As a writer of children's books about faith, I spend a lot of time thinking about ways to inspire my kids with healthy perspectives about God and spirituality. In the past, I too often allowed my hangups about Christianity and my past experiences with church dictate how I interacted with kids on topics of faith.
Years ago, when Elias was 6, I was driving him to swim lessons when, he said, "Daddy, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," I said, smiling at him through the rear view mirror.
"Is Satan real? Does God really send people to Hell to be with Satan?"
The panic I felt upon hearing his question was undeniable. I felt it in every part of my body. And it was written clear as day on my face.
"Who told you about Satan and Hell?" I said with the passion I've imagined God possessing when asking Adam and Eve "Who told you that you were naked?"
Elias looked at me, his eyes wide and worried, "did I ask a bad question?"
I took a deep breath and exhaled. "No, buddy, you did absolutely nothing wrong. Your question just made me think about something from my childhood, something that I've tried really hard to protect you and Adeline from experiencing."
Within in a few minutes, my panic subsided and I was able to engage Elias about two topics I'd long protected him from learning about: Satan and Hell.
Come to find out, Elias had learned about Satan/Hell sitting at the lunch table. One of his friends, a kid whose family attended a conservative Church of Christ in the area, decided to tell his friends while they were enjoying their lunch break that they might be going to Hell to live with Satan.
Thankfully, I've learned a few things about how to talk to my kids about spiritual matters. And most of the time, when it comes to engaging in healthy conversations about spiritual matters with our kids, most of the truths begin with listening. Here are a few things that every parent should listen to when engaging your kids in talks about God and faith.
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