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Q. How old does a child have to be before he or she can learn about God? Neither my husband nor I come from a church background, but we have two small children now, and we'd like to give them a different religious experience than we had.
A: You and your husband probably realize that you missed something by not learning about God when you were younger, and I’m thankful you want something different for your children. We live in a world that is growing more and more confused and chaotic, and your children will need strong moral and spiritual foundations.
Young children may not understand everything about God—but they can understand something, even at a young age. For example, even when children are very young, they know their parents love them—and they can begin to understand that God loves them also. They are beginning to learn right from wrong—and can begin to understand that we sin against God also. And even as they begin to talk with their parents, they can begin to understand that they also can talk with God.
One of the most important things you can do to teach them about God, however, is to help them discover the Bible. Your local Christian bookstore or pastor can help you find a Bible storybook designed for children, including pictures and interesting stories from the Bible.
Yes, your children need to learn about God—but what about you? God loves you, and He wants each of you to be His children. Ask Christ to come into your lives, and then ask Him to help you point your children to Him also. The Bible says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Q: My friend says we don’t need to look “out there” for God. Instead she says we only need to look within ourselves, because God is inside every one of us, and that’s where we’ll find Him. Is she right?
A: Your friend is undoubtedly sincere—but no, she isn’t right when she says we only need to look within our own souls in order to find God.
Let me mention two reasons why we won’t find God only by looking within us. The first reason is because God is too great. God created the whole universe (including you and me), and He can’t be limited to any one place—including our souls. It’s true that every part of His creation reflects something of His glory and His creative power—but He is far, far greater than this. As King Solomon declared, “The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you” (1 Kings 8:27).
The second reason God will not be found only by looking within ourselves is because of our sin. Like a deadly disease, sin has infected our souls and cut us off from God. God is perfect and holy, and even one sin—just one—would be enough to separate us from Him. The Bible says, “Your sins have hidden his face from you” (Isaiah 59:2).
Does this mean we can never come to know God? No, not at all—and the reason is because God has done everything He possibly can to forgive us and cleanse us and make us His children forever. He did this by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save us. Ask Christ to come into your life today. Jesus’ promise is for you: “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).
