When I ask parents if they read the Bible with their children, they’ll often respond enthusiastically and say something like, “Yes! We read them a chapter from a children’s Bible before bed every night!”
And that’s so encouraging to hear! But it’s not what I meant.
What I’m really asking is: “Do you read the actual Bible with your children?”
And the fact that I feel the need to add the word ‘actual’ before ‘Bible’ makes me wonder if something is amiss.
The truth is (and I may be about to disappoint or even annoy some of you): a children’s Bible is not the word of God.
The Bible is the divinely inspired, authoritative and infallible word of God himself. In Scripture we observe the redemptive story of humanity, discover the character of God, and encounter the person of Jesus through the message of his gospel.
A children’s Bible is a re-telling of this story.
It is not divinely inspired.
It is not authoritative.
It is not infallible.
There is always more to be said.
Every children’s Bible reflects the author’s personal convictions and theology. In fact, there are plenty of children’s Bibles I would never read to my children for this reason!
Does this mean we ought to not use children’s Bibles? Of course not!
I have a shelf full of them and use them regularly. They are helpful for covering large sections of Scripture quickly, introducing major characters and storylines, and making these things more accessible and age appropriate. But still, they fall short because they aren’t God’s word and can never do what an actual Bible does.
What I’m suggesting is this: we ought to not replace the reading of God’s actual word with tools created to aid us.
It’s a bit like reading a recipe instead of cooking and eating the food itself. The recipe can tell you what the food contains, what it should taste like, and it might even include a picture, but none of that compares to actually eating the meal. The recipe is the tool; the food itself is the encounter.
In the same way, a children’s Bible will always fall short.
Now, I can hear you freaking out from all the way over here:
“My kids are too young!”
“There’s no way they’d sit through that!”
Let me encourage you—where there’s a will, there’s a way.
If we truly believe that God’s word is living and active, powerful enough to save, is the mechanism by which the Holy Spirit changes hearts and gives us everything we need for Godly living, then how can I not speak these words?! Over and over, in every circumstance, no matter the difficulty or the cost.
Because I believe in the power of God’s word, the approach is almost inconsequential. It is an act of faith to trust God when he says his word is for all people. So we speak it, even if it seems hard or pointless. And as you speak it, read it, teach it, your children will become accustomed to it and God’s Holy Spirit will work through it.
Here’s how it works in my family:
- Over breakfast I read my children one Proverb, a small chunk of the book we’re working through, and one chapter of a children’s Bible.
- Over afternoon tea we memorise Scripture and their catechism questions.
I started doing this when they were 1, 1, 3 and 7. So far we’ve read through the books of Mark and Acts. We’ve just started Genesis.
If we happen to miss reading as a family, my 9-year-old will sit and read on his own, just because reading the actual Bible is what he is used to doing.
Then my husband reads us one psalm during our pancake lunch each Saturday and leads us in a discussion about it.
It’s not always (ever?) easy. There are many interruptions. The kids don’t always listen. They don’t always understand. But we do it because we believe in the power of God’s word.
And as we do it, my children not only come face to face with their creator, but they become accustomed to the culture of our home. They know that in our household we love God’s word. And when I see their minds ticking and piecing the puzzle together, and watch the lightbulb moments, and hear the questions that they ask, I know it’s totally worth it. God really does know what he’s doing.
It’s not only beneficial for them, but for me too.
My prayer is that as they grow, this will be a normal and enjoyable part of our lives. That we will continue to read God’s word together, and that they will take on the task of reading his word themselves too, because that’s just what we do as believers who love Jesus. That just like Timothy, they would never know a day without it:
“…from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim 3:15)
So, let this encourage you: read the actual Bible with your children.
It will be hard.
It will sometimes feel pointless.
You will feel ill-equipped.
And that’s okay! Because God’s word is powerful. All we need to do is speak it.