. However, I am reminded that my first and primary mission field is always my own family.
Here is a list of some of questions that were going through my daughter’s mind:
- Why did God make emotions?
- What did God do before He made everything?
- Would the world be any different if I had never been born?
- How old is the earth?
- When were angels made?
- If Mary is Jesus’ mother, was she God’s wife?
- Do I have to be baptized to be a Christian?
- Did all the people before Jesus go to hell?
- How is God a king and servant at the same time?
- What does God look like?
- Did God marry Adam and Eve?
- Do people sin after they are Christians?
- How does God want me to treat people I don’t understand?
- What does, “carnal,” mean?
- How do I become holy, pure and perfect? (Things the Bible commands.)
- What does it mean to hide God’s word in my heart?
- What will I do in Heaven?
- How can I help all the people in the whole world?
- God is love. If I love someone, is it God’s love? People hate God, but they also love too. How?
- What does “circumcise your heart” mean?
- How are we “in the world, but not of it”?
- Do babies go to Heaven when they die?
- How can God be Grace and Justice at the same time? Aren’t they opposites?
- How does God love and hate at the same time? (Aren’t the opposites?)
- What are angels like?
- Why did God make life?
These are serious and important questions. You will either answer these questions adequately for your own children, or they will make their decisions about them from other sources. Nothing is more important in your list of things to do than teaching your own children the truth.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV)
If you don’t know the answer to these and similar questions, I encourage you to study and learn so that you can teach your children. You can only teach what you yourself know.
If you are looking for some great answers for your children or young adults, please check out these resources:
Apologetics in Action Curriculum Course for Teens
What Does the Bible Say About That? (for Tweens)
Israel Wayne is an Author and Conference Speaker and Director of Family Renewal. He is the father of ten and author of Full-Time Parenting: A Guide to Family-Based Discipleship.
Image by Анастасия Гепп from Pixabay
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