Give Your Children a Biblical Worldview
We live in a society that has completely lost its moorings. How can we hope to give our children a Biblical worldview in a culture that either marginalizes or maligns Christianity? How can we expect them to stand strong against all the evil forces aligned against them? (Ephesians 6:13) How can we guarantee they’ll stick to the narrow path that leads to life, amid the torrent that threatens to sweep them toward destruction? (Matthew 7:13-14)
The short answer: We can’t. There is no such guarantee. And if you’re looking at the list below as a recipe to follow to insure the outcome you desire, then you are viewing it the wrong way. We cannot sanctify our children anymore than we can save them. Both those processes are a work of God’s grace from start to finish.
However, God placed my kids in my family (and yours in yours) for a reason, and He commands us to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) Knowing that parents are often a means by which God draws children to faith, we do our best to obey His commands and prayerfully leave the results to Him. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
How to [Help] Give Your Children a Biblical Worldview
Hide God’s Word in their hearts
Give your kids a solid foundation built firmly upon God’s Word. Read the Bible to them faithfully, discuss it with them, and encourage them to memorize as much of it as they possibly can — the earlier, the better. [Find tips to make memory work easier here.]
Teach them to examine everything in light of Scripture. Let God’s Word shape and inform everything else they do and think.
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)
Pray for wisdom — for both of you!
God promises to give wisdom “generously and without reproach” to everyone who asks. (James 1:5) So be sure to ask, and keep on asking, and teach your kids to do the same! Wisdom is essential to a Biblical worldview.
“Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.” (Psalm 119:98-99)
Attend a church that provides sound teaching
Look for a community of believers who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind and honor His Word as completely authoritative, true, trustworthy, and relevant to our lives today. (2 Timothy 3:16) Spend time with Christians who prove themselves to be doers of the Word and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (James 1:22)
“…and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Don’t compartmentalize your faith
A Bible-believing church is important, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. You shouldn’t expect sending your children to Sunday school to do your job for you.
Your kids need to see you living out your Biblical beliefs every day of the week. Your faith isn’t just for Sundays. It should permeate every facet of your life.
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)
Welcome their questions
It is important that we not only teach our children what we believe, but why we believe it. This is especially true as they enter their teen and young adult years.
Give your kids the freedom to ask questions. If the Bible is true — and I believe it is — it can stand up to scrutiny. So you needn’t feel threatened, even by tough questions. If you know the answer, explain it. If you don’t, admit it, then search for it together.
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
Need Extra Help with Tough Questions?
One extremely helpful resource we’ve found for solidifying a Biblical worldview in the hearts and minds of our older kids is Summit Student Conferences. This 2-week worldview program teaches young people how to defend their faith in a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christianity.
We’ve sent multiple children to Summit right before they began college classes, and we’ve been thrilled with all they’ve learned during the 2-week sessions. One of our daughters loved Summit so much, she returned last summer to serve as a camp nurse.
You can learn more about our family’s experience with Summit by reading this blog post or watching this live IG interview.
Although I am currently collaborating with Summit to help spread the word about their Student Conferences, this wasn’t the case when we first started sending our kids there. We decided to enroll our high school seniors after hearing the enthusiastic testimony of family friends who’d sent their kids to Summit. Knowing how important such word-of-mouth recommendations can be, I’m now trying to pay it forward by telling others about this awesome program.
Interested? You can save $100 off your registration with the code FLANDERS23. And if you sign up before March 31, you’ll save an additional $200 with the early bird discount. That’s $300 off in total!
