Answers
By Billy Graham • January 2, 2017 • Topics: Church, Parenting
Q:
My parents never took me to church until I was almost a teenager, because they didn't think children could understand anything about God. But our 5-year-old keeps asking questions about God, and I'm wondering if they were right. Were they?
A:
Just because a child can’t understand everything about God, doesn’t mean he or she can’t understand something. Remember: Jesus welcomed children and invited them to come to Him. He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14).
After all, even a small child understands what love is—and who loves us more than God? A small child also understands what it means to trust others—and who is worthy of our trust more than God? In addition, small children know their parents love to hear them try to talk—and who loves to hear us talk to Him more than God? No wonder the Bible says that God is our Heavenly Father.
Be grateful for your child’s questions; ask God to help you answer them simply but truthfully. Often we want deep and profound answers to our questions—but children simply want to know that God is greater than we are, and even if we can’t see Him, He made us and He loves us. He proved His love for us by sending Jesus into the world so we could go to Heaven when we die.
Make church an important part of your family’s life; you’ll set an example for your son that will be with him the rest of his life. Most of all, make sure of your commitment to Christ, and make Him the center of your family’s life every day.
