Children are the most innocent beings on the planet. Their young minds seek to know, understand, discover, explore and create. Many Christian parents believe that it is important to instill a strong, personal understanding of God while a child is young so that they grow up knowing Jesus and are thus able to maintain and grow their close relationship with Him that started when they were young (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:7; Genesis 18:19). This, in turn, brings great joy to Christian parents (3 John 1:4; Proverbs 23:24). Without instruction, the child is left to himself (Proverbs 29:15,17; Proverbs 23:13; Proverbs 13:24).
The Lord promises, that if the children are taught in the ways of the Lord, “great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13).
Jesus commands us to let children come to Him. “Do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). He tells us that He will reveal things to little children (Luke 10:21) God uses children for His almighty purpose and perfect will (Psalm 8:2; Acts 2:17). Children are imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1). The angels of children always see the face of God (Matthew 18:10).
So, the Bible clearly commands us to raise our children in the ways of the Lord. The Word says in Psalm 78: 1-7: “Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children.”
So, we ask ourselves questions, and ponder how to introduce religion to our children.
How to introduce religion to our children is an important part of raising our children, especially in this day and age.
Paul says in 2 Timothy 3: 14-17, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (emphasis added).
We know the reasons why we should introduce religion to our children, but still we ponder how to introduce religion to our children.
According to Parenting.com, there are sound ways to raise your child so that they can comprehend religion.
- Define spirituality versus religion
- Admit that sometimes you just don’t know the answer
- Create habits of reverence
- Read together often
- Create a family mission statement
- Open up about your own inner life
- Delve into spiritual traditions
- Schedule in “downtime”
- Teach by example
- Lean on your spiritual beliefs during hard times
Lisa Miller, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College, in New York City, heartily agrees: “When it comes to spirituality…parents are just [the] kids’ ambassadors. [They] can show them around, but [they] don’t need to know everything.” She says kids who develop a sense of a loving higher power or a guiding force—whether they call it God, creator, Allah or simply “loving universe”—are 80 percent less likely to suffer major depression and 50 percent less likely to suffer from substance abuse as teens.
Parenting.com also states: “Similarly, a study from the University of British Columbia, in Canada, found that children who are spiritual (and researchers clearly separated “spirituality” from “attending church services” or “belonging to a church”) tend to be significantly happier individuals overall. Having an understanding of something greater than themselves seems to enhance children’s sense of personal meaning and purpose, and to reinforce their connections to their community and to other people.”
