Children are very imaginative and learn through stories, so it should be no surprise when they ask “Is the bible real?” My 5 year old son asked if the bible was real? He asked if the stories were actually true and if they really happened.
After getting the answer in the affirmative that indeed the stories in the bible are real and true. Emphasis on the fact that the word is truth and life.
He pondered this for what seemed to be a quick second, then went on to ask if Goliath was real? He wanted to know if God made Goliath? He wondered why God would make someone who was bad. His sister decided it was time to pitch in with her two years of additional experience (after all she is a whole 7 years old). She said yes “God made Goliath”. She went on to explain that God makes everybody good but some people decide to be bad and then they become bad. That it is not God’s fault.
Okay great answer! Not sure I would have come up with that answer myself.
The very inquisitive brother went on to ask “so how exactly was David able to kill Goliath with no weapon”? “What is a sling”? At this point dad came into the conversation and started to explain what a sling is and how David used it. He seemed incredulous…that just a stone could take off a giants head.
The point here is that we have a precious job on our hands, the earlier we expose children to the bible, the earlier we make it clear to them that the bible is real, the more they can live their lives based on the word. We should explain to them that the stories of faith, power and miracles that we read about are not just fairy tales but real instructions for us to learn from.
Children are curious and will ask questions. Parents and teachers need to be able to rise up and answer with practical answers they can relate to. We should also use the curiosity as an avenue to teach them that faith and obedience are critical in every decision and action that humans make.
I found it very insightful that a 7 year old could answer with the point of view that everyone was made good by God but that some people decide to become bad. 
Let us equip our children with the knowledge that the end of bad is never good. Indeed we were all born with free will but God desires for us to seek him, to obey him and to walk according to his will for our lives. There is no greater truth than this and we, parents and teachers are the first contact children will have on the concept of God!
Let’s treat our roles with sensitivity and cherish the incredible responsibility we have for every child that crosses our path whom we can train.
photo sources: youversion, friendsfortruth
