2 Pitfalls I’m Avoiding in Teaching My Son the Bible

“What is our only hope in life and death?” I ask my four-year-old son as I tuck him in for bed.  He responds, “That we are not our own but belong to God.”

For months now, my son and I have been going through the New City Catechism for Kids. I’m continually amazed by how well he absorbs and retains the new information. He has embraced the catechism’s questions and answers as if they were old friends. Seeing his growth has been encouraging to me as a parent. However, as I left his room last night, I couldn’t help wondering if he is too young to grapple with such profound questions.

Something seems off about discussing death with a boy in dinosaur pajamas, right? My son sleeps on a pillow shaped like a stop sign. Yellow excavators dot his comforter. Should I hold off for a few more years before broaching these topics? I’m no parenting expert by any stretch of the imagination, and anyone who witnessed the tantrum in Barnes & Noble last week can attest to that truth. However, as I considered that question, I realized I need to avoid two common pitfalls when teaching my son about the Bible.

The “Moral of the Story” Approach

Though it may seem harmless, using Bible stories solely to teach moral lessons can be dangerous, as it overlooks important aspects of Scripture. Children’s curriculum often focuses on simple takeaways like sharing, kindness, and obedience while skipping complex or challenging passages. While these are worthwhile lessons, this approach treats the Bible like a book of fables rather than the story of God’s relationship with humanity.

To convey the richness of Scripture to children, we must go beyond pithy morals and ask thought-provoking questions: What does this story reveal about God’s nature and plans? How can I communicate that to young minds appropriately? Moral lessons matter, but they are not the point of Scripture. We should aim to impart, even to little ones, the breadth of who God is and what He is doing in the world.

The “He Can Handle It” Approach

For those of us with a high view of Scripture, we may be tempted to immerse our young children in the most challenging stories of the Bible without first building the proper spiritual and emotional foundation. Though we rightly uphold the divine inspiration of Scripture, simply presenting graphic Biblical accounts to young children, without context or explanation, is not helpful. There is wisdom in gradually introducing children to the complexities and harsh realities that the Bible frankly depicts as their understanding matures. We would be wise to explain difficult passages with care, emphasizing God’s justice and mercy. Prudence would demand focusing first on building the proper foundation before diving into the graphic portions of the Bible.

I am not saying we should avoid teaching children the violent or gruesome parts of Scripture. However, tailoring your storytelling to match a child’s age and maturity does not diminish the Bible. You can convey the Bible’s core messages about God and humanity without graphically describing what resulted from Ehud’s sword. There will come a time when children should learn those details, but parents should ensure they have the proper spiritual foundation first to properly understand them.

Striking a Balance

Ultimately, I feel it’s right to teach my son about life and death from a biblical perspective. Though he doesn’t fully grasp the meaning of life or death yet, he understands that this earthly existence has a beginning and an end. Before long, he will read Judges for the first time and confront the complexities of God’s judgment and human depravity. For now, we will keep building the biblical foundation beneath him, stone by stone, to ready him for that moment. Parents must decide the right pace for their own child’s foundation, as each one is different. But no matter the speed, building that biblical groundwork is never wasted effort.