Teach Children About God
“May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace …” Psalm 144:12
The importance of teaching our children and youth cannot be overstated. Studies indicate that most people who are Christians made those commitments early in life. According to a study done by the Barna research group, 43% of people accept Christ as their Savior before age 13, 64% before age 18, and another 13% between ages 18 and 21. Only 23% of people become Christians after the age of 21. One obvious implication of this is that we ought to focus our best efforts on reaching the young with the gospel.
Why is this? There are several reasons. Children are generally open and trusting. When you tell a child that God loves them, they believe you. This is a very important message parents should teach their children. There is a God who loves them and is always watching over them. We may assume our children know this, but they may not. Parents should tell them and remind them of it often. That God watches over them is true and gives them a foundation for their lives that goes even beyond a parent’s love. The lessons learned in childhood are never forgotten.
Why are the teenage years important ones for making a commitment to Christ? These are years when we search to discover our identity and chart our own course in life. This searching naturally leads us to be open to spiritual answers. It is a time when we are aware of the need for something beyond ourselves. God is the answer to the longings of the human heart, and teenagers are particularly open to the love, meaning, and challenge that life with Christ brings.
Parents have a wonderful, God-given window of opportunity with their children. The first great window is between ages 3 and 12. This is when parents have the most influence on their child’s life. This is when they have their child’s fullest attention. It is a great time to teach your child as many lessons as possible about God, faith, and the meaning of being a Christian. The second great window is the teenage years. These are years in which it is crucial for youth to stay connected with the church, find friends in the youth group, and have guidance for making wise decisions.
These are all reasons that our church places so much emphasis on children and youth. It is why we invest staff, resources, and energy into teaching the faith and encouraging Christian discipleship. John Calvin’s first strategy for evangelism was to teach the faith to the children and youth of the church. This, he said, was the very first and best way for the church to do evangelism — teach the faith to its own children and youth.
God can change a person’s life at any stage of life. That is why we baptize both children and adults. The power of the gospel is real and has life-changing impact. At any time, we can turn to God and find healing, help, salvation, and grace. We are grateful for our children and youth. We continue to work and pray that God will become a real and vital part of their lives — now, for the rest of their lives, and into eternity with God.