The 5 Big Questions Your Children Will Ask

Do your kids ever ask you big-faith questions? These are the kinds of questions that make you pause and ponder and maybe even worry that you aren’t qualified to answer them. As a children’s discipleship expert and parent coach, I rely on Parenting for Faith’s four steps to approaching any question.

Let’s use them together to think through five big questions your kids may be asking right now. We can start with a framework that will help us answer the questions.

Four Steps to Help You Deal with the Big Questions

You don’t need a seminary degree to work through big faith questions with your kids. Disciplining your kids isn’t even about always giving them the right answers. It is about welcoming their questions, engaging them together and helping them to know where to look.

If you can pray and read the Bible (hint, you can!), you can tackle questions with your children. Parenting for Faith suggests these four steps to help:

1. Ask: “What do you think?” What prompted the question? How have they already been processing the question? What is going on in their hearts and minds?
2. Ask: “What do we know?” This is where you can point your children to the Bible and even wise people. Have they learned about it in Sunday School or church? Have they read about it in scripture? If you don’t know where it is in the Bible, try using online tools like Bible Gateway or Blue Letter Bible.
3. Ask: “What do we not know?” Sometimes, as parents, we feel pressured to know everything, but there are lots of things we don’t know or can’t know. The Bible doesn’t answer every question. We can model to our kids how it is alright not to know everything and to have questions.
4. Share: How have you handled it? After going through all the other questions, this is when you can share how you have handled this question in your own life. If this isn’t a question you have had, that’s ok, too. You can share any other thoughts or questions that you think would be helpful to the conversation.

5 Big Questions Your Kids Will Ask

Let’s use steps two and three of the four steps provided as we look at some common big questions you might have to address with your children.

While we are focusing on steps two and three here, you’ll add steps one and four back into the process when talking with your kids.

Another great tool we can use with the recommended steps is the Catechism. This is a teaching tool written in question-and-answer form based on scripture. A modern option is the New City Catechism.

I have tried to provide answers based on basic theology that are easily understood by 6-12-year-olds.

Where did I come from?

What do we know? We are created in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27) God created humanity from the dust and his breath. (Genesis 2:7) God now knits us together in our mothers’ wombs. (Psalm 139:13) God is the Creator of everything, through Jesus. (John 1:3)

What do we not know? There may be some deeper genealogical facts, but it would be fun to research or look at. How God does it—each child is a miracle.

Why can’t we see God?

What do we know? God is Spirit. (John 4:24) God is invisible. (Colossians 1:15) Jesus is the only one who sees God. (John 1:8) Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. (Colossians 1:15) God won’t allow humans to see him and live. (Exodus 33:20) God lives in an unapproachable light. (1 Timothy 6:14-16) We are sinful. God is holy. (Romans 3:23) God is good, loving, and wise. (Psalm 145:9; 1 John 4:8; Job 9:4)

What do we not know? Why did God design it that way?

Why do people die?

What do we know? This is not the way God wanted it. (Genesis 2:8-17) God gave people the gift of free will. (Genesis 2:16-17) Adam and Eve chose to disobey, and it was called sin. (Genesis 3:6-7) Their disobedience and sin invited death into the world. (Genesis 3:6-7) Refer to Genesis 3 God is good, loving, and wise. (Psalm 145:9; 1 John 4:8; Job 9:4)

What do we not know? If your kids ask, “But why?” too many times, you might get to the place where you tell them, “We don’t know why God designed the world this way.”

Why are we here?

What do we know? According to theWestminster Catechism, “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” This comes from these verses: 10:31; Rom. 11:36; Ps. 73:25-28 Each person will also have one or more callings that they discover throughout their life that will match their gifts and passion. It may be a job, a hobby, or a relationship, but it will glorify God and allow you to enjoy him through it. (Romans 8:28) God is good, loving, and wise. (Psalm 145:9; 1 John 4:8; Job 9:4)

What do we not know? How will you do that throughout your life?

Is Jesus the Son of God?

What do we know? Yes, Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 4:20; Matthew 14:33;Mark 1:1; Matthew 3:17) Jesus is also fully God. (John 1:1)

What do we not know? Exactly how the Trinity works and how Jesus is God and the Son of God.

Questions to Come

These are five of the big faith questions I often hear from children, but there are so many more questions your kids may ask.

Mama, you can handle those questions.

Take a breath, pray, and work through the four steps. God will guide you and equip you. If all else fails, be honest, say you don’t know, and seek the Lord together.