5 Reasons to Teach Your Children About God

I know a lot of people say that they want to teach their children about God. Sadly, it seems many people who say they want to teach their children about God don’t actually teach their children about God, whether that be that they do not teach them about the Bible or that they do not live the lives necessary to teach their children about God. I don’t want to be either of those types of people. I want to teach my children the Bible and live the type of life that God has called us to live. I’m not perfect – I don’t claim to be - and I know that I will make mistakes, but I’ve got to be striving to teach my children because their souls are in my hands. This list could be much longer, but here are just a few reasons I believe I need to teach my children about God.

1. As a Christian, I’m commanded to teach. The command to teach in Matthew 28:18-20 (as well as other passages) doesn’t exclude my children. Additionally, God has always called on parents to teach their children about Him. Consider Deuteronomy 6:6-9: “⁶And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
2. So that they can be saved from their sins. At this point in their lives, my children are still too young to have sin on their record. Children are not born with sin. But, if my children continue to grow up, eventually they will sin, and with that comes separation from God. I must teach them about God so they know how to be saved from their sins.
3. So that they can spend eternity in heaven. This goes right along with the previous point: the only way they can spend eternity in heaven is to be saved from their sins, and I want them to understand what the Bible teaches about how to get to heaven. After all, we’re going to be judged by Christ’s word (John 12:48).
4. So that they can tell others about God. My children will likely have opportunities for evangelism that I may never have. They’ll come into contact with people I may never meet. They’ll have unique personalities and experiences that make them ideal for talking to someone about God that I may not have.
5. So that they can exhibit the characteristics of godliness. My children cannot exhibit the characteristics of godliness without knowing God. If I want them to be pure, truthful, kind, loving, merciful, gracious, humble, compassionate, patient, and faithful (only naming a few of the characteristics of godliness), I must teach them about God and His ways.