The ultimate goal of Christian parenting is to help our kids grow to be mature followers of Christ. Sure, we want them to be smart, successful, and safe. We want them to be happy in life, but all of that pales in comparison to the eternal reward of a life reconciled to Christ.
As parents, we have the primary responsibility for pointing our kids to Christ. We can surround our children with supports like school and church, but we can never abrogate our own responsibility. While we rely on Christ for the ultimate outcomes, we can do our part to train them up in the way they should go.
So, how can we help our kids own their faith?
Tip #1: Don’t shy away from the big questions. We may not have all the answers, but brushing aside hard questions only encourages them to turn to other sources. Similarly, superficial answers tend to fall away when encountered with alternative ideas. Even if we don’t know all the answers, we can be honest about that and model seeking the truth in the right places by sitting with them and searching scripture together.
Tip #2: Teach them to think well about big ideas. It’s not only a matter of teaching them what to believe, but also teaching them why they can believe it. For example, why should we believe God exists, or why should we believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Many kids grow up learning the what, but without the why, when their beliefs are challenged, their foundation crumbles.
If you’d like to explore this further, check out this article by Tim Barnett from Stand to Reason.
