PREPARING YOUR CHILDREN TO LIVE IN AN UNBIBLICAL WORLD
The world has never been a safe place for those trying to serve God, but it can be especially difficult for those emerging from childhood and moving into Satan’s kingdom (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2. John 12:31) on their own. We would all agree that it is much more difficult for kids now than when we were young. What can we do to help prepare them for this transition?
Children and teens get hit on every side with the world’s values and morals, its philosophy of life and self-centeredness. These connect with a person’s sin nature, making a difficult force to overcome. The key is to be equipped for these battles before they occur. No general would send soldiers to fight their enemy if they weren’t equipped and trained to have victory. That must happen before the battle. The same is true of Christian parents and grandparents. We must train and prepare our children when young, the younger the better.
We homeschooled our children, which gave us more time with them and kept them from many hours of influence by peers and secular education. Even if you don’t home school, you must make their spiritual growth your first priority. Immerse them in God’s Word by reading to them, teaching memory verses, having good Bible books available and watching Bible-based videos and programs on TV. There is no substitute for making sure they know God’s Word thoroughly from a young age. (Timothy knew Scripture from infancy (2 Timothy 3:15).) They must be saturated with God’s values and world perspective so when they are exposed to other belief systems, they will be able to separate truth from error. They shouldn’t just learn facts in their head, they need to be challenged to accept the truth in their hearts and commit their lives to it. They need to believe because they believe, not just because their parents or pastor believes.
Along with teaching them the truth, teach them other viewpoints and belief systems so they know how to think critically and evaluate things Biblically. I have the opportunity to do that with some of my older grandchildren. I feel like I am helping equip them for the day they move into the world on their own. I want to give them a solid foundation of truth that can withstand anything that comes at them. God’s Word is truth and does have all the answers. It does work. We need to teach that to our children so they can resist doubts and lead others in truth. The world and its beliefs are not something to avoid or fear, but a mission field that needs the truth. Give them confidence by helping them understand what they believe and why they believe it. (I have written a book about just that and will send you a free PDF if you ask, or you can find it at https://www.christiantrainingonline.org/download/india/Books/english_translations/Why-We-Believe.pdf There are many excellent tools and resources for teaching apologetics to children and teens. Avail yourself of them. Don’t just hand them a book, but go through it with them. You’ll learn a lot, too.
We want to prepare our children by giving them a good education, caring for their health and teaching them basic life skills. Don’t neglect their spiritual growth. Prepare them to withstand attacks against their soul. They WILL come. Are your children equipped to withstand?
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
How equipped were you to understand and defend the Biblical world view when you graduated from high school?
What can you do to better equip your children to stand firm for God and spread His truth to their generation?